#Informed Consent Action Network

[hafwen]

A guide for employers: What to do if Immigration comes to your workplace

Preparation Checklist

Before an Immigration Action:

Find a qualified immigration lawyer now – before anything happens.

Make a written Response Plan. Practice your plan with the workers. Practice what to say, what to do.

Provide a Know-Your-Rights training for all your staff.

Train your staff:

Do NOT run away if ICE agents show up. Running away could give ICE a legal reason to arrest workers.

Do NOT give ICE agents permission to enter your workplace.

Do NOT answer questions or give any information.

You and the workers have the right to stay silent and to ask to talk to a lawyer.

Give the workers a list of lawyers or organizations that can provide high quality, free or low-cost immigration legal advice.

Connect with an immigration response network in your area.

During an Immigration Action:

If ICE agents enter a public area of your business, say: “I am the employer. You cannot go to other areas of the workplace without my permission.”

If ICE agents try to enter a private area, say: “This is a private area. You cannot enter without a judicial warrant signed by a judge. Do you have a judicial warrant?”

Encourage your staff to video or take photos during an immigration action (if they are willing).

If the agents have a judicial warrant signed by a judge, ask for a copy and read it. Make a copy if you can. You can still decline to give consent for the search.

Watch the agents carefully. Keep track of what they do. See if they are following what is written on the warrant. For example, the warrant may limit the areas the agents can search.

If ICE agents try to question you or the workers, remind the workers they have a right to stay silent and to ask for a lawyer.

When immigration agents leave, record or write down everything you saw. This will help you remember the details when you talk to a lawyer later.

[evil-peanut-butter-addict-sam]

I was gonna say this on twt to puppy but I got scared.

Yes, I support Wilbur.

more simple explanation without legal stuff:

Shelby has had many other allegations of abuse towards some of her other exes, more so when she couldn't gain to much money, and her abuse story has came up on the Wilbur one with it changing almost seemingly every stream she would speak about such topic. I understand the importance to support the victim but I personally believe the victim here is lying and doing it for the fame. But one they I don't find ok is people 1 nit supporting him and 2 on the same page speak about many sexual commentary about CC! NOT C!, when will has spoken before he is not ok himself being used for sexual desires, sexual art ,etc.

Law stuff:

Me though as someone who enjoys law, enjoys looking to legal cases, I found this as a time to do a legal study on it [might not be the best idea] but have looked into many different websites, many different youtubers, I have looked on practically every edge of the internet for more fact on this topic, I went as far as to asking my friends who don't support him if they know anything I don't, I went as far as going to the poll to cancel Shelby to find any facts, here's what I found with my own looking and the poll.

"« Article 188 - Libel (administrative violation) Article 189 - Insult inflicted in a public speech, or in a printed or publicly displayed work, or in the media (administrative violation) Article 203-1 - Illegal actions regarding information about private life and personal data. (administrative violation) Article 352 - Unlawful acquisition of computer information (Wilbur's personal data). (administrative violation) Article 355 - Violation of the rules for operating a computer system or network. (administrative violation) »Article 188 - Libel, administrative violation Article 203-1 - Illegal actions regarding information about private life and personal data. Administrative violation. Article 343 - Distribution of pornographic material (intimate photos and videos of Wilbur). Criminal article. Article 189 - Insult inflicted in a public speech, or in a printed or publicly displayed work, or in the media. Administrative violation. Article 355 - Violation of the rules for operating a computer system or network. Administrative violation. Article 352 - Unlawful acquisition of computer information (Wilbur’s personal data). Administrative violation or criminal for up to two years. The list could take a long time, believe me. Also, based on information on the Internet, libel in the United States is severely punished (up to $250,000 or 10 years in prison).  Also, taking into account USA laws, Shelby violates: Chapter 2 Article 3 - Disrespect for Wilbur's Life Article 5 of Chapter 2 - Dissemination of Wilbur Soot's personal information without his mutual consent to these actions, thereby violating his integrity Article 11 of chapters 1-2 - disrespect for the honor and dignity of William Gold, distributing purely personal information and supporting doxxing towards Wil. Article 12 of Chapter 2 - condemnation of Wilbur Soot for his thoughts and beliefs, which have the right to be expressed"

I understand I post these alot but it is needed to be shown.

[darkmaga-returns]

There will be much more to this story as it unfolds but the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) has finally obtained the VAERS safety information produced by the FDA themselves.

During the pandemic, FDA conducted analyses of COVID-19 vaccine adverse events and tried to hide the results from the public. After two years of FOIA requests and lawsuits, FDA finally produced a portion of its “Empirical Bayesian (EB) data mining” reports. This type of analysis was designed to detect COVID-19 vaccine safety signals using VAERS reports. The data should be very revealing as far as what issues FDA was seeing during the vaccine rollout—especially given the agency has kept this data secret for years. This is the first time this critical data has been released to the public. An initial review of the records produced has revealed a long list of adverse events that far surpassed FDA’s “standard alert threshold”—meaning, there is (or should have been) great concern on the part of federal health authorities who were privy to this data. As just one example, ICAN discovered that “heavy menstrual bleeding” and “menstruation irregular” began showing up on the reports as early as April 2021!

I have only done a cursory review of the reported signals but what immediately caught my attention is that by 4th March, 2022, by their own metrics, all three US “vaccines” appear to be signalling serious adverse events, including

death (Janssen)

exposure via breast milk (Moderna, Pfizer)

suspected COVID-19 (Janssen); and

ineffectiveness (Pfizer).

If a product is ineffective, surely everything else is moot?! If that “ineffective” product is fatal in some cases, well…

No wonder they tried so shared to stop it being “shared more broadly”?

[adarinas]

(WIP) Resources Masterlist

*Note: a lot of these are geared toward American and/or English-speaking populations, my apologies, but plenty of them are global!

GENERAL

End Global Genocides Master Document | Another Master Doc | Tumblr Post - Links to Informational Articles/Websites

Donations: Fundraisers - Gaza, Sudan, Congo, and more | Doctors Without Borders | Care.org | World Central Kitchen | Operation Olive Branch | Islamic Relief USA

Discord: Global Strikes Against Genocide Discord Server

SUDAN

Eyes on Sudan | Sudan Solidarity Collective | Linktree - Sudanese Diaspora Network

Info: 500 days of war... | Sudan War Explained - Interview

Petitions/Letters: Stop Sudan War | Justice for Human Rights Abuse Victims in Chad and Sudan | Stop Arming Saudi Arabia and the UAE to stop the Sudan genocide

Donations: Sudan Funds | Tumblr Masterpost - Sudan Orgs/Fundraisers | Water for South Sudan

ROHINGYA

Free Rohingya Coalition

Info: CNN - Hundreds of Rohingya face drone strikes / ethnic cleansing in Myanmar

Spotify - Rohingya Culture Interview

Petitions:

Donations: Mutual Emergency Aid 4 Rohingya | Emergency Aid for Rohingya Orphans and Disabled Families

TIGRAY

Tigray Action Committee

Info: Omna Tigray - What's happening in Tigray? | Tghat News | UN Article from Sept 2023

Petitions/Letters: Petition - Demand Aid to Tigray | Stop the Tigray Genocide

Donations: Places to Donate for Tigray Tumblr Post | Ahwatna Relief

DRC

Friends of the Congo | Focus Congo | Congo Resources Tumblr Post

Info: DRC: Inside the world's forgotten war | Congo Genocide Explained - Interview

Petitions: No Tax Dollars to Fund Congo Genocide | Halt the Ongoing Genocide in Congo

Donations: SOS Congo (organized by Goma Actif) | IRC in Congo | Action Kivu

KASHMIR

Stand with Kashmir | Kashmir Masterlist Tumblr Post

Info: Kashmir - Paradise Lost (BBC)

Petitions/Letters: Stop Arming Indian Occupation of Kashmir

Donations: KASHMER

EAST TURKESTAN

Campaign for Uyghurs | Uyghur Truth Project | Camp Album Project

Info: Persecution of Uyghurs in China - Wikipedia

Petitions/Letters: Change.org - Uyghur Muslims

PALESTINE

Jewish Voice for Peace | USPCR Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit

Info: Wizard Bisan, a Palestinian journalist

Petitions/Letters: Not Another Bomb | Amnesty - Demand a Ceasefire | Tumblr Post with Petitions | Ceasefire Now | (JVP) Tell Congress - Arms Embargo Now

Donations: Gaza Funds | Low on Funds Palestinians Fundraisers | Vetted Gaza Evacuation Fundraisers | Arab.org Daily Click | Middle East Children's Alliance

ARMENIA

Learn for Artsakh | Help Armenians Carrd | Artsakh Genocide Action Toolkit

Info: Denying Your History - Armenian Genocide

Petitions/Letters: Petition - Stop Erasing Armenian Culture | International Recognition of Artsakh

Donations: Fund for Armenian Relief | Armenia Fund | CARITAS Armenia | ARS of Eastern USA inc.

INDIGENOUS AMERICANS

MMIWG2S | Indigenous Action | NDN Collective

Petitions/Letters: Stop sterilizing Indigenous women without consent | Free Leonard Peltier

HAWAII

Info: Tourism's Negative Impact on Native Hawaiians | Noho Hewa Film (2008)

Donations: Hawaii Community Foundation

HAITI

Haiti Liberation Google Doc

Donations: Hands Together for Haitians | Haiti Outreach | Hope for Haiti | Twitter Thread of GoFundMes/Donation Links

WEST PAPUA

Free West Papua Website | West Papua Resources/Info Tumblr Post | We Need to Talk about Papua Carrd (last updated 2021 but has good info)

Info: United Nations - Indonesia: Shocking abuses against indigenous Papuans | Twitter Thread of Helpful Articles

Petitions/Letters:

ALSO:

The Kurdish Project

KEEP BOYCOTTING, PROTESTING, AND DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN! FREE ALL OPPRESSED PEOPLES OF THE WORLD!

If you can't donate, share!

If you have any concerns with the links I've posted, please share! I tried my best to verify everything but please let me know if you are doubtful of something! Also, please please share other resources from people who are directly impacted by these genocides!!

LAST UPDATED SEPTEMBER 16 2024.

[mariacallous]

In 1974, the United States Congress passed the Privacy Act in response to public concerns over the US government’s runaway efforts to harness Americans’ personal data. Now Democrats in the US Senate are calling to amend the half-century-old law, citing ongoing attempts by billionaire Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to effectively commit the same offense—collusively collect untold quantities of personal data, drawing upon dozens if not hundreds of government systems.

On Monday, Democratic senators Ron Wyden, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, and Chris Van Hollen introduced the Privacy Act Modernization Act of 2025—a direct response, the lawmakers say, to the seizure by DOGE of computer systems containing vast tranches of sensitive personal information—moves that have notably coincided with the firings of hundreds of government officials charged with overseeing that data’s protection. “The seizure of millions of Americans’ sensitive information by Trump, Musk and other MAGA goons is plainly illegal,” Wyden tells WIRED, “but current remedies are too slow and need more teeth.”

The passage of the Privacy Act came in the wake of the McCarthy era—one of the darkest periods in American history, marked by unceasing ideological warfare and a government run amok, obsessed with constructing vast record systems to house files on hundreds of thousands of individuals and organizations. Secret dossiers on private citizens were the primary tool for suppressing free speech, assembly, and opinion, fueling decades’ worth of sedition prosecutions, loyalty oaths, and deportation proceedings. Countless writers, artists, teachers, and attorneys saw their livelihoods destroyed, while civil servants were routinely rounded up and purged as part of the roving inquisitions.

The first privacy law aimed at truly reining in the power of the administrative state, the Privacy Act was passed during the dawn of the microprocessor revolution, amid an emergence of high-speed telecommunications networks and “automated personal data systems.” The explosion in advancements coincided with Cassandra-like fears among ordinary Americans about a rise in unchecked government surveillance through the use of “universal identifiers.”

A wave of such controversies, including Watergate and COINTELPRO, had all but annihilated public trust in the government’s handling of personal data. “The Privacy Act was part of our country’s response to the FBI abusing its access to revealing sensitive records on the American people,” says Wyden. “Our bill defends against new threats to Americans’ privacy and the integrity of federal systems, and ensures individuals can go after the government when officials break the law, including quickly stopping their illegal actions with a court order.”

The bill, first obtained by WIRED last week, would implement several textual changes aimed at strengthening the law—redefining, for instance, common terms such as “record” and “process” to more aptly comport with their usage in the 21st century. It further takes aim at certain exemptions and provisions under the Privacy Act that have faced decades’ worth of criticism by leading privacy and civil liberties experts.

While the Privacy Act generally forbids the disclosure of Americans’ private records except to the “individual to whom the records pertain,” there are currently at least 10 exceptions that apply to this rule. Private records may be disclosed, for example, without consent in the interest of national defense, to determine an individual’s suitability for federal employment, or to “prevent, control, or reduce crime.” But one exception has remained controversial from the very start. Known as “routine use,” it enables government agencies to disclose private records so long as the reason for doing so is “compatible” with the purpose behind their collection.

The arbitrary ways in which the government applies the “routine use” exemption have been drawing criticism since at least 1977, when a blue-ribbon commission established by Congress reported that federal law enforcement agencies were creating “broad-worded routine uses,” while other agencies were engaged in “quid pro quo” arrangements—crafting their own novel “routine uses,” as long as other agencies joined in doing the same.

Nearly a decade later, Congress’ own group of assessors would find that “routine use” had become a “catch-all exemption” to the law.

In an effort to stem the overuse of this exemption, the bill introduced by the Democratic senators includes a new stipulation that, combined with enhanced minimization requirements, would require any “routine use” of private data to be both “appropriate” and “reasonably necessary,” providing a hook for potential plaintiffs in lawsuits against government offenders down the road. Meanwhile, agencies would be required to make publicly known “any purpose” for which a Privacy Act record might actually be employed.

Cody Venzke, a senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, notes that the bill would also hand Americans the right to sue states and municipalities, while expanding the right of action to include violations that could reasonably lead to harms. “Watching the courts and how they’ve handled the whole variety of suits filed under the Privacy Act, it's been frustrating to see them not take the data harms seriously or recognize the potential eventual harms that could come to be,” he says. Another major change, he adds, is that the bill expands who's actually covered under the Privacy Act from merely citizens and legal residents to virtually anyone physically inside the United States—aligning the law more firmly with current federal statutes limiting the reach of the government's most powerful surveillance tools.

In another key provision, the bill further seeks to rein in the government’s use of so-called “computer matching,” a process whereby a person’s private records are cross-referenced across two agencies, helping the government draw new inferences it couldn’t by examining each record alone. This was a loophole that Congress previously acknowledged in 1988, the first time it amended the Privacy Act, requiring agencies to enter into written agreements before engaging in matching, and to calculate how matching might impact an individual’s rights.

The changes imposed under the Democrats’ new bill would merely extend these protections to different record systems held by a single agency. To wit, the Internal Revenue Service has one system that contains records on “erroneous tax refunds,” while another holds data on the “seizure and sale of real property.” These changes would ensure that the restrictions on matching still apply, even though both systems are controlled by the IRS. What’s more, while the restrictions on matching do not currently extend to “statistical projects,” they would under the new text, if the project’s purpose might impact the individuals’ “rights, benefits, or privileges.” Or—in the case of federal employees—result in any “financial, personnel, or disciplinary action.”

The Privacy Act currently imposes rather meager criminal fines (no more than $5,000) against government employees who knowingly disclose Americans’ private records to anyone ineligible to receive them. The Democrats’ bill introduces a fine of up to $250,000, as well as the possibility of imprisonment, for anyone who leaks records “for commercial advantage, personal gain, or malicious harm.”

The bill has been endorsed by the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Public Citizen, two civil liberties nonprofits that are both engaged in active litigation against DOGE.

“Over 50 years ago, Congress passed the Privacy Act to protect the public against the exploitation and misuse of their personal information held by the government,” Markey says in a statement. “Today, with Elon Musk and the DOGE team recklessly seeking to access Americans’ sensitive data, it’s time to bring this law into the digital age.”

[mcytcontent]

(4/4) over parts on my profile

Shelby's Instagram

Despite the fact that Shelby said that she and Wilbur started dating in 2022, it seems to me that this is slightly wrong. And their relationship began at the end of 2021. I think so because of the photos of Wilbur and Shelby together on her Instagram. (1-1,5, 2, 3)

In all the photographs (except the last one) absolutely everyone is marked except her and Wilbur.

Sudden facts

Smajor was the very first of Shelby’s close friends to announce himself; he claimed that he saw abuse in their relationship, but for some reason remained silent. The reason for his silence is unknown. ‌

Billzo appears, emerging from his year-long silence with a statement that he, too, saw how Wilbur manipulated him and his friends. At the same time, Billzo, like Smajor, did not talk about this until the persecution against Sut began. The reason for his silence is also unknown.

‌After this, Tubbo liked Bilzo and Freddie's answer

Wilbur's moments

Wilbur and others have repeatedly confirmed and joked about the fact that Wilbur has an addiction to alcohol. Wilbur himself admitted this on Quackity's stream.

Amid Wilbur and Shelby's relationship, Technoblade died. Techno's death could have made Wilbur very depressed, especially considering that Wilbur had frequent panic attacks as a child, as well as severe anxiety.

Wilbur more than once asked not to idealize him, he said a lot about the fact that he was a bad person.

He said that he had been mentally ill since childhood and that he would soon undergo therapy. And for some time Will was so apathetic and depressed that he didn’t even get out of bed and the only one who was at least somehow worried about him and forced him to look after him was Tommy, who was 17 at that time.

Also one of the streams from 2023, where he mentions his problems with mental health and that it has become worse

"Wilbur, if you weren't a little bit handsome, everyone would think you're wrongun" - Tommy's joke (6:25)

Shelby also said that Will doesn't care about his fans, and he only wants fame and money from them. Officially, tickets for his concert cost from 49+ pennies. Tommy talked about this when he went to the cmwyl concert. And Bilzo himself said on Twitter that he would buy Will’s ttrack «The "Nice Guy" Ballad» if he put it up, and Bilzo replied that he could listen to it for free.

Wilbur also supports feminism.

Shelby's cousin

Cousin Shelby said that it was not Wilbur who abused Shelby, but she who abused him. (There is no evidence that this is Shelby’s cousin, so the information is not accurate)

Shelby responded to this within 40 minutes, but at this point, her reply has been deleted.

What Shelby violated

You can read more about Shelby's violations from VikaVivii (RIP♡) on Twitter.

Article 188 - Libel, administrative violation

Article 189 - Insult inflicted in a public speech, or in a printed or publicly displayed work, or in the media. Administrative violation.

Article 203-1 - Illegal actions regarding information about private life and personal data. Administrative violation.

Article 343 - Distribution of pornographic material (intimate photos and videos of Wilbur). Criminal article.

Im actually not sure about this

Article 352 - Unlawful acquisition of computer information (Wilbur’s personal data). Administrative violation or criminal for up to two years.

Article 355 - Violation of the rules for operating a computer system or network. Administrative violation.

Chapter 2 Article 3 - Disrespect for Wilbur's Life

Chapter 2 Article 5 - Dissemination of Wilbur Sweat's personal information without his mutual consent to these actions, thereby violating his integrity

Chapter 1-2 Article 11 - disrespect for the honor and dignity of William Gold, distributing purely personal information and supporting doxxing towards Wil.

Chapter 2 Article 12 - condemnation of Wilbur Soot for his thoughts and beliefs, which have the right to be expressed.

Victims from SupportShubleSquad

Aiden (@VikaVivii) is a 15-year-old child who was subjected to domestic violence and who was one of Wilbur's active supports. He actively looked into the situation, talked about the holes in Shubble's story, and covered the petition (authored by @kinokonyai) which outlines the laws that Shelby violated. Due to bullying and threats of doxxing, on 03/07/24, I jumped from the balcony, before that I wrote a couple of posts on my Twitter account, saying goodbye. Afterwards, Aiden's close friend (@ZaneDeYala) confirmed his death and said that Aiden's mother would speak out about it later.

Miles (@Wilbees_xx) - 16 years old, tried to commit suicide with an overdose of pills. Based on his brother's statement, we know that Miles is currently in the hospital and getting help.

M (@weirdobur) - wanted to commit suicide, but luckily he couldn’t, now he’s decided to step away from the Internet for an indefinite period.

⬆️

Shelby left her Twitter account for the purpose of “resting.” At the same time, deleting messages and banning those people who talk about Aiden and Miles. ‌

“I didn’t ask for threats on my behalf.” Didn’t stop her fans from bullying, but also supported it herself. It has long been known that she liked wishes for the death of Wilbur and leaking his personal information, but as soon as this was noticed, she removed the likes.

On TinaKiten, Shelby was pressured by the supports, forcing her to speak out about the situation and take sides, despite the fact that she was not even Wilbur’s friend, but an acquaintance.

3rd Shelby's stream

On March 24, Shelby streamed after a break of 2 weeks.

16:30 she began to talk about how you can’t trust the words of others, about how people wish death to each other, and how they wish death to her every day. After that, she began to talk about the trust “adult kids” have in adults, and how she felt in the company of such adults.

23:17 she said that children are stupid: “cause they are kids, they are stupid,” and then immediately qualified her statement with how unfairly the younger generation is treated. She then began to talk about brotherly relationships between teenagers and adults, clearly alluding to the relationship between Wilbur and Tommy, but without directly saying so, she talked about the manipulation of children by adults. That when a teenager needs help, this adult will never come. She said that friendships with age differences should be more respectful, especially towards children.

Later she mentions Philza saying that he is a great person and we should follow his example. In “brotherly” relationships there should not be any friendly blows or jabs (More than half of the relationships between brothers and sisters are exactly like that. Especially when someone is older).

She later said that it was terrible to deal with teenagers in friendships: “because they are so young and you are so fucking old. What are you doing."

27:19 “If you ever been one of this people, (cause we saw this happen before too), where you were caught, (where you in massive platform), of violence, over a lot of teenagers and children. And in privet you are being an abusing people, manipulating and abusing teenagers. I just think, if you are one of these people who are caught and say: “I'm sorry, I'm gonna work on myself” - I think that is a lie if you ever come back. I think if you have been caught clearly irresponsible with this position of power over teenagers, that if you actually out of them working in a sorry, you'd voluntarily never come back, if you really were sorry. I just couldn’t ever believe it if you put yourself right back into the same shoes...” At this point, she was clearly talking about Wilbur, accusing him of manipulating and abusing teenagers.

31:08 she started talking about teenagers who commit suicide. She started laughing at them, covering it up with the words that she was laughing at herself, at her situation. She said that these children are lying, because you can look up their phone number and use it to find information or find their parents. And finally ask them about this situation. She said that she found all this and checked it out. But she did not provide any evidence.

32:37 “Because it is a crime to tell people kiil themselves” (She herself does nothing with her team ShelbySupporSquad, who wish people kys (kill themselves) every day)

39:50 “You are waiting for more information, maybe before you call someone a lying bitch”

(I’ve been waiting for more information for more than a month)

At 41 minutes, she began to talk about how many people began to share their stories and that she was proud of them, and that she was glad that many of them found a way out of the situation.

44:22 «I've seen so many excuses, I've just seen so many excuses that I think that not okay and I think that actually disrespect, I've seen people use excuses of depression to excuse some behavior, I think that such disrespect to anyone who felt depressed, because feeling depressed is not a pass to abuse people, because that are you sealing to imply. It's just not an excuse for abuse, no one of this excuse for abuse, mental illness not is excuse for abuse, because for forgetting part that took it to a level where they were abusing somebody else. And that's not okay, that's not.»

Many people began to get angry at this statement, it seems to me that basically there is nothing wrong here, but she still cannot judge depression, since she is not a professional.

55:45 Aimsey joined via Discord call until 1:09:34 (they were discussing cartoons)

1:11:17 she started talking about safety on the Internet (don’t tell your age, if you’re being bullied, tell your loved ones, etc.)

1:12:53 “Important to have a slightly adult to go to, because you don’t want to go to your parents and they can never be able to understand...”

Deleted post

I would also like to note that this post has been deleted from the «Wilbur music» channel.

Tupac posters

A moment that fans noticed. Shelby has a poster of Tupac, the rapper convicted of rape, on his wall.

I checked this and can finally confirm the information. It would be fine if she had only one poster hanging out of ignorance, but the fact that she has two posters is suggestive.

Sorry boys

On March 30, Sorry boys posted a post in which, on behalf of Tommy, they declare that they will go on a break, but before that they will release one video, he also wrote that they have as many as 5 filmed videos, but they will not post them.

Wilbur in Brighton?

On April 9, a video from a LoveJoy fan appeared on TikTok, in which he filmed Wilbur congratulating him (someone) on his birthday: «Just birth, happy birthday to “name”» (I didn’t fully understand what he said, because spoke quickly). This happened at the airport.

They also began to say that Wilbur had become visible again in Brighton. Most likely Wilbur came from New York where he temporarily lived with LoveJoy.

The owner of the video posted a verification post that he had recently meet Wilbur. The video was filmed back in December 2023. And it was filmed by a friend who was flying with LoveJoy on the same rail.

Spotify UK & Ireland

[jackmedwn]

Gates Foundation, NIH, Big Pharma discussed COVID shots before ‘pandemic’ was declared: emails - LifeSite

The pandemic was all theater. The government collaborated with big pharma to pull the biggest con in history.

[ethanswgstblog]

Blog Post #7

What role does community play in Spier’s transformation?

Community plays a crucial role in Zeke Spier’s transformation by providing both support and a framework for action. As he becomes more involved in activism, the people around him reinforce his beliefs and help him channel his frustrations into organized resistance. The author notes that "Spier found solidarity among activists who shared his convictions, offering him both emotional reassurance and tactical knowledge" (Elin). This suggests that radicalization is not an isolated journey but one deeply embedded in collective struggle, where individuals draw strength from their peers to challenge existing power structures.

For the software mavis beacon, do you think it was ethical for the software developers to take pictures of the woman and put them later for much time

I believe it was unethical for the developers of Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing to use the woman’s image for so long without ensuring her continued consent. While she may have initially agreed to the photoshoot, she likely didn’t anticipate her likeness being used for decades. If she wasn’t fairly compensated or given the option to revoke permission, that raises serious ethical concerns about exploitation and informed consent.

From my perspective, people should have control over how their image is used, especially in commercial products. If the software developers had been more transparent and allowed her to renegotiate her involvement, it would have been a much fairer situation. This case makes me think about how digital rights and image usage should be handled more ethically in today’s world.

How does the internet contribute to the globalization of white supremacist movements

The internet plays a crucial role in the globalization of white supremacist movements by allowing individuals across different countries to connect, share ideologies, and organize. Unlike previous eras, where white supremacist movements were often confined to specific regions, the digital age has facilitated a transnational network of extremists. The text highlights this by noting that "Stormfront’s tagline from the beginning has been ‘white pride worldwide,’ a motto that speaks to the global vision of the site’s creators as well as to the current reach of the site" (Daniels, p. 41). This demonstrates how online platforms serve as hubs for uniting white supremacists beyond national borders, strengthening their collective identity and influence. As a result, these digital spaces not only spread racist ideologies but also provide tools for recruitment, organization, and mobilization, making white supremacy an increasingly globalized phenomenon.

In what ways does the framing of white supremacy as a response to globalization limit our understanding of its impact on society?

Framing white supremacy primarily as a response to globalization rather than as a racial ideology limits our understanding of its deeper societal impact. By emphasizing economic anxieties and cultural displacement, such interpretations risk downplaying the role of systemic racism and historical white privilege. The reading critiques Castells’s analysis, stating that he "mistakenly takes the patriot movement as the ideal type for all other white supremacist organizations" and in doing so, "misses the extent to which the Internet figures in the formation of a global white identity that transcends local and regional ties" (Daniels, p. 45). This suggests that reducing white supremacy to a reaction against globalization ignores its roots in deeply ingrained racial hierarchies. Understanding white supremacy as a structured and historically persistent racial ideology allows for a more comprehensive analysis of its continued presence in society and the ways it adapts in the digital age.

Elin, L. (n.d.-b). The Radicalization of Zeke Spier. Cyberactivism: Online Activism in Theory and Practice. 

Seeking Mavis Beacon Documentary

White Supremacist Social Movement Online And In A Global Context by J. Daniels

[bunniisms]

Amity is the absolute world to me, and it's funny cause she doesn't feel sorry at all for being an all-watching, consuming insect monster (I mean, maybe she's sorry for herself, but non-apologetic as a whole). like she has a beef with a friend of mine's vampire character - they run vampire speak easy's and try to move the population around and facilitate underground human-cattle esc blood networks and keep the vamps going to avoid getting noticed by the big dogs like Hellsing.

But Amity's the bitch that keeps getting them busted - and they call her a traitor - she has to live off of the living just like them, so why side with them. And she finds it funny, stupid, stupid vampires to imagine there's some fictional familial network connecting them. This isn't how life works, nor how the world works. SHE'D eat them all alive if not for the fact that their dead flesh is useless to her swarm. Her loyalty is only to hers and her own

Peace was never on the table for Lady Pestilence. She's a corrupter, a rotter, her voice infiltrating and infesting far before you notice how endemic she's become. How many of their men became HER men? Do they want to tally and count? Games like these feed into the Sadism inherent in the Jorōgumo. She's just a little wicked

(ALSO FUN HISTORIC CONTEXT, the word Pestilence started seeing use in Old English and is a borrowed word from Old French, and it essentially translates to 'The morally corrupting/rotting/general moral entropy' because Medieval Europeans viewed the plague as a moral failing (because, for much of human history, morality and disease and faith were allllll interconnected and viewed as one singular thing) )

As a tangent, though, how this impacts Amity and the dynamics she forms with her informants is interesting - especially around the artificial vampire issue. Cause, Amity, as wicked and scrupleless a minx as she is, even with her heart at its coldest, does hold fondness and respect for her informants, and while manipulative, she does want to honour her end of the agreement made with them in exchange for their information. It's not her desire to treat them as tools or disposable, though ultimately, her actions do cross this boundary frequently.

But the reason for this, honestly? Lies in the fact Amity KNOWS an unfortunate truth, a LOT of her informants from these underground clubs and rings aren't there by choice - they're not the rich kid lovers or the Luke and Jan sort.

They're more like Helena. They are people in positions without power who had choices made for them without their consent by people abusing power over them, and currently, they're just as much trapped as the people they have to feed off. And, while Amity leverages their desire to get out for information she can't always gather herself, she doesn't WANT to abandon them to their fate or let their service be returned with betrayal and murder. Think of what that would do for her reputation! (she says, while truthfully caring less about that fact than about the memory in the back of her mind of these people relying on her so rawly, presenting their wounds at her feet and asking 'help me,')

So, when it comes to the matter of 'dealing' with them, Amity leans more on the side of hope and dreams and personally champions ( read as. pushes) Integra and the Round Table to probe further into the chips and learn to reverse them - if only because she wants to see a lot of her informants be able to be unshackled from their ailment (or at least reduced to a human condition to face punishment). Which Integra bawks at the logistics of, but Amity compares it to victims trapped under rubble by a tsunami.

YES, their condition is worsening, and they're losing humanity. Yes, it would be labour intensive to free them to the point some could argue it's a waste of time because 'what if they're too far gone, they'll die eventually anyways, ' but she argues any efforts to save and salvage souls are worthwhile, if only to honour the hope Hellsing gave them.

This being said, Amity KNOWS the likelihood of being able to reverse, or at least disable, the artificial effects is next to nil. After all, how many can boast that they've raised the dead? But Amity's doesn't want to leave that book, or it's potential untracked. But either way, dead or alive, she won't lose sleep. She's served her role*.

(*Amity is entirely ethically on board with putting them down if there's no other choice, and she knows that it's just the hope- if they CAN do something and make them half-artificial-vamp-half-human like Mina, or just fully revert 'em, that's the dream but if not she doesn't think it hurts to try.)

[starseedpatriot]

SHOCKING: Every childhood vaxx fraudulently got approved by cutting corners on required safety testing.

The Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) has detailed how all 17 FDA-licensed shots, recommended for kids by the CDC, were called safe and effective without ever going through ANY long-term, placebo-controlled trials.

No wonder kids are getting hurt!

[rjthirsty]

Chapter Eleven (Deceit and Decay)

Words: 3.5k

Tags: Self-Harm, Angst, Abduction

A/N: You can find my previous chapters on my masterlist, or on ao3. For a complete set of tags, please visit ao3.

What if Belle didn't fall in love with the Conqueror Beast? What if his last hope abandoned him, simply because she didn't know he existed? Would his black heart break and crack, or grow as hard as stone? An AU where Chevalier is crowned for Rhodolite, Gilbert lost his last shred of humanity, and MC (Dahlia) is thrust into a nightmare world where deceit and decay are everyday occurrences.

Rhodolite had not been idle during the last five days, though to say that a plan was underway to secure Dahlia’s safe return would also be oversimplifying a very complex set of decisions that may prove to ultimately be fruitless. King Chevalier had his kingdom to consider, and the actions of waging a war for a woman of common birth leading to Obsidian to overtake Rhodolite was likely a future that Gilbert had hoped would come to pass. And that was only one possible outcome. There were countless others that Chevalier could see, and finding the one that Gilbert had predicted would be difficult.

They had been entered into a game of chess without their consent, and now Chevalier had to keep his pieces from eagerly sacrificing themselves. His brothers didn’t have the foresight he did, and most of them could be hasty in their actions. They were more than pawns, they were worthy to carry their royal titles and all of them had something they excelled in. But they were all still far too emotional with a lack of concern for their own wellbeing and what their actions could ultimately lead to for the kingdom they were born to protect.

After the Obsidian Prince departed, his brothers inserted themselves immediately. First it was Clavis who refused to work until Chev confirmed Gilbert was responsible. Informing him did nothing to ease Clavis’ tumultuous emotions and he was the first that Chev had to warn from doing anything rash. He also barely functioned for the rest of the day, neglecting his work in lieu of spreading the information to his other brothers.

And thus, the parade of concerned princes who approached King Chevalier at every hour began. Most were still managing themselves and their designated tasks, but some were more constantly buzzing around as if Chev wasn’t attempting to find a way to bring Dahlia home himself. He hadn’t forgotten her. He wouldn’t give up on her. It was simply pointless to rush into something of this nature, especially with his duty to prolong the life of his kingdom resting on his shoulders.

There were also other issues that needed to be addressed before he could bring Dahlia back. Prince Gilbert had left Chevalier a crucial piece of information referencing ‘gifts’ that he had left for Chev’s coronation. Chev was certain it was meant to be an obstacle to prevent a swift recovery of Dahlia, and while he hated to admit it, it was going to prove to be a hefty project to clean up. If Prince Gilbert was involved, it likely had to do with weaponry, and if it was meant to cause discourse, it would be provided to the Anti-Monarchy Faction - a group that had assembled after Bloodstained Rose Day but hadn’t gained much traction until the last few years.

Most of the citizens that participated in the faction despised royalty, and Chevalier most of all. Clavis often set up ‘parties’ where they would gather and air their grievances, it also proved beneficial to keep an eye on the group in order to prevent them from becoming a problem to the crown. Clavis was all too happy to allow those with a grudge against Chevalier to network and hone their edge aimed at Chev’s throat. As long as Clavis didn’t personally provide support or involve himself in any misguided attacks, he was allowed to do as he pleased. Chev saw his worth even if Clavis did not.

Arranging an event took time, however, and there was no way to hurry that time along. Clavis had set it up, as ordered, but the party wouldn’t be held for another week. In the meantime, Chevalier had the Domestic Affairs Faction scoping out illegal sales and attempting to pinpoint Anti-Monarchy meeting places and warehouses. They were effectively down two members as Yves was not ideal for this sort of work, and Licht was under Yves care, forced into taking a leave of absence. Nokto had his hands full trying to identify smuggling lines from Obsidian, and Clavis was barely maintaining the Foreign Affairs Faction.

On the fourth day of Dahlia’s absence, King Chevalier met with a foreigner who operated a bookstore in Rhodolite. Mr. Akatsuki had no blood relation to Dahlia, however, he had functioned as a father figure to Dahlia since she was a young child. Dahlia’s disappearance wasn’t something that needed to be made public, but it had been brought to Chevalier’s attention several times that Dahlia’s family should be made aware. And so, a summons was sent, and Mr. Akatsuki, who had experience with royalty, princes, and Chevalier many, many years ago, arrived to be given the news.

It went about as well as expected when one is informed their adopted child has been abducted and everyone knew of the culprit but no one was able to do anything about it. In other words, it was a very tiresome meeting. Even with Clavis and Leon in attendance, there was very little anyone could say to assure Mr. Akatsuki that Dahlia would be brought home swiftly. She was not the highest priority at the moment for Rhodolite, and even if she were, Chevalier’s hands were currently tied by the lack of proof more than anything.

While Gilbert had given Chevalier enough to conclude that Dahlia was in Obsidian, he had not expressly stated it. Furthermore, Gilbert’s position as a prince of a neighboring country would offer significant protections for something as small as abduction of a commoner, even if she had been training to be a court minister. She offered no value as a political hostage, either. No one but those who care for her would care that she had been abducted.

Mr. Akatsuki leveled some insults about how useless Rhodolite’s palace full of princes was, driving the dagger deeper in the hearts of all three men and cracking the divide wider between Chevalier and his brothers. They already thought of Chev as heartless, and his steadfastness in handling things above board did nothing to lessen his cold character. Chevalier didn’t refute. He would not be shaken by words, having experienced harsher ones in his past. He could allow others their outbursts and insults and he would continue as he saw best… for Rhodolite.

Their guest stormed out of the meeting, yelling that he would collect his daughter himself. Clavis and Leon traded a look, and Chev understood what the both of them were considering. He knew it would be best to caution with another warning. He knew neither of them were a match for Gilbert’s intellect and strategic planning. He knew that even if both of them crossed into Obsidian, neither would return with Dahlia, and it was likely neither would return at all. He knew what was best. He knew what choice he’d make. But he hesitated.

He missed her.

If his life was so affected by her absence, surely his brothers with more human hearts were fighting something much harder than he was.

“Clavis,” Chev’s words were a rope that twisted around Clavis, tying him in place. “You are required for your gathering.” With that, Clavis was bound and tethered from any other foolish action.

With a faint hope that Leon would manage something impossible, Chevalier kept his eyes on Clavis, purposefully ignoring Leon’s hard stare as his brother tried to puzzle out Chev’s actions. It seemed like Leon was considering his own next move. Of all times for Leon to finally think things through and not act rashly, this was not the moment Chevalier expected nor wanted it to happen. Perhaps Leon was waiting to be shackled as well, for he waited much longer than necessary before he quickly followed after their retreating guest.

Chevalier knew he would live to regret this. This is what happens to kings in love.

Leon caught up to Mr. Akatsuki before he had left the palace proper. Jogging to get in front of the older man, Leon held up his hands placatingly. “Would you hang on for a minute? Give me just a little more of your time. I promise it’ll be worth it.”

The man from Ruby narrowed his eyes at Leon. “Spit it out. But you have two minutes before I walk out of here.”

Leon gave his best charismatic grin. “I won’t need two minutes. Allow me to go with you.”

Mr. Akatsuki remained silent, crossing his arms over his chest but allowing Leon his two minutes (or less, as he claimed). Leon had at least expected him to refute or deny him outright, however, it seemed that he was going to wait to cast his decision.

“Not as a prince of Rhodolite. You know I love your daughter, right? Dahlia means more to me than anything, even my title. I would do anything to protect her– and I was willing to fight everyone inside the palace the night she was taken from me– from us.” Leon swallowed hard, fighting the anger, frustration, and pain that came with this confession. But he knew that in order to convince Mr. Akatsuki, he needed to be honest. He had to lay his feelings bare.

“I get it– not to the same degree. I didn’t raise her. I have only spent a year by her side. But, please, if there’s even a chance I can get her back, I want to take it. I want to bring her home. I want to keep her safe.” Leon paused, waiting for some sort of sign from Mr. Akatsuki. The elder man pursed his lips and frowned, eyeing Leon.

“Will you take me with you? That's all I’m asking.” He kept his amber eyes locked on Mr. Akatsuki, showing his determination and his sincerity.

“You’ll need a change of clothes,” Mr. Akatsuki stated pointedly before he looked away towards the grand entrance, the main gate, and beyond to where Obsidian laid far, far away. “Dress for colder weather. Bring enough for a few weeks. Come to my shop before sunrise tomorrow.”

Leon clapped a heavy hand on Mr. Akatsuki’s shoulder, wanting to hug the man he had only met a handful of times, but restraining himself. “Thank you.” He met Mr. Akatsuki’s eyes once again to show how meaningful his approval was to him, then jogged off through the palace to set about gathering enough clothes for his trip.

He knew he couldn’t tell anyone he was leaving or else he’d be facing other obstacles outside of Chevalier. Sariel would surely find some way to tie him down, and Jin might just lock him in a cell to keep him from making a stupid mistake - like attempting to rescue his girlfriend from a foreign nation. Yves would tell everyone, and Licht would beg to come with him. It was a little ridiculous that Chevalier was the one who allowed him the opportunity to pursue his own choice. It really wasn’t like him.

Finishing his work for the rest of the day like nothing was wrong was easy enough. Leon felt no shame in his choice, and despite knowing he was lying to Jin and would be saddling everything with him come tomorrow, it wasn’t the first time he had kept things from his brothers and it wasn’t likely going to be the last.

The sun set on Rhodolite in blazing reds and oranges. The stars appeared in the sky, shining brightly, only dwarfed by the silver moon.

Clavis sat in his room on the sofa he slept on clutching at his chest. He hadn’t felt like this since he was a young child. It hadn’t hurt this badly since that day so many years ago when it rained and he began to hate the smell of wet roses. He hadn’t tinkered or created anything in days. He hadn’t dug a pitfall or planted any traps since before Chev’s coronation. Instead he sat in the darkness of his cluttered room, barely able to drag himself through the motions of his work. Even Chevalier had been giving him less errands to run. He was truly worthless, Clavis thought to himself.

Jin drank alone in the large sitting room. Drinking with company was always better than none, but company sounded like it’d be more trouble than it was worth tonight. Glass after glass, he tipped the liquor back, trying to rid himself of the worry that held fast to his thoughts. He was more perceptive than most people, he saw how his brothers were all hiding their dark thoughts of Dahlia being gone and never returning. Knowing she was in Obsidian did nothing to rid them of anxieties, because there was no way to easily retrieve her. His reach wasn’t that far. Not even Sariel could manage that.

Licht dragged the knife across his skin. The familiar burn of his flesh slicing and blood rushing to the wound seemed to be the only sensation he could feel beyond the numbness. He kept a blank face as he watched the dark red seep from inside him to fill the void he had made. The pain was nothing. Inconsequential. Perhaps he’d cut deeper tonight. Perhaps he’d add a new scar on top of old ones lined up in their rows. What did it matter anyways? No one would care if he took care of himself any longer.

Chevalier sat in the wooden chair positioned on one side of the chess board that decorated his room. None of the pieces had been moved, and there was no partner for Chev to play against. However, that didn’t stop him from moving pieces in his head. As he ran through strategies and tactics of every book he had ever read, he fought himself in a battle of wits on the chess board in his mind. He purposely busied himself so as to not put a stop to Leon’s misguided rescue attempt. If he gave himself enough time to reconsider his negligence in caging Leon, he knew he’d succumb to the logic and reasonable decision to keep him in Rhodolite.

Nokto stared into the darkness of the night, leaning against the window in his room. The roses several stories below were colored so dark, it looked like they had all been painted black. The dark circles under his eyes mirrored the deep shade of the flowers. He hadn’t been sleeping well. He never slept well without someone next to him. It had only been four days since she was taken, but those four days continued to stretch from evening to morning to another sleepless night to putting on another mask for the day. How was the world colored so plainly without her here?

Before the sun had risen, when the staff was waking to start their morning shifts, Leon discretely left the castle full of lonely beasts to meet with a foreigner who owned a bookstore. He walked the whole way on foot, not wanting to leave a palace horse as evidence for Sariel or Jin to find where he had gone. When he arrived at the bookstore that Dahlia had once worked at, he found a small but sturdy covered wagon hitched and Mr. Akatsuki had already loaded books and other supplies into it.

“You’re one of those that shows up right when you ought to and not a moment sooner.” Mr. Akatsuki eyed Leon and glanced at the thinning shadows on the horizon.

“That’s what a hero does, and Dahlia believes I’m one.” Leon grinned, tossing his clothing into the wagon and hopping onboard.

“Wouldn’t have hurt to get out of here before first light. It’s a long trip to Obsidian Castle.” The older man climbed onto the driver’s bench, collecting the reins for the harnessed horses.

“And you’ve got a way through, right? We’re not going to have to sneak across the border, are we? I don’t think this wagon will make it if we did.” Leon chuckled, ribbing the old man who seemed perpetually grumpy.

“I’ve got a way. You’re my apprentice, understand? Training to pick up the store once I give up traveling. You look young enough to pass for it.” Mr. Akatsuki gave the signal to the horses and the wagon began its bumpy journey through the streets of Rhodolite’s capital.

“Does that mean I call you Master?”

Mr. Akatsuki huffed, cutting a glance to Leon. “Mr. Akatsuki.”

“Alright, Mr. Akatsuki it is.” Leon watched Mr. Akatsuki for several minutes in silence, trying to come up with something to express his gratitude for allowing him to come along. But every time he grasped for a word or a sentiment that might come close, it didn’t feel like enough. There were no words to say how much this meant to him. So he said the only thing that he could manage, a sincere and firm “Thank you.”

It was several hours after the sun had taken its spot in the sky, slowly traversing over Rhodolite Castle when Jin poked his head inside the Foreign Affairs office. He had been running throughout the palace in search of Leon, unable to find the head of the Domestic Affairs Faction. Meanwhile, he was also picking up the slack for every other member who was missing, and now Leon hadn’t shown.

Clavis was sitting at the single desk, head down as if reading paperwork, but he sat there staring at the same page for far longer than would have been needed. Jin’s eyebrows knitted together and he frowned, watching Clavis who hadn’t even heard him come in. In an attempt to make himself known, he rapped loudly on the door he had already opened, startling Clavis from his inner thoughts.

“Hey, Clavis, is everyone else out?” Jin shoved his hands in his pockets and lazily strolled into the empty office.

“Oh, you know how it is. We’re not much for working together. Nokto is probably still sleeping, and Chev is handling kingly duties.” Clavis smiled the same smile he always had.

“And Luke?” Jin asked as he peeked out a window, attempting to keep the conversation casual.

“Who can say? Ahaha. He has never volunteered to show up to work.” Clavis shuffled the papers on his desk, the dark circles under his eyes giving away how many restless nights he had been experiencing.

“He’s still not interested in being a prince, it’s gotta be hard for him.” Jin agreed, circling back towards the door from the far end of the room. “Speaking of hard work, have you seen Leon? I’m swamped in Domestic Affairs all by myself. With Yves and Licht out of commission, it’s just me and Leon.”

Clavis paused in his organizing of his paperwork and looked up at Jin. Something about the way his smile fell and his eyes blinked wide for a moment didn’t sit right with Jin. Clavis slapped his mask back on and was smiling like he always did, his hands folding together on top of his desk. “Ah, I see. Of course he wouldn’t have told you. Chev all but gave him permission to force his way into Obsidian and gallantly bring our dear Dahlia back.”

“That’s not funny, Clavis.” Jin stopped moving, his feet frozen to the floor.

“I’m not laughing.” Clavis clenched his hands together tighter, squeezing his own emotions down, his white knuckles safely hidden under his gloves. “And I’m not lying.”

Jin sprang into a run and darted out of the room. He had to find Chevalier to verify where Leon had gone– No, he had to find Sariel to stop Leon from crossing the border. Shit. This was bad. This was really, really bad.

[darkmaga-returns]

As of October 15, 2024, CDC has released more than half of the anticipated 7.8 million entries of V-safe free-text entries. ICAN’s analysis of the entries released so far reveals almost 12,000 reports of kidney pain, kidney stones, or kidney infections.

As many of you already know, V-safe was developed by CDC for individuals to report symptoms after COVID-19 vaccination. This month, we decided to look at V-safe reports of kidney issues.

We know from other vaccines that vaccination can negatively affect kidney function, causing harm far from the injection site. Sadly, it doesn’t occur to most people that an injection in their arm can harm a distant system of their body. But as ICAN has reported again and again, all body systems can be impacted by vaccination.

A 2024 study found a “strong causal relationship” between COVID-19 vaccination and kidney diseases such as acute interstitial nephritis (inflammation of kidneys) and podocytopathy (injury to special cells in the kidney). A 2022 study found a correlation between acute kidney injury (AKI) and COVID-19 vaccination and that “AKI following the COVID-19 vaccines led to poor prognosis, with 19.78% death in the Pfizer-BNT group, 17.78% in MODERNA, and 12.36% in JANSSEN.”

The V-safe app entries—most made in just the first few days and weeks following vaccination—reveal many reports of kidney pain, the abrupt development of kidney stones, and hospitalization for kidney infections. Here are a few examples:

“Infection of Kidneys and UTI. Blood in urine and kidney stone on left kidney.”

“I’m in the hospital right now Because I’m still peeing blood they think it’s kidney stones.”

“Kidney stone requiring emergency surgery, ureteral stent placement and subsequent removal; UTI.”

“Intermittent stabbing, pulsing pain around left kidney.”

“Severe flank pain (I think it’s a kidney stone) I’m in the ER”

“Diagnosis with new onset kidney stone”

“Severe kidney infection back pain fever”

Readers will not be surprised to learn CDC doesn’t recognize kidney issues as adverse events related to COVID-19 vaccination, despite CDC’s access to this same V-safe data in real time as the vaccines were rolled out. ICAN will continue to do CDC’s job for it and bring attention to these dangerous and sometimes life-threatening conditions.

[mariacallous]

Conspiracy theories and the people creating them have overwhelmed the US political process, and they’re becoming only more prevalent with each passing year. 2024 will be no different, if not worse: We’re already uncovering all kinds here on the WIRED Politics desk, from election conspiracy groups to claims that Boeing planes were made faulty on purpose. In the past few days alone, we’ve seen theories swirl online about the Baltimore bridge collapse and Kate Middleton’s cancer announcement.

A number of conspiracies were also given a boost this week by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s long-shot presidential campaign. Let’s talk about them!

The Longest VP Announcement

On Tuesday, RFK Jr. officially announced his VP choice: Nicole Shanahan, a tech entrepreneur, lawyer, and very wealthy ex-wife of Google cofounder Sergey Brin. I checked in with WIRED contributor Anna Merlan to debrief what was probably the longest veep announcement in recent history, and to talk about the conspiracies, digital campaign strategies, and vaccine skeptics driving Kennedy’s campaign. I’ve been taking a hard look at how the campaign is reaching voters online, and Anna covered the announcement for WIRED. She’s also been reporting on RFK Jr. and the anti-vax conspiracy ecosystem for years.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

MK: Ok. Nicole Shanahan. When they played her introductory video at the RFK Jr. event, I wasn’t expecting her to come off so conspiratorial. Were you surprised by what she said at all?

AM: Obviously, Shanahan was widely reported to be the VP pick. I did not know her stance on medical conspiracy theories, but I figured there had to be something there because you probably wouldn't agree to appear on a ticket with RFK without that.

So in her introductory video, she said that her daughter started showing signs of autism spectrum disorder in her infancy, and then she segued into making a series of claims that are very legible to people in the anti-vaccine movement. She claimed that chronic illnesses and conditions like autism can be caused by environmental exposure, wireless technology, and medication. And then she added that science can't assess the cumulative effects of multiple childhood vaccines—which is not true. The childhood vaccine schedule is very, very, very studied. Vaccines are some of the safest, most tested medical products on earth. It's not true, but as a talking point, it is again incredibly recognizable to the anti-vaccine movement. So for me, hearing her saying that stuff solved a little bit of a mystery of why she's involved.

MK: There were a lot of other people on stage yesterday and I didn’t recognize all of them. Who were those people?

AM: This was obviously a very long event—I think you even tweeted that it was only slightly shorter than Dune 2, which is true. There was a parade of speakers: Some of the bigger ones were Del Bigtree, who is really well known among anti-vaccine activists and is currently serving as the Kennedy campaign’s communications director; Jay Bhattacharya, who is a very prominent anti-lockdown figure; a former border patrol agent; and a couple of people who are active, if not super well known, in the natural health space. Basically, these speakers were each meant to speak to a slightly different constituency, because RFK Jr.’s main focus for so long has been anti-vaccine activism.

MK: Let’s talk about Bigtree. I’m curious about the space he occupies in the online conspiracy world.

AM: Bigtree was definitely the biggest speaker who was on the stage. He’s a very well-known anti-vaccine activist and is the CEO of a group called Informed Consent Action Network that is funded by billionaire foreign donors. He was the producer of an extremely famous and successful vaccine movie called Vaxxed, with Andrew Wakefield, who is the father of the modern anti-vaccine movement. And he’s the person who first falsely claimed that there might be a link between vaccines and autism, and set off a huge panic. So, Bigtree is incredibly well known. He’s incredibly popular and his place on the Kennedy campaign, I would opine, is meant to signal to RFK Jr. supporters in the anti-vaccine community that it’s still going to be a concern for a theoretical Kennedy administration.

MK: It did feel like the campaign was trying to thread the needle between the left and the right.

AM: It’s an awkward fit, isn’t it? I mean, RFK Jr.’s campaign had a YouTube livestream where you could watch the announcement, and if you looked at the comments during the land acknowledgement for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, they were pretty, unsurprisingly, racist. This is not a reflection on his campaign necessarily, but it's a reflection on some people who might have been inclined to support him. The sort of tug between having a Bay Area tribe on stage to get the land acknowledgement and then having somebody come on stage to talk about his history as a border patrol agent is awkward. Is that actually going to work on a large number of undecided voters? I don't know, but clearly that was what it was meant to do.

MK: Earlier today, I saw an ad on Twitter promoting an RFK Jr. documentary. It feels like such an investment in highly produced storytelling for the campaign. And this announcement event being so highly produced, it read like the campaign is trying really hard to make all of this pseudoscience appear legitimate. What did you think?

AM: RFK Jr.’s campaign, as you wrote about, has been very aware of sort of appealing to online spaces. One of those ways that you do that are these highly produced, slick little videos that look good on social media. So I wasn’t surprised.

But I was surprised that the announcement event was so long. I was surprised that there wasn't a little bit of attention to what the attention span is for an internet audience. I would definitely expect to see things that are highly produced, that are sort of media savvy, and that are also completely focused on burnishing RFK’s individual reputation. Because ultimately, in a long-shot candidacy like this, which may or may not be a sincere run for the White House, candidates are seeking to burnish their reputations in the worlds that they come from, and to even grow their market or their audience and become better known to a consumer base that they might not be known by already. Marianne Williamson, for example, had huge success with that.

MK: Another reason I can imagine why it was so long is because they knew how many eyes were going to be on this, and that it was probably one of their last big announcements and attempts to convince people to vote for him.

AM: The last big announcement. It's the last big chance to raise money, really. And they need money to get on the ballot. You’re trying to appeal to everybody, and you’re trying to make the most of what is probably your last moment.

The Chatroom

Occam’s razor doesn’t really exist on the internet. Or with conspiracy theorists. That couldn’t have been more apparent after a cargo ship tragically crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore this week, resulting in the presumed deaths of six people. Instead of assuming that the collision was due to a systems failure on the cargo ship, online conspiracy theorists have taken to blaming everyone from Nickelodeon to the CIA to DEI initiatives, as reported by my colleague David Gilbert.

We still don’t know too much about how and why the Tuesday morning collision took place, but if one were to guess—it’s unlikely that wokeness is the primary culprit.

But hey, maybe you know better than me. Leave a comment or send me an email at mail@wired.com and let me know.

[cultofdionysusnet]

ℑ𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔲𝔪

in-i-ti-a-tion

/i niSHē'āSH(ə)n/

noun

the action of admitting someone into a secret or obscure society or group, typically with a ritual.

the action of beginning something

It's our first anniversary since the network launched and the fates are happy to introduce our permanent event. Whether you're a new member, you've been with us for a while, or you're looking to for a starter point to contribute to our library of fics written for our events, this event is for you!

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷Guidelinesˏˋ°•*⁀➷

🍷MUST INCLUDE an initiation of some kind and alcohol must be involved in some capacity (we are the cult of Dionysus, the god of wine after all)

🍷deadline: NONE! you can contribute to this event whenever the fancy strikes you!

🍷500 Minimum word count

🍷for our graphic's makers: some sort of picture of alcohol or drinking used within the graphics you make

🍷must be a member of our net to participate

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Laura Bassett at Men's Health:

LESS THAN A year after launching his independent campaign for president, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. began shopping around his endorsement—and the loyalty of his small but significant base—to both major political parties in exchange for a cabinet position. Kamala Harris reportedly rejected a meeting with him outright. Donald Trump, however, has taken him up on the offer, announcing that in exchange for Kennedy’s endorsement, he’d let the anti-vaccine candidate “go wild” on health, food, and medicine if he wins a second term. Kennedy says Trump has promised him control of multiple government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—which includes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Therefore, a hybrid anti-vax and Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement was born: MAHA, short for “Make America Healthy Again.”

Supporting this movement to push Kennedy voters toward Trump is the MAHA Alliance, a Super PAC led by Del Bigtree, former communications director for the Kennedy campaign and CEO of the anti-vax group Informed Consent Action Network. The operation appears to be widely geared towards men, partnering with right-wing influencers like Russell Brand and Jordan Peterson who champion traditional masculinity, and aims to combine “the health-conscious, independent-minded voters with Trump’s proven ability to disrupt the status quo,” according to its mission statement. “This includes prioritizing regenerative agriculture, preserving natural habitats, and eliminating toxins from our food, water, and air.”

Some of MAHA’s goals sound pretty great in theory—especially during a time when public trust in the medical system and American food safety are so low. Incentivizing sustainable farming, improving soil health, protecting natural habitats, and cleaning up our air, water, and food are goals everyone should be able to get behind, paired with a viable policy strategy and leaders who are actually willing to take on the big oil and big agriculture lobbies to address our systemic environmental problems.

[...]

Meanwhile, other ideas being pushed by the movement and by Kennedy himself—like eroding public trust in vaccines and peddling pseudoscientific alternatives to vaccines—are downright dangerous to public health. In an October 25 post on X, Kennedy threatened to dismantle the entire FDA if Trump is elected, accusing the agency of “aggressive suppression of psychedelics, peptides, stem cells, raw milk, hyperbaric therapies, chelating compounds, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, exercise, nutraceuticals and anything else that advances human health and can’t be patented by Pharma.”

Many of these buzzwords he’s using—ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine in particular—are just snake oil alternatives to the Covid vaccine that don’t work, and in some cases, actually kill people. Jennifer Nuzzo, Ph.D., Professor of Epidemiology and Director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health, told me that Kennedy’s tweet “is straight from the anti-vaxxers' playbook that aims to sow doubt about credible medical approaches in order to sell and profit from unproven alternative approaches.”

[...]

Encouraging people to drink raw milk is another very dangerous health trend being promoted by supporters of the movement. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Fla.) recently waded into this one, tweeting a glass of unpasteurized milk with the caption, “Raw milk does a body good. Make America Healthy Again!” The problem is, by skipping the process of killing off harmful bacteria in milk, we are leaving it potentially contaminated with lethal pathogens. “Pasteurization has been one of the most effective public health measures ever, essentially ending the illnesses that used to come from drinking tainted milk,” explains Dr. Nestle. “Infectious diseases used to be the leading causes of death and disability among Americans. Public health measures effectively ended them. It makes no sense to bring them back.”

One thing MAHA gets somewhat right is addressing the serious health harms of microplastics and “forever chemicals,” which have been linked to chronic disease, heart attack, and stroke. It’s great that we’re starting to pay attention to those. Unfortunately, though, the Trump administration created a loophole during his final few months in office that allows companies to dodge having to report how many forever chemicals they’re discharging into the environment.

Laura Bassett wrote in Men’s Health what the MAHA movement gets right and wrong (and it’s mostly wrong) about our state of health.