#austria 2021 friday

[umseb]

sebastian vettel in the garage on practice day, austria - july 2, 2021 📷 glenn dunbar / motorsport images

[bad268]

4+1 (Arthur Leclerc X Reader)

Fandom: RPF/Formula 2/3

Requested: Yeah on Wattpad (look at me actually checking my wattpad messages woah)

Warnings: none.

Pronouns: You/Your/They/Them

W.C. 2113

Summary: The 4 times the reader surprised Arthur and the 1 time Arthur surprised the reader (plus a bonus scene).

As always, my requests are OPEN

MASTERLIST // HITLIST

~(^Pinterest but I'm pretty sure Carla posted it too)

1) Austria 2021

The weekend was not off to a good start, and that’s what caused you to drop everything to go to Austria. Qualifying did not go the best for Arthur, but where he qualified left him with a great opportunity for points, starting in fourth place. 

You should have listened to your gut when it said something was going to happen this weekend. Instead, you were at work when Lorenzo called you, saying that Arthur had been gone off the track and had to retire early, and he was beating himself up over it.

You told your supervisor that you needed to head out and that you would do work remotely for the remainder of the weekend and probably the next week. They let you go without a hitch, so you were on the next flight out.

When you landed, Race 2 was just about to start. Lorenzo came and picked you up, taking you to the track and into the Prema garage. Arthur was starting down in 27th place. He was already in the car doing the formation lap, so after greeting most of the team, you asked if you could wish him luck over the radio. Thankfully enough, Rene was there and let you use his headset, but told you to make it quick.

“Bonjour mon amour (Hello my love),” You said as soon as you had the headset on. “Bonne chance, je t’aime (Good luck, I love you).”

“Wait, what are you doing here, mon beau (my beauty)? I thought you had work,” he responded immediately as he pulled around one of the last corners.

“Came to surprise you, but I need you to focus on the race now,” You replied with a small, shy smile as the team was listening in on the conversation. “I want you to do what you do best. You’ve got this.”

~

2) Silverstone 2022

At the beginning of the week, you were not sure if you would be able to make it to Silverstone in time for the feature race. Nothing seemed to line up, so you had told Arthur you would not be able to make it.

However, it seemed like the world was working for you when everything you had to do worked itself out by Thursday night. The weekend shifts that you could not find coverage for were canceled due to overstaffing, your assignments’ due dates were pushed back another weekend, and flights just went on sale. It just seemed like everything was working for you.

Immediately, you got on the first flight out Friday morning to London. Just before taking off, you texted Lorenzo, knowing that Arthur was most likely in his practice or qualifying session. You sent Lorenzo your flight info quickly before shutting off your phone for takeoff. 

Landing in London, it did not take you long to meet up with Lorenzo since you only packed a carry-on. You were able to get right off the plane and meet up with Lorenzo in arrivals. He took you back to the rental car and you stopped off to get food before arriving in the F1 paddock where Arthur was hanging out with Charles in between races

You saw him standing against the doorway of Charles’s room with his race suit tied around his waist. You walked up behind him, immediately wrapping your arms around his waist as you hid your face in his shoulders. Arthur stopped talking abruptly, confused at who was hugging him until he turned around and saw your familiar hair color against his chest.

“You said you had work, liar,” Arthur gasped as he lifted you and held you against his body.

“What happened to ‘hello’ or ‘how are you’ or ‘I missed you’?” You laughed once he finally set you down. You leaned in to place a small kiss on his lips before whispering, “I couldn’t miss this. I always try my best to support you.”

~

3) Australia 2023

You recently got a new job that would allow you to travel with Arthur, but he didn’t know about it yet. It was only finalized it on the Tuesday before the race. You were hired by Ferrari to be their social media coordinator for their academy drivers specifically, and it was a ticket to follow him around for the season.

You had flown with him to Australia for the race, but you told him in advance that you would need to be doing work during the weekend. You told Arthur that morning that you had an early morning meeting which was not a lie, but he did not know it was at the track. By the time Arthur arrived at the track for prerace, you had already gotten acquainted with everyone and were in a grove. 

You two didn’t actually run into each other for a while because you were following Fred around, listening to everything he wanted from you before actually getting on with your job. About halfway through the day, Arthur wanted to call you, but he was pulled into a meeting before he could actually dial your number. 

Upon arriving in the Ferrari garage, Arthur sat next to Ollie off to the side. They were told it was a basic meeting to go over a new social media plan. The last thing Arthur expected was to see you walk in beside Fred. 

His eyes grew wide as his jaw dropped, causing Ollie to chuckle beside him. “Don’t you have a significant other?” Ollie whispered to Arthur. The man in question just ignored his friend.

You looked around the room, almost immediately making eye contact with Arthur. A wide smile spread across your lips as you waved shyly at him.

“Everybody this is Y/n,” Fred introduced you, “They will be working with the academy drivers for their social media.”

Needless to say, when Arthur got his maiden F2 podium, the fans could definitely tell who was your favorite driver.

~

4) Monaco 2023

It was his home race in his own backyard. How could you not attend? Not only did you love the atmosphere of the Monaco Grand Prix, but it was his first time racing in his home country. Let alone, down the street from his house!

The F2 race had started a few minutes ago, and you were on your way back to the F2 paddock. You had run a little long with Dino’s post-race pictures, so you weren’t there for the start of Arthur’s race. You felt horrible.

You felt your heart sink when you heard the clashing of metal and the gasping of spectators. You glanced up at the big screen, and the one car you did not want to see was shown losing control and crashing into the barriers. It was the Dams number 12, Arthur.

You and Arthur would jokingly poke fun at the Monaco Curse, as Charles referred to it, but you never thought it would affect Arthur. It’s times like this when you really wish you never made those jokes in the first place. You unintentionally manifested this. 

By the time Arthur got back to the garage, you had an icepack at the ready. Despite him already having stopped by the medic tent, you knew that an icepack wouldn’t hurt. Especially with how hard the impact was, his head was bound to hurt.

You stood in the back of the garage, updating the FDA social media as you waited for him. When he did, he immediately put his helmet to the side, giving you a sad smile as he approached you. You looked back at him, offering an encouraging smile in return as you opened your arms for him. Arthur did not need to be told twice as he collapsed in your arms as soon as the space was available. You ran one hand up and down his back as you kissed his temple held that was already forming a bruise before holding the icepack to it gently.

“You don’t have to say anything right now,” you whispered as you twirled some of the hairs at the nape of his neck, knowing it calmed him down, “Just know, I am so incredibly proud of you. You did amazing while you were out there, and trust me, next year, you’ll come back stronger.”

~

+1) Las Vegas 2023

Being from Las Vegas meant that you wanted to attend the grand prix that was taking place in your backyard. Despite not actually racing in it, Arthur was planning on going anyway to support Charles, so you convinced them to bring you along as a tour guide of sorts. 

That being said, they all knew you were coming. There was nothing to surprise anyone with. At least, that’s what you thought. Arthur decided it was his turn to surprise you. He did not have all of the specifics settled, but he knew for certain that he wanted to propose to you.

It was Friday afternoon, and despite being on the track until 5 that morning, you still dragged Arthur out of the hotel by 2 to explore. You knew for certain you wanted to take him for slushies and to your favorite place to people-watch: Fashion Show Mall.

“It is way too early to get drunk,” Arthur laughed as he took a drink of the large slushie you two were sharing as you walked hand-in-hand through the streets of Sin City. “And this is comically big.”

“1, that's what she said. 2, it's not that high in alcohol percent. 3, we’re sharing it. And 4, it’s never too early to get drunk when you’re not the one driving,” you chuckled as you pulled him up the rainbow stairs to the top level. There was a grass patch that you loved to sit on while growing up, and it was the perfect spot to overlook the entire city. “This is basically where I grew up. I didn’t have many friends, but I would watch everyone from up here after school. It’s a nice view as long as you don’t look straight down.”

He followed you to the grass and jokingly fell beside you with his head in your lap when you sat down. He smiled up at you, causing you to chuckle, as he held your hand in his. 

“Your hand is cold,” He whispered.

“I’ve been holding the slushie since Elvis Presley Boulevard,” you joked, “I wonder why?”

“I can warm it up,” He joked back as he took your hand in both of his as he placed small kisses along your knuckles. You closed your eyes and threw your head back as you laughed at his antics until you felt a foreign object being slid onto your finger. You looked down at Arthur to see him smiling smugly up at you as you noticed the object was a ring, and Arthur had placed it on your left ring finger. “I’ve been trying to find the words, but I couldn’t wait any longer. Mon amour, you are my best friend and you have been by my side for as long as I can remember. You always surprise me, so I thought it was my turn. Will you marry me?”

“You’re crazy, Arthur,” you cried as you hid your face behind your right hand, your left hand still being held tightly by Arthur. His face dropped, thinking you were turning him down, but before he could try to remove the ring, you continued, “You’re crazy for thinking I would say anything but yes!”

~

Bonus scene: Average screen time

“Your screen time is more than five hours,” Olli Calwell read off as part of the challenge they were doing for the Prema Racing YouTube channel. It was a little game to see who uses social media more.

“I know, I check mine every day. I have a problem,” Paul laughed as he pulled out his phone immediately. Arthur looked off to the side where you were sitting as he chuckled, knowing his screen time was through the roof because of the Facetime calls you do every weekend. 

“Mine is 13 hours,” Arthur spoke up. Both Olli and Paul’s eyes grew wide in shock as they snapped over to him, questioning if that was really his average. “Yes, look!” Arthur spins his body around to show the other two his screen time as you also lean forward a bit to see, and he’s right. It was 13 hours on average, causing you to laugh to yourself.

“Are you okay?” Olli asked and that’s what broke your cover. The fans heard you laughing in the background of the video and immediately spammed the comments asking about you. That’s when you decided to go public with Arthur.

~~~~~

© BAD268 2024. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.

[chrisis-averted]

Eurovision 2023 Songs ABRIDGED

Yes, I’m doing that again. You’re welcome!  😙 Once again, this is for humor purpose, don’t take it too seriously.

Albania: treasure your family, it’s not going to be there forever 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧

Armenia: I want to meet my soulmate 🥺

Australia: dare to try new things 🤩

Austria: yeah, fuck the music industry, it just exploits artists 👻

Azerbaijan: we broke up but I still think about you 🥺

Belgium: you got me to love myself 🥰

Croatia: yeah, fuck Russia 😈

Cyprus: you’re toxic as hell, girl 😠

Czechia: yeah, fuck gender inequality 🧕

Denmark: I’m afraid of starting a relationship because it might go bad 😥

Estonia: I want to connect with people 🤗

Finland: it’s Friday, I’m tired as fuck, I just want to party and get drunk 🥴

France: I have changed, for good and for ill 😌

Georgia: I have faith there will be better days 😌 

Germany: we are made of beautiful and ugly things 🤩

Greece: it’s those who are broken that help others more 🥰

Iceland: I got out of a toxic relationship and I’m euphoric 😃

Ireland: treasure your uniqueness 🌈

Israel: I’m rare and precious, like a mythical creature 🦄

Italy: I’m a hopeless romantic 🥺

Latvia: I lost hope in this world 😔

Lithuania: I got out of depression thanks to you 🥰

Malta: I’d rather stay at home than get out and party 😴

Moldova: I shall marry you in the forest under the sun and moon 🦌

Netherlands: I lost fascination with life and I’m scared I’m wasting time 😥

Norway: I’m a goddamn queen 👸

Poland: I slept with half the jury because sure as hell I can’t sing I am sexy and want to party 🥴

Portugal: oh fuck I’ve fallen in love and I’m a mess 😵

Romania: I’ve fallen head over heels for a girl who’s toying with me 🙃

San Marino: oh wow, you’re sexy, wanna come home with me? 😍

Serbia: the world is severely fucked up 😡

Slovenia: our generation sees no hope in the future, so we at least we enjoy the moment 🙃

Spain: I love you, my child 👩‍👧

Sweden: I want the only man I cannot have 🥰

Switzerland: our generation feels trapped in the wars caused by people who don’t care about us 😡

Ukraine: we are stronger than they think 😡

United Kingdom: I got cheated on, so now I’m having fun without him 😏

Eurovision Songs Abridged 2021 | 2022

[thatsonemorbidcorvid]

Police in Vienna are investigating the deaths of four women and a teenage girl in a 24-hour period.

Three women were stabbed to death by a man in a brothel in Austria's capital on Friday. A suspect was arrested.

Another woman and her daughter were killed in an unrelated incident. Investigators believe the girl's father was responsible.

Campaigners described the day as "Black Friday" and called for urgent action to stop violence against women.

The bodies of three women, believed to be Chinese nationals, were found in a building in the central Brigittenau district at around 21:00 local time (20:00 GMT) after a witness called the emergency services.

The suspect, whom police have described as a 27-year-old Afghan national, was found hiding near the brothel with a knife in his hand.

On Sunday, police said the man had "basically confessed" to the killings during his first interrogation.

The motive is currently unclear but further questioning and investigations are to follow.

Autopsies will be carried out on the bodies of the three victims later on Sunday.

Earlier on Friday, a 51-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter were found dead in an apartment in the Erdberg area - about 12km (seven miles) from where the other incident happened.

There is no suggestion they are connected.

Police are still searching for the woman's husband, who is also the girl's father, as investigators suspect he may have strangled or choked them to death.

"The initial investigations, which are currently under way, indicate that blunt force was involved," said police spokesman Philip Hasslinger.

Eva-Maria Holzleitner, the leader of the women's policy department of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SPO), has urged the federal government to call a crisis meeting to discuss the issue of femicide in the country.

"We mourn the murdered women, are thinking about the survivors and call for a national action plan to protect against violence to finally be implemented in order to protect women's lives in Austria," said Ms Holzleitner.

Klaudia Frieben, leader of umbrella organisation the Austrian Women's Ring (OFR), wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that "this day will go down in history as Black Friday with five dead women".

According to the latest data on femicide rates in Austria, published by the Institute of Conflict Research, some 319 women were killed in the country between 2010 and 2020 - mostly by male partners or ex-partners.

The coalition government has vowed to crack down on the issue - pledging almost €25m (£21m) in 2021 to initiatives aimed at protecting women against violence.

[slowestlap]

Red Bull Racing in 2022

Feb 9th: Red bull announces a title sponsorship with Oracle and RB18 (bestest boy) is revealed

March 3rd: Red bull announces Max's contract extension which runs until 2028

March 20th: Red bull starts the season with a banger double DNF in Bahrain

May 29th: Checo wins in Monaco, gets shit-faced af, unfortunate videos go around, two days later Red bull announces his contract extension which runs until 2024

June 21st: Vips uses the n-word on a twitch stream, later Red bull publishes a statement and drops his ass

July 8th: Friday in Austria becomes the last time we see Max wearing the flat brim cap

Sept: Red bull and Porsche edge us with the almost signed partnership only for it to fall apart

Oct 9th: Max wins the wdc in a confusing manner in Japan

Oct 10th: FIA announce two teams (the other being Red bull) breached the cost cap in 2021

Oct 22nd: Red bull co-founder Mateschitz passes away

Oct 23rd: Red bull seals the constructors championship in Austin

Oct 28th: Cost cap penalty announced. Max at the same time reveals a special obnoxious golden helmet he'll wear the rest of the season

Oct 28th -30th: Max and the rest of the Red bull boycott Sky Sports during the Mexican GP, refusing to give them any interviews

Nov 13th: Max refuses team orders in Brazil coz he "has reasons", rumors about Checo purposefully binning it into the wall in Monaco quali arise, eveyone is unhappy expect those who focus on reblogging memes

Nov 20th: Max wins his 15th race of the season in Abu Dhabi, as Red bull wins 17/22 of the races in 2022 and finishes on the podium in 20/22

Nov 23rd: Red bull signs Daniel Ricciardo for a third driver role for 2023

[sisionscreen]

RTL just announced that they will air the third season of Sisi (2021) on December 27th and 28th, 2023, on their main channel. Each night they will air three episodes. While they haven't given a time yet, it will most likely be at German prime time (8:15pm). It is also very likely that Austrian public broadcaster ORF will choose the same dates but I haven't seen an announcement yet. The new season becomes available for streaming on Friday, December 1st, on RTL+ in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

[game-set-canet]

Red Bull BassLine 2023 - besties, get ready for “Mira’s tennis experience - part 3”

long story short: last year's edition was better.

don't get me wrong it was really good this year, but i think last year's was better (and 2021's edition was better as well).

line-up 2023 was: Andrey Rublev, Domi Thiem, Jurij Rodionov, Fábián Marozsán, Frances Tiafoe and Alexander Zverev. obviously, i had my difficulties with a part of the line-up.

what was really sad was that 4 out of the 6 players left before the event was over. Andrey left after his last game, Tiafoe, Marozsán and Rodionov left before the break before the final, which means only the finalsts Domi and Zverev stayed until the very end.

Autographs i got an autograph from Domi - which i'm very very proud of!! 🥰🥰 but for most kids it's it wasn't very easy to get an autography. Andrey didn't do any (same for Marozsán), Rodionov only did like 5 autographs, Tiafoe didn't want to get up from his chair to write autographs...so he asked you to throw the stuff you wanted to get signed at him (works for all the tennis balls, doesn't work for pictures/photos, posters, etc. but he didn't really care), Domi and Zverev were the only ones to write LOTS of autographes after their final.

Andrey It was Andrey's birthday yesterday, so Domi and the whole crowd sung "happy birthday, dear Rublo" before their match <33 in Austria we say "laut, falsch und mit Begeisterung" when people sing something very enthusiastic but it doesn't match the notes 😂 and he got a "Sacher-Torte" a typically Austrian cake. They wanted Andrey to eat or at least taste it and while Andrey was discussing with the presenters if he wants to do it or not, Zverev cut the cake, put a piece of it on a plate and handed it over to Andrey. But because there were no forks Andrey had to bite off??? it was a bit of a chaos 😂 BUT I HAVE A VIDEO OF IT!

During Red Bull BassLine there is a DJ playing music almost during the whole event and Andrey was singing along almost the whole time. personally i think his best performance was during Friday by Nightcrawlers and Riton.

Domi Domi looked so happy when the crowd was cheering for him when he entered the arena <33 his tennis was quite good, a few mistakes but some BEAUTIFUL long line back hands 🥹 i've never seen something more beautiful (and i've seen Carlitos play live). and he is so unbelievable beautiful in real life 💕 his smile is so so cute, i honestly can't 😭😭

Zverev i was honestly so annoyed by him the whole evening bc he knew exactly what to do and to say that the crowd would cheer for him...at the end he stayed until almost every fan had an autography etc, he was the last to leave and of course ppl loved it 😒 and his tennis was really good yesterday. very high serves speed, lots of aces and he moved good on court 😒 it was disgusting.

Tiafoe, Marozán, Rodionov and i know i sound ignorante now or like i don't care about the others but...i don't know what to say about the other three 😂 Tiafoe looked happy to be here, but his tennis wasn't that good, he made a lot of mistakes, played a bit too fast and lost his matched really clear. Marozsán seems quite nice but he didn't do anything...his tennis was nice but he didn't interact with the crowd or the other players. And almost the same for Rodionov, he said he was very nervous to play this kind of tennis-event with such different rules and all that stuff (and his puls was the highest of all six during playing (Zverev had the lowest))

[f1]

Another wet weekend forecast in Austria with rain likeliest during sprint race | 2023 Austrian Grand Prix weather

Formula 1 drivers are likely to do some wet weather racing at the Red Bull Ring this weekend – though the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday is expected to be dry. The inclusion of a sprint race means there are qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday, and so the grid for both may also be influenced by the weather. Any rubber that is on the track surface once the F1 paddock arrives will likely be washed off by the time they actually get on track for first practice on Friday afternoon as it is wet and windy at the Red Bull Ring today. Friday morning will be sunny, but only the support series will be on track then for their practice sessions. That does mean rubber will be laid down on the racing line, particularly as there are 30 cars in the Formula 3 field, but F1 drivers may not be able to benefit as clouds are set to converge over the circuit in the afternoon and stay there throughout, with an increasing chance of rain. Qualifying for the grand prix will take place towards the end of the day, putting it at greater risk of rain. Even if the wet weather does not appear then the track temperature will be low due to the cloud cover. The F1 cars will take to the track at midday and again at the end of the day on Saturday, and there is a very high chance of rain throughout according to the official forecast. The predicted air temperature is 19C for the morning’s sprint race qualifying session, falling to 18C for the sprint race, but the 80%-plus chance of rainfall is likely to be the greater concern. That is cooler than the conditions F1 raced in last year in Austria, which was already one of the coolest races of the season. It ranked only 18th out of the 22 rounds for ambient temperature, and had the 15th highest track temperature. Sunday’s forecast is far warmer, however, with afternoon sunshine bringing a high of 25C air temperature before the grand prix takes place. Some clouds will remain in the area later in the day, leaving F1 vulnerable to the type of brief showers that cause anxiety on the pit wall as strategists debate whether or not to pit for intermediates tyres before the rain stops and the track dries up again. NB. The track also held the Styrian Grand Prix in 2020 and 2021. Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free For more updates on the track conditions during each session keep an eye on RaceFans Live and the RaceFans Twitter account. 2023 Austrian Grand Prix Browse all 2023 Austrian Grand Prix articles via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/

[heartsoftruth]

Thank you @l8tof1 for tagging me! 🥰 1) where do you follow a race?  I watch it via F1TV, because I sure as hell won’t pay to hear Dutch commentary😜. For FP and Quali I always have the same set-up: Mainfeed on my tv (with Sky commentary) and on my MacBook splitscreen. So on my left side the F1.com livetiming and on the right side Lewis onboard. Only thing I change for the race day is that I change the F1 livetiming for the F1TV timing board. I like to watch the mini sectors and timing (for long runs for example) a bit closer during FP and quali, but during the race just the lap times are enough.  2) Do you watch by yourself or with others? By myself. When I was a kid I used to watch it with my father (since he’s also the one who got me into this sport), but ever since I live by myself I watch it on my own. It’s because 1) I’m from Max Verstappen land what the hell am I going to do in the middle of all these Max fans? 2) I like my set-up (as written above) and I get a bit anxious when I don’t know why Lewis is slow/not set a lap etc etc. With his onboard I know he’s managing or was held up etc etc.  I did it once for a race in 2021 - when my friend had her bday party in a room full of Max fans - and luckily for me it was a race not much much happened between those 2. And twice during FP in 2022 (one at the office and Lewis was P1 so I said: ‘So we gonna watch together on Sunday again? haha😂). 3) Do you watch every race and all sessions? Yes. That’s one of the pro’s of the new way of working: from home and at the office. So on F1-weekends I always work from home on Friday. I luckily rarely have meetings during FP so I can watch it haha. If I miss something during the F1-weekend I 99% of the time make sure it isn’t raceday. The 1% for this season was last Sunday when I went to the Nations League final haha.   4) Do you have any superstitions? ... *runs* *hides*. OK BUT I AM NOT CRAZY. I have a few ok. I’m already a very superstitious girl in general so...  Ever since the mess in Monaco I have a new ‘ritual’. So we all know it was not a good weekend with Lewis crashing during FP3 as the cherry on top. So I bought a certain drink for quali and Sunday and put on my Plus44 shirt and for quali it worked (at least out-qualifying his teammate). Sunday I put the same shirt on, open up the drink during the formation lap and take seven sips (now don’t come for me with EIGHT EIGHT!!!!). Mind you I watched the start inside a football stadium last Sunday and during the formation lap I took seven sips of whatever drink I had just to be sure. My friend was: ?????? HAHAHHA. And you all be DAMN sure when that formation lap starts in Austria and I’m standing in the stands watching him warm up next week I WILL take my seven sips 😂😂😭

5) what do you do after a race? Put F1TV on on mute waiting for Lewis’s interview and put a Sky stream on.  Besides that scroll, scroll, scrolllllll. On here, Twitter and Reddit. Just scroll and take in the comments/reaction/content. 

[thoughtlessarse]

The Freedom Party is set to win a national election for the first time in its history as it taps into voters' anxieties about immigration, inflation and the war in Ukraine. Polls have opened in Austria's parliamentary elections with the far-right Freedom Party (Freiheitliche Partei Österreich) seemingly the most popular amongst voters who are anxious about immigration, inflation and the war in Ukraine. Herbert Kickl, a former interior minister and long-time campaign strategist who has led the party since 2021, wants to become Austria's new chancellor. Speaking at a campaign rally on Friday, he demanded the "remigration" of illegal immigrants. "It is not acceptable that we have to protect our people from the people, who are coming here looking for protection. Then something isn't right with the system anymore. And that’s why we finally need remigration. I don’t even know why this word is supposed to be so evil," he said. Kickl has also sparked controversy on the campaign trail by using the term 'Volkskanzler', or chancellor of the people, which was used by the Nazis to describe Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. Polls estimate the Freedom Party will take around 28% of the vote, well below the threshold needed for an outright win. But finding coalition partners might be tough. Chancellor Karl Nehammer, whose Austrian People's Party (Österreichische Volkspartei) is polling second at 24%, has already ruled out teaming up with Kickl and urged voters to vote for him to prevent the far-right from coming to power. "I have made it clear with whom it is not possible to form a responsible, viable government. The current leader of the FPÖ (Freedom Party of Austria) does not fulfil these criteria. That's why I excluded him," he said in Vienna on Friday. "It is not acceptable that we have to protect our people from the people, who are coming here looking for protection. Then something isn't right with the system anymore. And that’s why we finally need remigration. I don’t even know why this word is supposed to be so evil," he said. Kickl has also sparked controversy on the campaign trail by using the term 'Volkskanzler', or chancellor of the people, which was used by the Nazis to describe Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. Polls estimate the Freedom Party will take around 28% of the vote, well below the threshold needed for an outright win. But finding coalition partners might be tough. Chancellor Karl Nehammer, whose Austrian People's Party (Österreichische Volkspartei, ÖVP) is polling second at 24%, has already ruled out teaming up with Kickl and urged voters to vote for him to prevent the far-right from coming to power. "I have made it clear with whom it is not possible to form a responsible, viable government. The current leader of the FPÖ (Freedom Party of Austria) does not fulfil these criteria. That's why I excluded him," he said in Vienna on Friday.

continue reading

Well the ÖVP could go into government with the FPÖ, but that would make it the minority party with the FPÖ calling the shots. I'm sure Nehammer would not hesitate to cohabit with the FPÖ if the ÖVP were in the majority, as it did under Kurz.

All of which is moot anyway because the ÖVP will continue to adopted far-right policies to please the growing numbers of fascists in the country.

[brookston]

Holidays 3.22

Holidays

Age Is Just A Number Day

Arab League Day

Army Day (Philippines)

As Young As You Feel Day

Baltic Sea Day

Banned in Boston Day

Bihar Day (India)

Captain James T. Kirk Day

Cinematograph Film Day

Cornstarch Day

Daffodil Day

Day of the Berlin Bear (Germany)

Day of the People’s Party (Laos)

Earth Day [Original Date]

Emancipation Day (a.k.a. Día de la Abolición de la Esclavitud; Puerto Rico)

Festival of Immortality

Gryffindor Pride Day

International Day of the Seal

International Goof-Off Day (a.k.a. National Goof-Off Day)

International Gurjar Day

International Taxi Driver Day (Russia)

John Magufuli Day (Tanzania)

Labour Day (Christmas Island)

Laser Day

Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day

National Badminton Day [also 3.30]

National

National Day of the Podenco (Spain)

National Day of Work-Integrated Learning Day (Canada)

National Donald Day

National Rehabilitation Counselors Appreciation Day

National Ride2School Day )Australia)

National Sing-Out Day

National Tree Day (Sent Maarten)

National West Virginia Day

Newlyweds Day (Serbia)

Plane Tree Day (French Republic)

Resident Evil Anniversary Day

Stamp Act Day

Stanley Cup Day

Sun-Earth Day

Talk Like William Shatner Day

Tuskegee Airmen Day

World Cloud Security Day

World Coma Day

World Day of Metta!

World Doula Day

World Mime Day

World Organic Research Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Bavarian Crepes Day

Brewing Water Day

Coq au Vin Day

We Love Broccoli Day

World Water Day (a.k.a. World Day for Water; UN)

4th Friday in March

Friday of Sorrows [4th Friday]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

Pliny the Younger Day (Normally 1st Friday in February but moved in 2023)

Wear a Hat Day (Ireland) [4th Friday]

Independence & Related Days

Bihar (State founded; India; 1912)

Malus (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

New Year’s Days

Nowruz (New Year) [Day 3, Around Spring Equinox] (a.k.a. ... 

Dita e Nevruzit (Albania)

Nauryz Meyramy (Kazakhstan)

Navruz (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan)

Nevruz (Albania)

Nooroz (Iran)

Novruz (Azerbaijan)

Festivals Beginning March 22, 2024

Barcelona Beer Festival (Barcelona, Spain) [thru 3.24]

Bluebonnet Brew-Off (Dallas, Texas) [thru 3.24]

California Artisan Cheese Festival (Santa Rosa, California) [thru 3.24]

Hammond Smokin’ BBQ Challenge (Hammond, Louisiana) [thru 3.23]

Hermann Wurstfest (Hermann, Missouri) [thru 3.24]

Kirkland Wine, Beer & Spirits Walk (Kirkland, Washington)

Lollapalooza (São Paulo, Brazil) [thru 3.24]

Litchfield Restaurant Week (Litchfield, Connecticut) [thru 3.29]

MN Brewers Conference (St. Paul, Minnesota)

Salzburg Easter Festival (Salzburg, Austria) [thru 4.1]

Sydney Royal Easter Show (Sydney, Australia) [thru 4.2]

Ultra Music Festival (Miami, Florida) [thru 3.24]

Vossa Jazz (Vossevangen, Norway) [thru 3.24]

Feast Days

Anthony Van Dyck (Artology)

Anton Raphael Mengs (Artology)

Attis Arbour Intrat (Procession of Pine Trees, dedicated to Cybele, Ops for Rhea; Ancient Rome)

Basil of Ancyra (Christian; Saint)

Benvenuto of Osimo (Christian; Saint)

Catharine of Sweden (Christian; Saint)

Clemens August Graf von Galen (Christian; Saint)

Darerca of Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Deogratias, Bishop of Carthage (Christian; Saint)

Dies Violae (Laying of Flowers at Tombs; Ancient Rome)

Epaphroditus (Christian; Saint)

Festival of Cybele (Attis’ self-mutilation; Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Entry of the Tree (Ancient Rome)

Hola Mohalla (Sikh)

John Frederick Kensett (Artology)

Jonathan Edwards (Lutheranism)

Justin (Positivist; Saint)

Keep Richards Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lea of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas Owen (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas von Flue (Christian; Saint)

Paul of Narbonne (Christian; Saint)

Pretend to Be Sober Day (Pastafarian)

Rite of Eostre (Everyday Wicca)

Quinquatria, Day 4: Poet’s Day (Pagan)

Rosh Chodesh Nisan (Judaism) [1 Nisan]

Slightly Silly Day (Pastafarian)

Toothbrush (Muppetism)

Hebrew Calendar Holidays [Begins at Sundown Day Before]

Shabbat Zachor (Remembrance) [13 Adair]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

All Shook Up, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1957)

Apostrophe (‘), by Frank Zappa (Album; 1974)

Behold the Man, by Michael Moorcock (Novel; 1969)

The Bible, printed by Johannes Gutenberg (Book; 1457)

Bosko the Speed King (WB LT Cartoon; 1933)

Bringing It All Back Home, by Bob Dylan (Album; 1965)

Bullwinkle Scores Again or Fool’s Goal (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 356; 1965)

The Clock (Film; 1945)

The Croods (Animated Film; 2013)

Defending Your Life (Film; 1991)

D-I-V-O-R-C-E, recorded by Tammy Wynette (Song; 1968)

East St. Louis Toddle-oo, recorded by Duke Ellington (Song; 1927)

The Egg Cracker Suite (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Swing Symphony Cartoon; 1943)

The Explorer, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1931)

Far Beyond Driven, by Pantera (Album; 1994)

Fist of Fury (Film; 1972)

Flames in the Sky, by Pierre Clostermann (Novel; 1951)

The Golden Touch (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1935)

Gutenberg Bible (Religious Text; 1457)

How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, by Francis A. Schaeffer (Philosophy Book; 1975)

Luca (Pixar Animated Film; 2024)

Mr. Wonderful (Broadway Musical; 1956)

Much Ado About Nothing (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1940)

Olympus Has Fallen (Film; 2013)

On the Border, by The Eagles (Album; 1974)

Pleased to Meet Cha! (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1935)

Please Please Me by The Beatles (Album; 1963)

Power to the People, by John Lennon (Song; 1971)

The Rules: All You Need Is Cash (TV Rockumentary Special; 1978)

Sing Smokey, by The Temptation (Album; 1965)

Sleepy Time Chimes (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1971)

Spring Breakers (Film; 2013)

Standing Room Only or Bullwinkle Sells Out (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 355; 1965)

Station 19 (TV Series; 2018)

Stealin Aint Honest (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1940)

Symphony No. 1, the Poem of the Forest, by Albert Roussel (Symphony; 1908)

Us (Film; 2019)

Today’s Name Days

Clemens, Elmar, Klemens, Lea (Austria)

Rosen, Rositsa (Bulgaria)

Lea, Leonarda, Oktavijan (Croatia)

Leona (Czech Republic)

Paulus (Denmark)

Viktor, Viktoria (Estonia)

Vihtori, Viktor (Finland)

Léa (France)

Elmar, Lea, Reinhilde (Germany)

Drosos, Drosoula (Greece)

Beáta, Izolda (Hungary)

Benevenuto, Caterina, Lavinia, Lea, Muzio, Onofrio, Nilda, Nilde (Italy)

Dziedra, Giedra, Ralfs, Tamāra (Latvia)

Gedgaudas, Gedgaudė, Kotryna (Lithuania)

Paula, Pauline (Norway)

Bazylissa, Bogusław, Godzisław, Katarzyna, Kazimierz, Paweł (Poland)

Drosida, Vasile (Romania)

Beňadik (Slovakia)

Bienvenido, Lea (Spain)

Kennet, Kent, Viktor (Sweden)

Lea, Leah, Lee, Leigh, Leighton, Parker (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 82 of 2024; 284 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 12 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 6 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Ding-Mao), Day 13 (Yi-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 12 Adair II 5784

Islamic: 12 Ramadan 1445

J Cal: 22 Green; Oneday [21 of 30]

Julian: 9 March 2024

Moon: 94%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 26 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Clement of Alexandria]

Runic Half Month: Beore (Birch Tree) [Day 13 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 4 of 92)

Week: 3rd Week of March

Zodiac: Aries (Day 2 of 31)

[umseb]

sebastian vettel in the garage on practice day, austria - july 2, 2021 📷 glenn dunbar / motorsport images

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 3.22

Holidays

Age Is Just A Number Day

Arab League Day

Army Day (Philippines)

As Young As You Feel Day

Baltic Sea Day

Banned in Boston Day

Bihar Day (India)

Captain James T. Kirk Day

Cinematograph Film Day

Cornstarch Day

Daffodil Day

Day of the Berlin Bear (Germany)

Day of the People’s Party (Laos)

Earth Day [Original Date]

Emancipation Day (a.k.a. Día de la Abolición de la Esclavitud; Puerto Rico)

Festival of Immortality

Gryffindor Pride Day

International Day of the Seal

International Goof-Off Day (a.k.a. National Goof-Off Day)

International Gurjar Day

International Taxi Driver Day (Russia)

John Magufuli Day (Tanzania)

Labour Day (Christmas Island)

Laser Day

Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day

National Badminton Day [also 3.30]

National

National Day of the Podenco (Spain)

National Day of Work-Integrated Learning Day (Canada)

National Donald Day

National Rehabilitation Counselors Appreciation Day

National Ride2School Day )Australia)

National Sing-Out Day

National Tree Day (Sent Maarten)

National West Virginia Day

Newlyweds Day (Serbia)

Plane Tree Day (French Republic)

Resident Evil Anniversary Day

Stamp Act Day

Stanley Cup Day

Sun-Earth Day

Talk Like William Shatner Day

Tuskegee Airmen Day

World Cloud Security Day

World Coma Day

World Day of Metta!

World Doula Day

World Mime Day

World Organic Research Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Bavarian Crepes Day

Brewing Water Day

Coq au Vin Day

We Love Broccoli Day

World Water Day (a.k.a. World Day for Water; UN)

4th Friday in March

Friday of Sorrows [4th Friday]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

Pliny the Younger Day (Normally 1st Friday in February but moved in 2023)

Wear a Hat Day (Ireland) [4th Friday]

Independence & Related Days

Bihar (State founded; India; 1912)

Malus (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

New Year’s Days

Nowruz (New Year) [Day 3, Around Spring Equinox] (a.k.a. ... 

Dita e Nevruzit (Albania)

Nauryz Meyramy (Kazakhstan)

Navruz (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan)

Nevruz (Albania)

Nooroz (Iran)

Novruz (Azerbaijan)

Festivals Beginning March 22, 2024

Barcelona Beer Festival (Barcelona, Spain) [thru 3.24]

Bluebonnet Brew-Off (Dallas, Texas) [thru 3.24]

California Artisan Cheese Festival (Santa Rosa, California) [thru 3.24]

Hammond Smokin’ BBQ Challenge (Hammond, Louisiana) [thru 3.23]

Hermann Wurstfest (Hermann, Missouri) [thru 3.24]

Kirkland Wine, Beer & Spirits Walk (Kirkland, Washington)

Lollapalooza (São Paulo, Brazil) [thru 3.24]

Litchfield Restaurant Week (Litchfield, Connecticut) [thru 3.29]

MN Brewers Conference (St. Paul, Minnesota)

Salzburg Easter Festival (Salzburg, Austria) [thru 4.1]

Sydney Royal Easter Show (Sydney, Australia) [thru 4.2]

Ultra Music Festival (Miami, Florida) [thru 3.24]

Vossa Jazz (Vossevangen, Norway) [thru 3.24]

Feast Days

Anthony Van Dyck (Artology)

Anton Raphael Mengs (Artology)

Attis Arbour Intrat (Procession of Pine Trees, dedicated to Cybele, Ops for Rhea; Ancient Rome)

Basil of Ancyra (Christian; Saint)

Benvenuto of Osimo (Christian; Saint)

Catharine of Sweden (Christian; Saint)

Clemens August Graf von Galen (Christian; Saint)

Darerca of Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Deogratias, Bishop of Carthage (Christian; Saint)

Dies Violae (Laying of Flowers at Tombs; Ancient Rome)

Epaphroditus (Christian; Saint)

Festival of Cybele (Attis’ self-mutilation; Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Entry of the Tree (Ancient Rome)

Hola Mohalla (Sikh)

John Frederick Kensett (Artology)

Jonathan Edwards (Lutheranism)

Justin (Positivist; Saint)

Keep Richards Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lea of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas Owen (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas von Flue (Christian; Saint)

Paul of Narbonne (Christian; Saint)

Pretend to Be Sober Day (Pastafarian)

Rite of Eostre (Everyday Wicca)

Quinquatria, Day 4: Poet’s Day (Pagan)

Rosh Chodesh Nisan (Judaism) [1 Nisan]

Slightly Silly Day (Pastafarian)

Toothbrush (Muppetism)

Hebrew Calendar Holidays [Begins at Sundown Day Before]

Shabbat Zachor (Remembrance) [13 Adair]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

All Shook Up, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1957)

Apostrophe (‘), by Frank Zappa (Album; 1974)

Behold the Man, by Michael Moorcock (Novel; 1969)

The Bible, printed by Johannes Gutenberg (Book; 1457)

Bosko the Speed King (WB LT Cartoon; 1933)

Bringing It All Back Home, by Bob Dylan (Album; 1965)

Bullwinkle Scores Again or Fool’s Goal (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 356; 1965)

The Clock (Film; 1945)

The Croods (Animated Film; 2013)

Defending Your Life (Film; 1991)

D-I-V-O-R-C-E, recorded by Tammy Wynette (Song; 1968)

East St. Louis Toddle-oo, recorded by Duke Ellington (Song; 1927)

The Egg Cracker Suite (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Swing Symphony Cartoon; 1943)

The Explorer, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1931)

Far Beyond Driven, by Pantera (Album; 1994)

Fist of Fury (Film; 1972)

Flames in the Sky, by Pierre Clostermann (Novel; 1951)

The Golden Touch (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1935)

Gutenberg Bible (Religious Text; 1457)

How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, by Francis A. Schaeffer (Philosophy Book; 1975)

Luca (Pixar Animated Film; 2024)

Mr. Wonderful (Broadway Musical; 1956)

Much Ado About Nothing (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1940)

Olympus Has Fallen (Film; 2013)

On the Border, by The Eagles (Album; 1974)

Pleased to Meet Cha! (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1935)

Please Please Me by The Beatles (Album; 1963)

Power to the People, by John Lennon (Song; 1971)

The Rules: All You Need Is Cash (TV Rockumentary Special; 1978)

Sing Smokey, by The Temptation (Album; 1965)

Sleepy Time Chimes (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1971)

Spring Breakers (Film; 2013)

Standing Room Only or Bullwinkle Sells Out (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 355; 1965)

Station 19 (TV Series; 2018)

Stealin Aint Honest (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1940)

Symphony No. 1, the Poem of the Forest, by Albert Roussel (Symphony; 1908)

Us (Film; 2019)

Today’s Name Days

Clemens, Elmar, Klemens, Lea (Austria)

Rosen, Rositsa (Bulgaria)

Lea, Leonarda, Oktavijan (Croatia)

Leona (Czech Republic)

Paulus (Denmark)

Viktor, Viktoria (Estonia)

Vihtori, Viktor (Finland)

Léa (France)

Elmar, Lea, Reinhilde (Germany)

Drosos, Drosoula (Greece)

Beáta, Izolda (Hungary)

Benevenuto, Caterina, Lavinia, Lea, Muzio, Onofrio, Nilda, Nilde (Italy)

Dziedra, Giedra, Ralfs, Tamāra (Latvia)

Gedgaudas, Gedgaudė, Kotryna (Lithuania)

Paula, Pauline (Norway)

Bazylissa, Bogusław, Godzisław, Katarzyna, Kazimierz, Paweł (Poland)

Drosida, Vasile (Romania)

Beňadik (Slovakia)

Bienvenido, Lea (Spain)

Kennet, Kent, Viktor (Sweden)

Lea, Leah, Lee, Leigh, Leighton, Parker (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 82 of 2024; 284 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 12 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 6 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Ding-Mao), Day 13 (Yi-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 12 Adair II 5784

Islamic: 12 Ramadan 1445

J Cal: 22 Green; Oneday [21 of 30]

Julian: 9 March 2024

Moon: 94%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 26 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Clement of Alexandria]

Runic Half Month: Beore (Birch Tree) [Day 13 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 4 of 92)

Week: 3rd Week of March

Zodiac: Aries (Day 2 of 31)

[ledenews]

Eight Players from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Sent to Nailers Camp

The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, have announced that eight players have been added to their training camp roster. All eight players are coming from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In goal, Taylor Gauthier returns for his second professional season. Gauthier started last year in Wheeling, then played the entire second half of the campaign for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Between the two levels, he posted a 16-10-7 record in 36 appearances. On the blueline, the Nailers received rookie Thimo Nickl. Nickl is a 21-year old native of Austria, who is set to make his North American pro debut, after playing the last three seasons in Sweden. He was originally selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. There are six forwards on their way to the Friendly City, and two of those were members of last year's squad. Justin Addamo had an enormous rookie season with 21 goals and 33 points in 42 ECHL games, as well as five AHL goals, which helped him earn an AHL contract from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Jordan Frasca is beginning the second season of his three-year NHL entry level contract. Frasca collected 12 points in 36 games with the Nailers, and really hit his stride in March, when he scored four times in a five-game span. 2020 fourth-round draft pick Lukas Svejkovsky begins his second pro season, after recording 15 points as a rookie with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Svejkovsky had electric numbers in juniors, as he finished the 2021-22 season with 76 points in 57 games. Ty Glover also enters his second season in the organization, after tallying seven goals and 12 points for the AHL Penguins a year ago. Glover will be the fourth player in team history from England. Dillon Hamaliuk was acquired by Pittsburgh in a trade with the San Jose Sharks over the summer. Hamaliuk spent the majority of the 2021-22 season with the AHL's San Jose Barracuda, then amassed seven points in six games last year with the Wichita Thunder. Evan Vierling earned an AHL contract this summer, following an outstanding conclusion to his junior career. Vierling finished fifth in the OHL with 95 points as a member of the Barrie Colts. Wheeling's training camp roster now consists of 18 forwards, eight defensemen, and three goalies for a total of 29 players. The Nailers will have an intrasquad scrimmage on Friday at 7:10, followed by a preseason game against Cincinnati on Sunday at 2:10. Both contests are free to attend with open seating. The 2023-24 regular season begins on Saturday, October 21st, when Wheeling visits Cincinnati at 7:35. The home opener is Saturday, November 4th at 7:10 against Reading. Mad Chad Taylor will be the star of the night, as he juggles chainsaws. That night will also feature a magnetic schedule giveaway and the debut of Big Timber Brewing's Nail Ale. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2023-24 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley. Updated 2023 Wheeling Nailers Training Camp Roster#4 D Quinn Wichers#5 D David Drake#6 D Sebastian Dirven#7 D Davis Bunz#8 D Avery Winslow#9 F Tanner Laderoute#10 F David Jankowski#11 F Peter Laviolette III#12 F Jarrett Lee#13 F Matthew Quercia#14 F Jordan Frasca#15 F Bobby Hampton#16 F Cam Hausinger#17 F Dominiks Marcinkevics#18 F Shaw Boomhower#19 F Félix Paré#20 F Justin Addamo#21 F Cédric Desruisseaux#22 D Jeff Solow#28 D Louie Roehl#31 G Oskar Autio#33 G Taylor Gauthier#35 G David Tendeck#36 F Matt Koopman#41 F Evan Vierling#51 F Ty Glover#70 F Dillon Hamaliuk#72 F Lukas Svejkovsky#82 D Thimo Nickl Read the full article

[oceansoulmatesblog]

US pointman on Iran on leave as clearance reviewed

AFP , Friday 30 Jun 2023 The US pointman on Iran has been placed on leave, the State Department said Thursday, as reports said that his handling of sensitive material was under review. Robert Malley, U.S. Special Envoy for Iran, is shown on June 20, 2021, in Vienna, Austria. AP Special envoy Rob Malley, in a statement to several news outlets, confirmed that his security clearance was under…

[msclaritea]

WATCH: Garland announces charges against El Chapo sons and Sinaloa cartel for fentanyl trafficking | PBS NewsHour

"The Justice Department on Friday charged 28 members of Mexico's powerful Sinaloa cartel, including sons of notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, in a sprawling fentanyl-trafficking investigation.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the charges Friday alongside Drug Enforcement Administration chief Anne Milgram and other top federal prosecutors. The charges were filed against cartel leaders, as well alleged chemical suppliers, lab managers, fentanyl traffickers, security leaders, financiers and weapons traffickers.

The indictments announced Friday charge three of Guzman's sons — Ovidio Guzmán López, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar and Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Sálazar — who are known as the Chapitos, or little Chapos, and who have earned a reputation as the more violent and aggressive faction of the cartel.

Only Guzmán López is in custody, in Mexico.

The indictments also charge Chinese and Guatemalan citizens accused of supplying precursor chemicals required to make fentanyl. Others charged in the cases include those accused of running drug labs and providing security and weapons for the drug trafficking operation, prosecutors said.

Nearly 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2021. The Drug Enforcement Administration says most the fentanyl trafficked in the United States comes from the Sinaloa cartel.

The Sinaloa cartel's notorious drug lord was convicted in 2019 of running an industrial-scale smuggling operation. At his trial, prosecutors said evidence gathered since the late 1980s showed he and his murderous cartel made billions of dollars by smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, meth and marijuana into the U.S.

In outlining the charges, Garland described the violence of the Sinaloa cartel, describing how its members have tortured perceived enemies, including Mexican law enforcement officials. In some cases, cartel members have also fed victims, some some still alive, to tigers owned by Guzman's sons, Garland said.

Eight of those charged in Friday's case have been arrested and remain in custody of law enforcement officials outside of the U.S. The U.S. government is offering rewards for several others charged in the case.

Ovidio Guzmán López, one of Guzmán's sons, was arrested in January in the Sinaloa capital of Culiacan. Ovidio Guzmán, nicknamed "the Mouse," had not been one of El Chapo's better-known sons until an aborted operation to capture him three years earlier. This time Mexico successfully got Guzmán out of Culiacan. In 2019, authorities had him, but released him after his gunmen began shooting up the city.

Some 30 people among authorities and suspected gunmen died in the operation that unleashed hours of shootouts shutting down the city's airport. The U.S. government is currently awaiting the younger Guzmán's extradition.

Ovidio Guzmán López and his brother Joaquín Guzmán López allegedly helped moved the Sinaloa cartel hard into methamphetamines, producing prodigious quantities in large labs. They were previously indicted in 2018 in Washington on drug trafficking charges.

The other two sons Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar and Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Sálazar, are believed to have been running cartel operations together with Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. They were previously also charged in the U.S. in Chicago and San Diego.

Zambada had been rumoured to be be in poor health and isolated in the mountains leading the sons to try to assert a stronger role to keep the cartel together.

The DEA said it investigated the case in 10 countries: Australia, Austria, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Greece, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and the United States.

"Death and destruction are central to their whole operation," Milgram said of the cartel."

Don't expect the do nothing but complain Progressives to say a word about this. China has been targeting the U.S. with these drugs. DOJ just put a stop to it. Merrick Garland is forever busy working to protect America. He deserves a thank you.