#Weekly Funding Report

[entrackrme]

Indian Startup Funding and Acquisitions News [02 – 07 Sep]

During the week, 26 Indian startups raised around $421.29 million in funding. These deals count 4 growth-stage deals and 16 early-stage deals while 6 startups kept their transaction details undisclosed. Highlights:- 🚀26 startups 💰$420 Mn+ total funding 🌱22 early stage deals 🧑‍💻 5 key hirings 🤝 2 M&A 🚶2 layoffs (70 employees)

[wilwheaton]

Republicans are not the victors of a tumultuous campaign week that saw President Joe Biden flub his first debate and former President Donald Trump win a landmark Supreme Court ruling — the oligarchy is, a new analysis contends. Slate writers Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern presented an alternative Wednesday to the predominant political narrative that Biden’s campaign is nosediving while a newly disciplined Trump reaps the benefit. Rather than look at the face of the political parties, they raise the specter of Supreme Court rulings they say demonstrate a cataclysmic governmental shift. “Make no mistake about it,” the pair write, “When a court that has been battered by near-weekly reports of undisclosed oligarch-funded vacations (and gifts and super yachts and tricked out RVs and secret conferences with high-paying Koch supporters getting access to justices) decides to make it easier to bribe public officials—as it did in Snyder v. U.S.—that’s a very public signal that the conservative supermajority does not care what you think.”

'Make no mistake about it': Op-ed warns an elite 'supermajority' has already won 2024

The thoroughly corrupt MAGA 6 must be impeached and removed from the court. Democrats must take off the gloves, and fight as dirty as the other side. Literally everything is at stake.

[probablyasocialecologist]

The Guardian has uncovered evidence showing how Israel has relaunched a controversial entity as part of a broader public relations campaign to target US college campuses and redefine antisemitism in US law. Seconds after a smoke alarm subsided during the hearing, Chikli assured the lawmakers that there was new money in the budget for a pushback campaign, which was separate from more traditional public relations and paid advertising content produced by the government. It included 80 programs already under way for advocacy efforts “to be done in the ‘Concert’ way”, he said. The “Concert” remark referred to a sprawling relaunch of a controversial Israeli government program initially known as Kela Shlomo, designed to carry out what Israel called “mass consciousness activities” targeted largely at the US and Europe. Concert, now known as Voices of Israel, previously worked with groups spearheading a campaign to pass so-called “anti-BDS” state laws that penalize Americans for engaging in boycotts or other non-violent protests of Israel. Its latest incarnation is part of a hardline and sometimes covert operation by the Israeli government to strike back at student protests, human rights organizations and other voices of dissent. Voices’ latest activities were conducted through non-profits and other entities that often do not disclose donor information. From October through May, Chikli has overseen at least 32m shekels, or about $8.6m, spent on government advocacy to reframe the public debate.

[...]

Haaretz and the New York Times recently revealed that Chikli’s ministry had tapped a public relations firm to secretly pressure American lawmakers. The firm used hundreds of fake accounts posting pro-Israel or anti-Muslim content on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. (The diaspora affairs ministry denied involvement in the campaign, which reportedly provided about $2m to an Israeli firm for the social media posts.) But that effort is only one of many such campaigns coordinated by the ministry, which has received limited news coverage. The ministry of diaspora affairs and its partners compile weekly reports based on tips from pro-Israel US student groups, some of which receive funding from Israeli government sources. For example, Hillel International, a co-founder of the Israel on Campus Coalition network and one of the largest Jewish campus groups in the world, has reported financial and strategic support from Mosaic United, a public benefit corporation backed by Chikli’s ministry. The longstanding partnership is now being utilized to shape the political debate over Israel’s war. In February, Hillel’s chief executive, Adam Lehman, appeared before the Knesset to discuss the strategic partnership with Mosaic and the ministry of diaspora affairs, which he said had already produced results.

24 June 2024

[sjsmith56]

What am I Going to Do With You?

Summary: An investigative reporter involved in an altercation worries about the reaction from her boss and boyfriend, media mogul Bucky Barnes.

Length: 3.6 K

Characters: Bucky Barnes, named OFC, John Walker, Natasha Romanov, Bruce Banner, Clint Barton.

Warnings: language, power imbalance, age difference (Bucky is 40, OFC is 29), fears of infidelity.

Author notes: Sometimes a writer struggles with inspiration and sometimes it comes from out of the blue. The inspiration for this story came from the photoshoot Sebastian did for Entertainment Weekly, promoting The Apprentice. Several pictures gave me a media mogul vibe and I went from there. What happens after the ending is left to your imagination. Go wild.

I sat there beside the sergeant's desk, waiting to be released after being bailed out, worrying about Bucky's reaction when he got up there.  It wasn't my fault this time.  It really wasn't, but I knew that wasn't going to wash with him.  This time he wouldn't be able to keep it out of the news as it was already going viral over social media.  The door behind me opened, making me turn in curiosity, and John Walker came out, still holding an ice bag to his nose.  Shaking my head, I faced forward, ignoring him.

"You broke my fucking nose," he whined, as he passed me, looking back as I sat there.

"You're lucky I didn't break more," I answered, the fire within me flaring up again.  "Next time, maybe you'll think twice about bullying some kid because you didn't get your exact favourite brand of fucking still water.  God, you're such a dickwad."

"John, let it go," said his lawyer, guiding him towards the door out of the office.  "You can press civil charges for the injury."

"No, he can't!" I yelled, before the door closed.  "He assaulted me.  It's all over social media and all my friends saw him shove me first."

The sergeant at the desk glared at me and I sat back in my chair, then repositioned the ice bag on my right hand.  I probably broke something on Walker's stupid nose.  Then the door into the office opened, and Bucky walked in.  He just stood there for the longest moment with that look on his face, the one that told me I really fucked up good this time.  It wasn't an angry look, but it was disappointed and that, more than anything, upset me.  I could feel the tightness begin in my throat and then my lips began to tremble.  Clamping my jaw down I suppressed the urge to cry, not because I didn't want to but because if I did, any one there could take a picture of me, and it would go out on social media with the tags #Bucky Barnes girlfriend arrested again #how many times is too many? #is this the end for Bucky and Skye? 

He looked so good as well, wearing clothes I helped pick out.  The oversized tweed jacket paired with the black slacks, mint green dress shirt and deep brown tie was something else.  Prada really suited him.  He smiled at the sergeant, offering him the receipt for my bail.

"Did a paramedic check Ms. Knight's hand?" he asked.

The sergeant nodded.  "She refused treatment.  They thought she might have broken it."  He looked over at me.  "She's been okay here, except when Walker came out."

Bucky smirked.  "Yeah, assholes have that effect on her.  Are we good here?"

The sergeant smiled and handed Bucky his receipt back as well as my purse.  With an audible exhale he came over to me and kneeled down, gently removing the ice bag from my right hand, then inspecting it himself. 

"Does it hurt?"  I nodded.  "Come on, I'll take you to the clinic to get it x-rayed."

"The clinic, really?" 

I was being a brat, I know, but he put the ice bag back on my hand and stood up, waiting for me.

"Skye, you know that every use of the clinic provides funding for the free clinic in Bed-Stuy.  It's late, we're both tired and they can see you and treat you within an hour.  Put your outrage somewhere else for a moment."

He was right.  He usually was and he never crowed about it or made it into a big deal.  It was one of the things I loved about him.  After holding the office door open for me, he pressed the elevator button, then allowed me to go in first, his hand slightly on the small of my back.  The door closed on us.

"Do you want to hear what happened?"

"I know what happened," he answered calmly.  "Nat called me, and you know that she never sugar coats it.  There are enough videos on Snapchat, Instagram, and X to make a movie about it."

"Are you mad at me?" His calm demeanour was getting to me.

"Mad?  Why would I be mad?  You stood up to a bully who was trying to get a kid fired for being the one who told him they didn't have his favourite brand of still water."

"But I hit him.  Broke his nose, probably."

A slight smile appeared on Bucky's face.  "He pushed you before you did hit him, so it was self-defence."  He put his arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head.  "I'm not mad.  I am concerned that you wasted a punch on that asshole and not on someone who matters."  He breathed out.  "Not that there's going to be a repeat of this, right?"

He gazed at me; his blue eyes dominant on his bearded face.  It was the same face he used in business as owner / CEO of an entertainment company that was a major player in news, movies, and television programming.  That face was rarely used on me but when it was, I knew he meant it.  I nodded my head, thoroughly chastened. 

"Now, there are news crews outside the precinct, including some of my own people," he said.  "They're going to be pushing you for a statement.  I can speak for you if you wish but if you choose to say something, don't be inflammatory.  John Walker might be an asshole but there are still powerful people who support him and don't like it when he's shown in a negative light.  They can drag your name through the mud, and by extension, mine.  I can handle it, so you don't have to protect me.  I'll protect you as much as I can, but I can't be seen giving you preferential treatment as you're still an employee and there is a power imbalance between us.  Accusations of favouritism because you're my girlfriend take away from your own abilities and I won't be accused of that."

I smiled a little.  He was protective of me, but I got my job because I was good at it, not because I was sleeping with him.  In fact, I had my job before I ever met him, and we didn't sleep together for almost two months after we started dating.  For a few moments before the elevator door opened, I remembered the night we met.  For two years I had been working as an investigative reporter for an affiliate station in the east, going to bat for people up against uncaring bureaucracies, or helping those who fell between the cracks when they were dealing with assholes who took their money but didn't deliver the goods.  I was nominated for a national news award and went to New York for the awards ceremony.  It was an open bar, and I lined up to order a drink.  Just as I got to the front, I heard a man's voice.

"May I buy you a drink?"

"It's an open bar," I said, before turning to face the voice, then almost falling down at the sight of the man next to me.

His chestnut hair was longish but well styled, and his close clipped beard with the slightest bit of grey in it was definitely attractive.  He wore an Armani tuxedo, Cartier watch, and shoes that probably cost more than I made in a month.  It was his eyes that captured me the most, as the blue grey hue stood out in their intensity.  Then he smiled and I was lost.

"It is an open bar," he agreed, "but for a bit extra I can promise you a better quality champagne, or whatever you want.  My treat."

"Champagne, then," I answered. 

He nodded at the bartender and held up two fingers, then pulled out his wallet.  Producing a black card with no writing on it, he touched the terminal and slid the card back into its spot, pulling out a hundred-dollar bill for the tip jar.  At first, I thought it was a bit of an extravagant display of wealth, but he looked at my face and chuckled.

"I'm not showing off.  It's the smallest bill I have but is appropriate for the price of this champagne."

He handed me my glass, then took his and ushered me over to a spot beside a large plant.  Before he could introduce himself, another man noticed him and joined us.

"James, you made it." He glanced at me.  "You brought a date?"

"We don't know each other," I said quickly.  "He just bought me a drink."

"Tony, this is Skye Knight," replied Bucky.  "She works at one of my affiliate stations and is up for a national award in investigative reporting.  Miss Knight, this is Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries, parent company of Red Iron Media.  I'm James Barnes, technically your boss."

He knew who I was.  I opened my mouth to say something but all that came out was a hurried thank you for the drink.  As the two men began talking business, I realized I was in over my head and quickly interrupted them to say I saw someone I knew and excused myself.  As soon as I was out of view (or so I thought) I downed my champagne and escaped to the ladies' room, where I promptly hyperventilated.  A red headed woman glanced at me.

"Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine," I said, unconvincingly.  "I just embarrassed myself in front of James Barnes and Tony Stark.  No biggie."

She chuckled, then offered me her hand.  "Natasha Romanov, I work for Mr. Barnes.  You shouldn't be intimidated by him.  He's one of the good ones.  Stark isn't bad either."

"Skye Knight," I replied.  "I didn't recognize either of them."

"You're up for an investigative reporting award," she said.  "Mr. Barnes was very pleased that someone with a regional station was nominated.  He's always pleased when the news division does well.  Don't worry about it."  She looked at her watch.  "We should be taking our seats.  If I remember correctly, you're sitting at Mr. Barnes' table.  He's probably already there, wondering where we are."

It was at that moment of reliving that night that the elevator door opened, and the flashes of photographers began, even though they were still outside, crowded around the glass doors.  Bucky looked at me.

"Ready?" 

I nodded and he guided me out into the press of people.  There were questions about what happened and if I was injured.  Then the questions were thrown at Bucky.

"How do you feel about your star reporter being involved in an altercation with John Walker?  When he came out earlier, he hinted at a possible civil suit against you and Skye."

He looked out over the assembly then at me.  His stoicism was impressive as he gave no sign that he was bothered by any of it.

"I commend Ms. Knight for trying to stand up for an individual who was being bullied.  When John Walker became belligerent enough to push her, she reacted as anyone would when feeling threatened.  It's not the first time he has been accused of bullying behaviour.  The videos of bystanders show that he was the aggressor by assaulting her first.  I stand by Ms. Knight as a valued member of our news services and will defend her right to intervene when she sees someone being bullied."

There were several more questions and although I did speak, my hand started to hurt.  When one of the photographers brushed up against me, I cried out and Bucky immediately shielded me, then asked for the reporters to clear so he could take me for medical attention.  Clint was there with the car, and he came forward, clearing a path for us until we could get in the back seat. 

"Straight to the clinic please," said Bucky, then he turned to me.  "You should have said something.  I would have cut that circus short."

I didn't reply, but I did begin to cry because I was almost at my limit, and Bucky put his arm around me, murmuring I would be okay.  His sympathy was almost worse than his disappointment.  Soon, we were at the clinic, and he escorted me in where I was whisked away for an x-ray.  When I was brought back to an examining room, Bucky was waiting for me.  Less than 10 minutes later, I was given a shot for the pain, then Dr. Banner came in and confirmed I broke a bone in my hand.

"Boxer's fracture," he said.  "We'll have to reduce it before we splint and wrap your hand.  It will take about six weeks to heal and another six weeks for you to get your strength back.  No boxing, obviously, but you should avoid using it at all.  That includes computer use."

I groaned a little, but he just smiled at me then left to prepare the kit to wrap up my hand. 

"After you heal up, you're taking boxing lessons to learn how to hit properly," said Bucky, before Dr. Banner returned.

"I thought you said I couldn't do that anymore," I replied, sarcastically.

"You still need to know how to defend yourself and it's great exercise."  He crossed his legs at the knee.  "How do you think I keep my girlish figure?"

He was grinning when he said that which almost made me laugh.  Dr. Banner and a nurse returned to tend to me.  Even with the painkiller it hurt when he reset the bone, but as he wrapped my hand up after fitting the splint, the compression helped relieve some of it.  He recommended more ice packs and gave me two days worth of strong pain killers, saying I should be okay with over-the-counter medication after.  Bucky shook his hand, then walked me out to the car, where Clint hopped out and opened the back door for us.

"Home?" he asked. 

Bucky nodded.  I leaned against him, then placed my uninjured hand on his.  He rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb as we rode.  It was almost 2 am when Clint pulled up to the tower.

"I won't be going in tomorrow," Bucky said.  "I'll telecommute.  Take the day, sleep in, have lunch with your wife and I'll see you the day after."

"Sure thing," replied Clint, then he opened the back door for us and waited until we were inside the lobby door before driving off.

On the way up in the elevator, my mind wandered again as Bucky checked his phone.  He smirked a few times.

"Walker's people are trying to spin it that you were drunk," he said.  "The people aren't buying it.  He didn't even have a reservation at the restaurant and bullied the maître d' into giving him and his entourage a table.  Several people who were there are saying he was rude well before you got there.  I'll get Steve to make a call to him, remind him that if the general public found out about his side pieces that it could get ugly for him."

"Do you have any side pieces?" I blurted out, as the pain killers had taken effect and loosened my tongue.

He had been married before and was separated when we met, although I wouldn't go out with him until his divorce from Sharon was finalized.  My question must have surprised him because he said nothing, making me wonder if I was now the one living in denial.  When the elevator door to the penthouse opened, I walked straight to our bedroom and got changed, after cleaning my face with one hand.  That was fun.  When I came out, wearing one of his dress shirts and nothing else, Bucky was sitting in a leather armchair, his jacket off and his sleeves rolled up.

"Come here," he said, softly, patting his lap.

I knelt on the floor in front of him, unwilling to sit where he wanted me.  With a bit of a frown, he rested his head on his hand, and gazed intently at me.  I knew that what I said bothered him as the crease between his brow returned after disappearing during the car ride. 

"Why did you say that?" he asked, watching my face intently.

I shrugged.  "I'm feeling a little loopy, I guess.  It just came out."

"Have I done anything to make you think that I'm cheating on you?"

"No, never.  Forget I said it."

"I can't," he replied.  "I'm bothered you would think that of me."  He leaned closer, taking my face in his hands.  "What am I going to do with you?"

I knew it was a rhetorical question, but I uttered something borne out of my own insecurities.

"Are you going to break up with me?"

He pulled me up into his lap, enclosing me with his arms and kissing my face all over.  Then he made sure I was looking directly at him. 

"No, I love you," he replied, his voice cracking slightly.  "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me.  Why do you think I would want to break up with you?"

I frowned and looked away.  "Social media tags.  It seems that I'm often making the news instead of reporting on it and people say that at some point it will make us break up."

"Fuck social media.  They don't know how much I love you.  Making the news comes with the job.  It has since we started dating.  You remember the night we met, right?"  I nodded.  "Remember how you ran from me and Tony because you were so intimidated?"  I looked at him in surprise.  "I knew.  You looked like a deer in the headlights.  It was adorable and I knew then that I wanted to know you.  Then you found out I was separated from Sharon but not divorced and refused to go out with me until it got finalized.  Didn't stop the gossip rags and bloggers from making stuff up about us.  You won that award and suddenly the pictures of us having that drink were being paraded as proof that we were together.  They even said that Tony and I shared you as a girlfriend.  You don't know how many lawsuit threats I made on your behalf when I became aware they were going to sully your name for breaking up my marriage."

"Are you serious?  How come I didn't know about this?"

"Because I had your back."  A soft look came over his face as he gazed at me.  "Maybe, we should give them something real to talk about."

"Like what?"

He shifted a little, reaching into the pocket of his slacks and pulled out a small box.  My heart flipped when I saw it and I could barely breathe.

"I've been carrying this around for a few weeks now, waiting for the right moment.  I could have sprung for a room full of flowers in front of all of our friends, and cases of that champagne I bought you the night we met but that's been done before.  How many guys ask their girlfriends to marry them after they've broken their hand, punching an asshole in the nose because he was bullying someone?  You're authentic, Skye.  You live life to the fullest, you stick up for anyone who needs your help, your principles are beyond reproach, and you make me feel like I'm 30 again, instead of the 40-year-old man that I am.  I love everything about you, and I don't want to wait any longer.  Would you marry me?"

I hadn't even seen the ring yet, as the box was still closed but I looked into his eyes and saw what I saw every moment I ever spent with him.  He loved me, a 29-year-old woman raised by a single mother, who taught me to always stand up for those who couldn't stand up for themselves.  I grew up in a trailer park and wore clothes from thrift stores.  Bucky was born into old money wealth, attended private schools, and an Ivy League college.  But he was also raised by a single mother, widowed with four children, and grew up not taking anything for granted.  He volunteered in food banks and soup kitchens and used his wealth to help those who barely had enough to live on.  Now, he wanted me to be with him forever.

"Yes, I'll marry you."

He opened the ring box displaying a ring with an enormous solitaire diamond.  Big, yes but simple and beautiful.  It fit perfectly then he kissed me, deeply but slowly, as his hands held me firmly on his lap.  We sat there for some time, admiring the ring and each other until he stood up and carried me bridal style to the bed. 

"What am I going to do with you?" he asked once again, as he loosened then removed his tie, and began to unbutton his shirt.

"Whatever you want," was my answer, as the rest of his clothes were abandoned. 

"I want you, always," he said, joining me on the bed, his blue eyes darkened with desire.

Always, I liked the sound of that.

One Shots Masterlist

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[grifonecoronato]

The Olega Padawan

I love this guy and I wanna talk about him.

In The Acolyte, in Episode 2 "Revenge/Justice", we briefly meet this Jedi Padawan (played by Ed Kear).

He’s a big guy, and he seems eager to prove himself useful; he manhandles a kid, and explains how there was a break-in at the local Jedi Temple where he’s stationed.

He has one or two lines of dialogue, and the story quickly moves on from him. He mainly exists for two (2) reasons in the story:

To give a lived-in feel to the setting: that during the High Republic, Jedi are plentiful and ubiquitous, in direct contrast to every other Star Wars time period we’ve seen in film and TV (and yes, I’m including the Prequels era, which explicitly stated that while there were lots of Jedi, they were stretched very thin, which carries a different tone than the era of The Acolyte)

To contrast against Osha, who flunked out of the Jedi Order (more on that below).

I mean he doesn’t even have a name; he's just credited as the "Olega Padawan", his role is so small!

And the fandom menace H A T E S him. They lament that the Jedi are supposed to be physically and mentally disciplined, and being fat is antithetical to that.

I call horseshit. The Olega Padawan makes complete sense, and his inclusion is a perfect addition to Star Wars.

Visual Storytelling of The Acolyte

For now, let's leave aside the undisputed fact that there are many, many biological factors that contribute to a person's weight beyond how much food they eat. And let's be clear that a person's fitness or fatness is not an indication of their moral character or their value to the world.

So let's just say, for the sake of argument, that the Olega Padawan really is just out-of-shape.

In an era where the Jedi are plentiful, have the confidence of the people, recruit new members easily, and have known peace for generations, is it really so inconceivable that a Jedi who’s not at peak physical condition could exist?

In The Acolyte, we see that Jedi take on a peacekeeping / police roles, sure…

...but we also see them doing scientific research…

…and other non-combat, non-adventurous duties.

The temple on Olega is so tiny, so peaceful, so sleepy that its master -- Master Torbin -- took a vow of solitude, penitence, and disengagement, and the Temple was able to continue on, business as usual.

These are the conditions that the Olega Padawan finds himself in. And we're surprised that he would have other things motivating him besides commitment to physical perfection?

Headcanon: the Daily Life of the Olega Padawan

As of September 2024, nothing has been written about the Olega Padawan's story, but I can see his whole life through the context clues that were presented on screen.

The Olega Padawan was probably not a great physical student at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Unlike Jecki, his lightsaber forms are sloppy and half-hearted, but he was good enough to eek by a passing grade for his trials.

He then was sent to learn under the tutelage of the Olega Knight, where his master taught him to manage the affairs of the local temple.

He probably spent his days worrying about building repairs, negotiating with mechanics when the droids malfunctioned, arguing with incense and candle wholesalers to keep the temple well-stocked, and taking point on charity or community outreach programs. Occasionally, his master would show him how to make requisitions for additional funds from the Coruscant Temple, or how to phrase their weekly reports in such a way that they go largely ignored.

If his master asked him to do anything physical, like move something into storage, the Olega Padawan would have a choice to make: physically lift it, or just move it with the Force... and I'm pretty sure he'd just opt to do it with the Force once his master left the room.

Occasionally the neighbourhood kids would hassle him, because there's nothing funnier than watching a Jedi lose his temper, so the Olega Padawan probably developed a sharp tongue. He'd likely have zero tolerance for bullies.

If he ever finished his work early, he'd find a way to entertain himself rather than go seek more work. After all, what's really so important that it can't wait when you live in a quiet temple in a sleepy town? Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things!

What This Means for Osha

There's one more role in the story that the Olega Padawan plays, and that's as a contrast to Osha.

Osha flunked out of the Jedi Order. Get it?

She flunked out.

She flunked out.

And we saw risk her life to selflessly save the life of a prisoner aboard a ship that was about to crash!

She flunked out of the Jedi Order!

The Olega Padawan, who lives a sleepy life in a quiet temple, did not.

So at this stage in the story, the presence of the Olega Padawan conjures questions like "if he could make it as a Jedi... what the hell did Osha do to fail?"

How much "worse" of a student must she have been?

By the end of the series this is made clear, but by episode 2, the Olega Padawan's mere presence invites us to ask these questions.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Feel the need to push back on a couple of things.

New Orleans (even post-Katrina) is not a "third world country." Also, the preferred nomenclature is "developing country" or "global south." But NOLA doesn't qualify, no matter what term one uses.

"Succession by popular vote instead of by hereditary primogeniture." -- even Harry's not that stupid. What Harry means by "modernizing" is to split the Duchy of Cornwall and then Lancaster, and for him to get all the perks - security, grace and favour home, staff, etc - without having to read the red boxes or meet the PM weekly or be sent somewhere he doesn't want to go. What Meghan means by it is what she's still trying to do: let me use my title to get fame, freebies, and financial remuneration, without having to live in the UK or do any work.

Lastly, I don't want to denigrate Earthshot or Homewards but as I understand the projects (and maybe I'm misunderstanding) their impacts won't be measurable for a while either. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I have no objections to the Homewards project (as I understand it) and my sole - but fierce - objection to Earthshot is the galas. (I don't care if that's how most non-profits make money, it's the wrong move for an environmental org.)

Thanks for this. A few things.

You misunderstood what I meant by post-Katrina New Orleans. I wasn't talking about post-Katrina today or post-Katrina 2010s. I meant immediately post-Katrina, as in September 1, 2005 post-Katrina. New Orleans, and especially the Lower 9th Ward, was left in really horrific conditions that absolutely were reminiscent of developing nations. Celebrities with no connections to New Orleans (like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) flocked there for years to do charity work and many of them used their New Orleans-based humanitarian aid efforts for self-promotion. I should have been clearer about that.

And by the way, while today most of New Orleans has largely recovered from the effects of Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, there are still parts of it - especially in the Lower 9th Ward - still dealing with the impact, long after the rest of the city and the rest of the world moved on. For example, it took 10 years for residents to get a single grocery store after the storms. Many residents are still tied up in financial problems from storm damage, insurance, and rebuilding. And there are buildings condemned from the storms still standing, still with FEMA search and rescue symbols on them, still with mold and personal belongings and flood damage in them, and there's reasonable belief that some missing/unaccounted-for people from the storm may still be in those abandoned structures. (And also let's not forget the ethical and moral issues being debated still today.)

If you still don't believe how horrific post-Katrina was or that a city in the US could feel so abandoned that it paralleled developing countries, I encourage you to read memoirs or listen to stories from Katrina survivors and New Orleans residents about what it was like after the storms. (This book is hard to read, but it's worth it. There's an Apple series made if you'd rather watch it instead.)

To your third point about Earthshot projects not having results yet, nope. The Earthshot projects may not have global results yet or large-scale results, but they do already have results, even if small. Because Earthshot isn't funding brand new initiatives - Earthshot is funding small, proven, existing projects and awarding the winners grants to scale up their operations. It's right there on the website:

"Proven prototypes" and "signs of success" means that the projects must have outcomes and results to report in their applications. They can be small datasets, but they're still datasets, outcomes, and results that Earthshot winners are able to compare their grant-funded work against to measure the effectiveness of those grants.

Further, Earthshot's Roadmap, which describes how they evaluate nominations to determine finalists and winners, has specific requirements for nominees to demonstrate actual impact of their work:

So, yes, Earthshot projects are able to deliverable measurable results quickly. And we know they're delivering measurable results immediately because Earthshot and William are promoting it. That's the whole point of those "come see what Earthshot winners are doing" videos on social media and engagements - it's to show how the companies are using their prize grants to deliver on the metrics they were required to support in their nominations.

[pillowfort-social]

Happy New Year! We’re kicking off 2024 with a Community Update after a very eventful end of 2023. We’ll give you a look at what Staff have been doing behind the scenes, an update from our Developer Team, and a preview of what’s in store for the platform. Community Stats: 

As of January 19, 2024 Pillowfort currently has over 170,467 registered users and over 9,928 Communities. The rest of this post is under the cut.

In 2023 we have…

Avoided shutdown thanks to your generous support.

Launched Pillowfort Premium

Tested and launched Drafts 

Added new premium frames. 

Updated our Terms of Service.

Updated our Business Plan.

Continued work on the PWA & Queue.

Blocked ChatGPT Bots our platform.

Announced our upcoming policy on Generative AI.

Increased weekly invitations keys to from 10 to 50. 

Continued patching bugs. 

Welcome New Users!

Welcome to Pillowfort. We are so glad you are part of our community. If you haven’t yet, check out the Pillowfort101 Getting Started Guide.

Thank you for keeping Pillowfort Alive! 

Your support during the End of Year Fundraiser helped us avoid ending contracts with our Staff and averted the end of our platform for another six months (July 2024). We can not express our gratitude enough to you. This has been an extremely challenging and stressful time for each member of the team. We are going to work hard to keep Pillowfort online. You have motivated us to continue the fight to be a viable platform. You may have noticed that our donation bar has reset to $5,000 at the beginning of January. This number is our monthly operating costs going forward.  Each month in 2024 that we meet our funding goal it will extend Pillowfort’s life past July 2024. 

Generative AI Ban Policy Update

We will be implementing our updated policy regarding Generative AI in the next site update. Prior to when the policy will be implemented we will share with the community what our definition of Generative AI is and our moderation process. 

We're aware that there are concerns about how moderation systems surrounding generative AI have been abused and used for harassment on other sites: we have consulted with experts on how to avoid those issues, and the suite of moderation methods from international universities also assist with identifying harassment. Abuse of reporting systems will be taken seriously by Staff.

End of Year Fundraiser Limited Edition Badge Gift Form

The form for gifting the Limited Edition Badge to other users who couldn’t donate is now live! Click Here to Fill Out the Form. (Note: We’ll be also making a separate Staff Alert with the link as well.)

Updated Business Plan

The Pillowfort Premium subscription model remains our primary answer to generate the necessary funds needed to cover the costs of running our platform. We will continue to offer optional premium features which can be purchased by users a la carte. However, we will be working on completing the following major projects / updates as an expansion of our revenue strategy in the first half of 2024:

Release of the Progressive Web App w/ Push Notifications - The data is very clear that the lack of a mobile app is hindering our overall growth. A PWA will allow our mobile users to experience all the functionality of a native mobile app and will be much easier for our Developer Team to build & maintain than a native app. We also won't have to worry about App Store content restrictions.

Post Promotions & User-Submitted Advertisement Opt-Ins - Users will be able to promote their posts (as advertisements) by paying a fee. No subscription is required to promote a post. By default, this promoted content will only be displayed on a page specifically for viewing promoted content. While this will mean potentially less revenue, it is important to our philosophy to respect our user’s experience and not force advertising on everyone. However, users can opt into viewing promoted content in their home feed, and will receive a discount on premium features for doing so.

Subscription Gifting - Users will be able to purchase subscriptions that can be gifted to other users. Subscriptions can be gifted to a specific other user, or can be added to a communal pool for any unsubscribed users to take from. We will provide special badges for users who gift subscriptions.

Pillowfort Premium Price Increase - We will be adjusting prices to help us fund our overall operating costs. We will notify the community before any price increase is final.

Mobile Pillowfort Premium Frames - Add an option for mobile users to view Pillowfort Premium Avatar Frames in their feeds.

Other Goals for Completion in 2024 (Goals are subject to change)

Release Queue & Scheduling

Rebuild the post image uploader widget.

Rebuild the way notifications are logged & retrieved in the back-end to be more efficient & reduce errors.

Release an Onboarding Guide for new users.

Release Multi-account management/linking.

Add 2-Factor Authentication.

Enable Community Membership Applications.

Release Community Topics/Organization Options.

Help Us Keep the Lights On!

At Pillowfort we do not receive any funding from venture capital or other outside investors because we are committed to keeping our user experience a priority, and not being beholden to outside interests. While this approach allows us to stay true to our ideals and content guidelines, it also presents many challenges to our team in the form of limited resources, personnel, etc.

Our continued survival depends on the generosity of our community. If you are able to, please consider supporting us with a one-time or recurring monthly donation to help keep Pillowfort online. Any money donated to us now will be applied as a credit to your account when we release paid features & benefits in the future.

Bug Bounty Reminder

We are still offering a Bug Bounty. If you find a bug on the site, particularly one that could pose a threat to the security or functionality of the site, contact Staff through our Contact form or directly at info@pillowfort.social. If you are unsure if we received your report, you can send us a DM to the Staff account here, or DM one of our social media channels to check on the status. 

We sometimes do not receive all notifications from users on other social media. DMing the Staff account on Pillowfort to check on the status is the preferred method. 

The first individual to notify us of a certain issue will be eligible for monetary compensation, depending on the severity of the issue found and the information provided.

Abandoned / Modless Communities Transfer 

We are taking Ownership Transfer requests for Abandoned and/or Modless Communities. The form is available here. 

Pillowfort Dev Blog

Follow our very own Developer Blog for the latest updates from Lead Architect & Founder Julia Baritz.

Follow Us on Social Media

Interact with Pillowfort Staff, ask questions, plus learn about upcoming features and more on social media. 

Pillowfort: Staff Pillowfort Dev: PF_dev_blog Bluesky: pillowfortsoc.bsky.social Tiktok: pillowfort.social Instagram: pillowfort.social Facebook: Pillowfortsocial X/Twitter: @pillowfort_soc Tumblr: pillowfort-social Reddit: pillowfort_social Threads: @pillowfort.social

Best,

Pillowfort Staff

[entrackrme]

Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [26 – 31 Aug]

During the week, 31 Indian startups raised around $490.32 million in funding. These deals count 7 growth-stage deals and 19 early-stage deals while 5 startups kept their transaction details undisclosed.

If you want to get complete information related to this topic click HERE.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

Summary: A new trial reveals that weekly injections of the weight-loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) lowered the risk of death from COVID-19 by about a third and reduced overall mortality by 19%.

The study followed more than 17,000 participants with heart disease and obesity, showing that Wegovy decreased the likelihood of death from cardiovascular disease by 15% and other causes by 23%.

The findings are surprising, as the drug also lessened COVID-19 severity despite equal infection rates in both the Wegovy and placebo groups. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms behind these benefits.

Key Facts:

Wegovy reduced the risk of death from COVID-19 by 33% in trial participants. Overall mortality decreased by 19% for those on Wegovy compared to placebo. The study followed over 17,000 participants with heart disease and obesity. Source: Harvard

A trial study has found that injections of the weight-loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of deaths from COVID-19 by about a third while also significantly reducing risk of death from cardiovascular disease or any other cause.

The trial was led by Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. It was funded by Novo Nordisk, makers of Wegovy (the brand name of semaglutide).

From October 2018 through March 2023, researchers studied the effect of once-weekly Wegovy shots versus placebo on mortality in more than 17,000 participants with heart disease and overweight or obesity.

The study showed that patients on Wegovy were about 15 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 23 percent less likely from other reasons as compared to those who took a placebo.

Overall death rates in the group taking Wegovy were 19 percent lower compared to placebo.

“The trial started before COVID-19, and we never anticipated a global respiratory pandemic,” said corresponding author Benjamin M. Scirica, director of quality initiatives at BWH’s Cardiovascular Division and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

“It is rare for a cardio-metabolic drug to modify non-cardiovascular outcomes,” Scirica added.

“The fact that semaglutide reduced non-cardiovascular death, and in particular COVID-19-related deaths, was surprising. It opens up new avenues for exploring how this class of drugs may benefit patients.”

In the study, people taking Wegovy were just as likely to get COVID-19, but they had fewer serious illnesses or deaths related to COVID-19.

The researchers do not know if the benefit of Wegovy is due to weight loss or other effects, but suggest that extra weight may be the greatest contributor to lower life expectancy.

This result is from just one observation, albeit in a large, multinational study, so the findings need to be replicated. Further studies will explore potential mechanisms of action, and other studies of drugs in this class should provide additional data.

Disclosures: Benjamin Scirica reports institutional research grants to Brigham and Women’s Hospital from Better Therapeutics, Merck, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer; consulting fees from Allergan, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Better Therapeutics, Elsevier Practice Update Cardiology, Esperion, Hanmi, Lexicon, and Novo Nordisk; and equity in health [at] Scale, and Doximity.

Funding: Novo Nordisk funded this study and was responsible for the study design in collaboration with the academic steering committee. They contributed to data collection, analysis, and interpretation and participated in the preparation and review of the manuscript in collaboration with the authors.

Study Link: www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2024.08.007

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Hi everyone,

I found an article talking about how autism seems to be rising. According to this study:

According to the most recent data, 1 out of every 36 eight-year-old children, or 2.8%, have been identified with ASD. This proportion exceeds the previous estimate released in December 2021, which put the prevalence at 1 in 44 children, or 2.3%. This number is also significantly larger than the 0.7% prevalence (1 in 150 children) reported in the CDC’s inaugural autism prevalence study in 2007.

Prevalence estimates also differed across the 11 data collection sites, ranging from 1 in 43 children (2.3%) in Maryland, to 1 in 22 (4.5%) in California. A second report examined 4-year-old children in the same 11 communities and found similarly high rates of autism (2.2%) in the network overall, and 4.6% in California in particular.

The findings were recently published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Surveillance Summaries. All data were collected in 2020 by the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, a program funded by the CDC to better understand the number and characteristics of children with ASD in the United States.

The full article will be below in case anyone want to read it.

Autism

[pinazee]

Psy vs. Psy

I genuinely think that if they were going to bring back any psych villian, Lindsay Leikin would pose the biggest threat. She knows Shawn isn’t psychic, she has adequate motivation to target him personally, and has the skills to prove he’s a fraud and do it slyly as she is also highly skilled in deductive reasoning (she did manage to get them to the counterfeiter to begin with so she has legitimate talent). She could even orchestrate it from prison. Maybe her parole was denied again so, like, what else is she going to do? Plus, she’s kind of nuts. Faking being a psychic with the FBI is a whole other level of bold compared to a local precinct, then she met a counterfeiter and was like yes please, more crime, then killed him when he tried to run, slept with Shawn that same night, then tried to take him hostage when she got caught. Its just a shame she wasn’t a bit more charismatic or eccentric. They had her play it as a very normal girl swept into a life of crime because of a guy (probably because she was a “love interest” for Shawn) when the receipts show she was an absolute lunatic (look at her face after they found the guy she killed. This bitch is smiling).

Also, she just kinda gave up when she was caught. I wish she’d have been screaming “he’s a fraud!” as she was taken to the car or even had a heart to heart moment with Lou Diamond Phillips because she did betray him after all. Idk, i just wanted more. (But i think maybe the writers recognized this and thats how we get Declan later??)

Gus is basically siri at this point. Between the archeology, safes, online poker, the law, tennis players, space, comic books, of course pharmaceuticals, and now studies tender from all over the world- its a smaller list of what Gus doesn’t know. Gus clearly likes learning. I’m surprised he never thought of becoming a teacher or college professor, to try to pass that love of learning to the next generation. Though i guess we see he’s not that great with people surprisingly, considering he’s a successful salesman. (OH MY GOD WHAT IF THIS WHOLE TIME GUS ACTUALLY HAD LIVED UP TO HIS POTENTIAL AND BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL SPY. He knows all these things because of his job, psychs only been able to stay open because Gus can fund it from his spy job, joining psych was a good front but he was also lonely from never getting to be himself. I kid, i kid, but its a fun idea for me haha)

No fucking way shawn doesn’t know what a drill is. Henry definitely would have beat that kind of man stuff into him. The military time too. I just felt the need to point this out. its like the show itself is dissing my boy and i have to defend him lol

I love when Gus is proud and smarmy over shawns talent. Look at his face here. My boy about to prove you wrong.

And do you think Shawn is actually afraid of competition or do you think he learned at an early age from his father that he didn’t have value unless he was the best? Huh Henry, huh???(Weekend warriors “you don’t want to be a loser” comes to mind)

Henry trying some reverse psychology here. I can’t tell if its because Henry is actually concerned for Shawns safety like he said he wasn’t in the previous episode, or if he’s still taking it personally that Shawns using the gifts he “gave” him to be psychic. Probably both. We know he was really bothered by his motorcycle accident, so i wonder if he’s been kind of spiraling, and adding up all the crazy situations he’s been in. (Which, i don’t think Shawn tells him about. i think Gus calls him like a weekly report haha) I think the fact that shawns cases are becoming more dangerous he suddenly doesn’t like the idea of him being a detective, well a detective this way at least, because i think in his mind he’d be safer if he was an actual cop where he had a partner with a gun, and back up, and rules, and training. I mean we know he wouldn’t be, (look at what happens to Lassie and Juliet)

I just wanted to gif this because it’s one of my fave jokes in the episode!

Mildred to the rescue! Im not entirely sure how this worked but it did and thats what matters haha

*Appropriate reaction is appropriate*

[oldshowbiz]

1987.

Reed Irvine’s Accuracy in Media was funded by the Scaife Foundation, the Olin Foundation, and the Coors beer dynasty.

It was connected to the Heritage Foundation, the Council for National Policy, and the Moral Majority.

They sent out weekly missives complaining about movies, TV shows, and news reports.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Wednesday

SpaceTime 20241023 Series 27 Episode 128

Scientists date the Moon's oldest impact crater

Scientists believe they’ve pinpointed the age of the massive South Pole-Aitken basin largest and oldest impact crater on the Moon finding it to be over 4.32 billion years old.

Scientists recreate the sound of Earth's magnetic polar flip

With growing evidence that the Earth’s magnetic poles are about to flip, scientists have recreated the sound of Earth's magnetic polar flip.

X-37B Space Shuttle undertakes pioneering aerobraking manoeuvre

The United States Space Force's X-37B space shuttle has just completed a novel aerobraking manoeuvre to adjust its orbit flight path around Earth.

The Science Report

A new study has found that deaths tend to increase in the days after an extreme rain event.

The real health effects of Mediterranean style diets on young people.

New energy-efficient bricks using scrap materials, including glass, that are normally destined for landfill.

Alex on Tech is your car spying on you.

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - March 6, 2023

🐎 - News That'll Make You Say "Neigh" to Negativity: My Weekly Positive Roundup

1. Drugmaker Eli Lilly caps the cost of insulin at $35 a month, bringing relief for millions

Eli Lilly will cap the out-of-pocket cost of its insulin at $35 a month, the drugmaker said Wednesday. The move could prompt other insulin makers in the U.S. to follow suit.

The change, which Eli Lilly said takes effect immediately, puts the drugmaker in line with a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act, which in January imposed a $35 monthly cap on the out-of-pocket cost of insulin for seniors enrolled in Medicare.

2. Over 7,500 Pot Convictions Expunged in Missouri

More than 7,500 individuals in Missouri have had their prior marijuana-related convictions expunged with recreational cannabis now legal in the state.

The expungement is the latest byproduct of the constitutional amendment that was approved by Missouri voters last fall, which legalized pot for adults and cleared the way for Missourians to have their records cleared.

3. Scientists cure 22 year old former race horse's behavioral disorders after 15 years of symptoms

A team of international researchers from Italy and Brazil published findings earlier this month in the science publication Veterinary and Animal Science in which they reported a “successful outcome of four weeks-therapy with CBD” in a clinical case involving a 22-year-old Quarter horse that was experiencing behavioral disorders.

The clinical case study was a collaboration between investigators from the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences at the University of Bologna in Italy and the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences at the University Metodista of São Paulo in Brazil. At the heart of the study was a 22-year-old mare subject that was reportedly suffering from “chronic crib-biting and wind-sucking,” which are common behavioral disorders in horses for various reasons, including but not limited to poor welfare

4. Clean energy record: More than 40% of US electricity now comes from carbon-free sources

Power from zero-carbon sources made up a full 41% of the U.S. electricity mix in 2022, a record-breaking number that has increased almost every year since 1990.

That mix includes power from nuclear plants, hydroelectric dams, solar and wind. With nuclear and hydropower relatively unchanged for years at about 19% and 10% respectively, the majority of the increase has come from the rapid build-out of solar and wind power, whose costs have plummeted in the past two decades. 

5. ‘Cruelty-free’ circus replaced animals with holograms

Holograms of horses run in circles. The Circus Roncalli stopped using wild animals in its shows in the 1990s. Circus Roncalli was among the first circus acts in Europe to stop using animals in acts.

6. New UN brokered High Seas Treaty Places 30% of Ocean into protected areas by 2030 after decades of talks

The High Seas Treaty places 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, aiming to safeguard and recuperate marine nature.

The agreement was reached on Saturday evening, after 38 hours of talks, at UN headquarters in New York. The negotiations had been held up for years over disagreements on funding and fishing rights.

7. 'Heroic' Wirral student rescues dog from Manchester canal

Watch the video here:

https://twitter.com/feelgoodnws/status/1632323139454550018

- - -

Lastly, I opened a Youtube account. Subscribe for more wholesome videos. That's it for this week. If you liked this post you can support this newsletter with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

[trifoliate-undergrowth]

The thing about politics and administration changes are that they affect so many different branches of government. Personally I am at the moment sad about losing Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.

Deb Haaland is the first Native American Cabinet secretary, a 35th-generation New Mexican and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna. She's especially passionate about environmental issues, climate change, healthcare for all and missing and murdered indigenous peoples. She created the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, an investigation of old boarding schools which came after the discovery of the mass grave at Kamloops. This would be "an effort to document known schools and burial grounds, including those with unmarked graves" and to, where possible, return remains to their families/nations. (x) She also created a new Missing and Murdered Unit to "pursue justice for missing or murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives" which has investigated 728 MMIP cases and solved 263 missing persons cases and 8 murders.

I'm currently a seasonal NPS employee so I've been getting weekly update emails from her office, and she includes her pronouns in her signature, which is encouraging to see. She also un-banned NPS uniforms at pride after there was a kerfuffle with that.

She's visited various corps and volunteer organizations (none that I was in. I'm not jealous!...), including Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, shown here in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Colorado:

She's rejoiced at fish progress:

(x)

(X)

And this is just an incredible picture:

(X)

She was present at Biden's historic apology for government-funded boarding schools, an apology which was suggested as part of the road to healing in the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report. This was also the first time a sitting president has visited Tribal lands in 10 years.

Secretary of the Interior is a president-appointed position and she will almost certainly be replaced in January. We got an email from her about a 'peaceful transition' which sounds like she knows she's on her way out. In the (paraphrased) words of my self-proclaimed moderate republican christian coworker, 'It's too bad, I liked her. Trump isn't going to want a Native American. He's going to appoint a middle-aged white businessman to maximize the profits of the National Park System so we can pay for ourselves and so he doesn't have to give us as much of a budget.' Everyone I've talked to has been sad about likely losing her as Secretary of the Interior.

Though many Department of the Interior employees will miss her and in my opinion the department will suffer without her, she'll still be around and now that I know she exists I'm going to make sure to follow her next projects, whatever those may be.

(X)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Kiera Butler at Mother Jones:

Earlier this month, former President Donald Trump held his first campaign rally as a convicted felon at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, hosted by the arch-conservative student group Turning Point USA. This wasn’t Trump’s first appearance at Dream City Church; he also held a rally there with Turning Point USA in 2020. For events like this, it’s an ideal venue: A weekly attendance of around 21,000 believers makes this one of the largest churches not just in Arizona but in the nation.

Dream City, which didn’t respond to my questions for this story, is a mecca for special guests who blur the line between religion and politics. Its annual conference has featured notables like musician and pastor Sean Feucht, who participated in a White House prayer session for President Trump in 2019 and is currently leading a tour of prayer rallies at state capitol buildings across the country. The lineup for this year’s event also included David Barton, whose organization, WallBuilders, teaches K-12 students about the supposed Christian origins of America; Jürgen Mathesius, a pastor at San Diego’s far-right Awaken Church, which has become a stop on Mike Flynn’s ReAwaken America tour; and Jentezen Franklin, a televangelist who also spoke at the 2022 Pray Vote Stand Summit, which mobilizes conservative Christian voters to engage in political activism.

In addition to its thrumming weekly worship sessions and its blockbuster events, the church has another project: Dream City Christian Academy. The K-12 private school, which serves nearly 800 students, is part of Turning Point USA’s Turning Point Academy program, a network of 41 schools that describes itself as “an educational movement that exists to glorify God and preserve the founding principles of the United States through influencing and inspiring the formation of the next generation.” Dream City Christian Academy promises to “Protect our campus from the infiltration of unethical agendas by rejecting all ‘woke’ and untruthful ideologies being pushed on students.” This politically charged approach to education likely isn’t for everyone—and because it’s a private school, it doesn’t have to be. Except for one thing: Dream City Christian Academy is one of a growing number of religious schools that are supported by public funds.

In 2022, Arizona became the first state in which all students are allowed to use state vouchers to cover a portion of tuition at any private school, secular or religious. Through Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, each participating family receives about 90 percent of the money the state would have spent on the child’s public school education—around $7,000 per student per year—for private school tuition. For the 2024-2025 school year, the Dream City Christian Academy annual tuition ranges from $10,450 in elementary school to $13,999 in high school—so families of the school��s nearly 800 students can use state funds to pay for between half and two-thirds of their tuition bill. Dream City Christian Academy received almost $1 million in tuition voucher money last year, the Arizona Republic recently reported.

Since Arizona passed its universal voucher law, 10 more states have followed suit. According to an analysis by Education Week, 29 states currently have programs that provide such assistance to a variety of different students many of whom attend local public schools that perform poorly. It also targets those with a disability that requires specialized education and those whose families earn significantly less than the federal poverty level. More programs are in the works: Lawmakers in both Louisiana and South Carolina recently advanced bills that would create programs like Arizona’s that are open to all students. When state funds are available for private school choice programs, a recent Washington Post analysis found that religious schools receive upwards of 90 percent of that money.

[...] A prerequisite for students and their families to attend some of the schools that currently receive voucher money is that they accept Jesus Christ as their lord and savior. In March, the education blog Notes from the Chalkboard highlighted one such school. Students attending North Carolina’s Daniel Christian Academy, are trained to “enter the Seven Mountains of Influence,” a main tenet of a Christian Nationalist movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation. Its adherents believe that the faithful are called to seek Christian control of the “seven mountains” of society: family, education, media, government, business, arts & entertainment, and religion. Many New Apostolic Reformation followers believe that waging “spiritual warfare” is justified in achieving these goals, though Daniel Christian Academy specifies that its endorsement of the Seven Mountains Mandate “in no way includes violence or manipulation at any level.”

Americans United for Separation of Church and State’s Laser worries that the proliferation of private school voucher programs will open the door to even more permissive rules around the use of public education dollars to teach religion. She points to a suite of bills that would allow public schools to employ chaplains, and even more remarkably, to an Oklahoma Catholic school called St. Isidore of Seville, which is set to become the nation’s first Christian public charter school this fall. The overarching goal of these initiatives, she says, is to “bestow a power and privilege on Christians in our country, at the expense of all the other religions in America.” Meanwhile, public education is robbed  “of the funding that it’s entitled to.”

Mother Jones reports on the disturbing trend of Christian Nationalists opening taxpayer-funded private schools with the intention to indoctrinate students with right-wing politics and a Christian Nationalist worldview.