#but thanks for the hysterical timing rt

[abysskeeper]

Anyways uh...fic canceled, but I AM taking credit for manifesting that.

[s1ithers]

rt posting // finished ch3. love the torture elves, hysterical 10/10. obsessed with how the game pits altruism against your responsibility to your people against the culture around your character. do something good & compassionate by player standards/treasonous in-universe, get absolutely kicked in the teeth for it, and have your companions call you to account afterwards... exactly what i want from an rpg, thank you

like i'm sure it has another way to get you through the plot if you don't agree to help Y, but i was thinking while doing it, hm. this is an action i am taking with videogame protagonist-like disregard for consequences bc i personally want to, despite how hard it would be for my char to justify, even if /she/ personally wants to! & then to just eat shit for the rest of the chapter. v satisfying. love a game that doesn't let you tramp all over its internal consistency to be a hero. love a world that pushes back <3

almost wonder if i got some sort of bug with the romance being weirdly (not) integrated? with H going from v sweet to Mad as Hell. (and like thank god they voiced that bit in case the text didn't fully convey how blisteringly he despises you for this lmao x_x christ alive. the VAs are gr8). but honestly only needed like one or two lines of transition bc it's a great conflict. what if your existence was only excused by your purpose & your purpose was fighting one enemy but the one person who treats you as more than that keeps falling for that enemy's lures. what a knife in the heart. bc the dismissal of your function is a dismissal of YOU but at the same time....you've already bitten the hook of that same mercy, haven't u :3

honestly would've liked a chance to say sorry i got us all trapped in the torment nexus. bc it's ultimately my responsibility right, yrliet doesn't command this vessel. i'm gleaning that admitting that to the group might be a somewhat uh avant-garde leadership style for these ppl but twould be nice to say it to ur lover what with the torture n all

reconciliation scene could be so good bc like what if we were two people with something tender & fragile growing between us. but also a traitor to humanity & an agent of the inquisition. but also a psyker who laid powers on the absolute ruler of the sector etc etc

and perhaps some dialogue option wherein you ask /why?/ and i could say it was out of friendship with a xenos. absolute super mega heresy. handing you the weapon to destroy me to prove my sincerity but like. like. the power play of knowing you won't use it.

could be sexy.

(but then ofc power play is the only language we speak, so maybe what i really want is to trust you. it's about the plausible deniability it's about the misdirection)

anyway. forcing me into a public judgment of my other not-lover in a way that also functions as a proxy trial for my own failings in That Whole Situation, both undermining my authority & creating the chance to shore it back up IF i give the rest of the crew their pound of flesh (realigning the emperor's chosen with the path of righteousness & oh so conveniently, with him over her), an hour after we /finally/ tore each other's clothes off is sooo. fun n flirty. peak shit. because as we know! the most important element of a healthy ship is trust :)

[ravenwolf1132]

Scooby Doo Plot Bunny that wouldn't leave me alone (Cyber/Biopunk-ish???)

So I can up with this interesting twist to @phantoms-lair “Wizard Shaggy” not-so-crack theory, since let's be honest, Shaggy is totally a wizard. However I wanted to add my own twist. Mind you, this has nothing to do with the actual series Scooby Doo and is only an artistic “what if?” scenario I came up with. You see I love “punk” culture, and by punk culture, I mean biopunk, cyberpunk, steampunk, solarpunk, lunarpunk, you get the picture. The whole aesthetic is fascinating to me and I love the concept, so I'm aiming for a cyber/solar/biopunk thing here. It's gonna be like Shadowrun so magic will be involved. Cyberpunk because it would be set in the distant future, solarpunk because of the hippie culture of the 70s and the whole clean energy thing is something I wholeheartedly believe in, and finally biopunk is the actual reason as of why I thought of this. Most of the original theory is based around the seemingly impossible things Shaggy can do or survive, but I'm going to be focusing on the things he can survive because you can basically just chalk up the rest of it to magic. So here's my little AU crack theory thing.

(It will be in the form of a story so be warned and it gets a little creepy and demented just to let you know)

Norville Rogers had always been a sickly child. He was frail and his bones were weak, no matter how much he ate he was still painfully skinny, and he was terrified of practically everything. He had to take medications daily just to function without collapsing. He had barely any friends because his family kept him locked in his room for his safety. He meet his best friend his only friend [Daphne] at a party his family was invited to and he managed to escape his guards. She was standing on the balcony, sad and lonely, just like him, so he introduced himself and asked her for a dance. Ever since then, the two had been close friends, sneaking out to see each other whenever they could. She even gave him his new nickname, “Shaggy”.

Soon, however, his father decided to ship him off to military school after finding out about their meetings, and enrolled him into a special program they have for “special needs” kids, including genetic modification and advanced transhumanism. It was used to help permanently “fix” children in the eyes of the government, “Lead him up in the way he should go and he will never stray from it” [Quote from Bioshock Infinite]. The night before he left, he gave his friend one last goodbye, she begged him to stay to run away, but he refused. He said that he couldn't survive without his medications and couldn’t be himself without them, so he promised that he would find some way to return to her, and told her to wait for him. And she did.

The academy was like hell. They poked and prodded at him to figure out just what was wrong with him. They injected so many serums and fluids into him he lost count. But, it definitely worked. He was stronger now, his bones were reinforced with carbon nanostructures, his skin and tendons strengthened with tissue proteins like orb weaver silk. His blood oxygen saturation was increased and his resting heart rate reduced. TCSs for increased learning capabilities, scleral implants to widen the focus distance of his eyes, electrosensory abilities through silicone pads with rare earth materials, improved hearing sensitivity with protection from loud noises, increased sensitivity of vestibular sense of balance, and even added a subvocalization system to his larynx! [All of this I got off of another post by @kasaron it just reminded me so much of Shaggy and all the weird shit he can do.] While all of this was great and all, it was still as painful as hell to get and the training was worse. He knew he had to escape after four years of the onslaught of torture.

(CREEPINESS STARTS HERE)

They forced the students into “real life” battle scenarios and pretty much scarred them for life, they physically abused them to the point of exhaustion, and their super fast metabolism didn't help and in fact starved them to death since the program refused to give them more than what they were regulated to give out. It was a kill or be killed, strong survive over the weak, world. And if that wasn't bad enough, they were using the program to turn the “students” into monsters. Mindless, soulless, monsters that only followed the directions their given and turning to obedient puppet like slaves, ment for war and killing purposes only. If they didn't have orders to fulfill, then what good were they? Shaggy was terrified of this and had to get out of this hellhole. He had tried multiple times, but had yet to succeed, until an opportunity appeared to him.

During the final exam of his last year before being sent off to the real military, he was facing off against one of his “teachers” - tormentors more like - and won. This teacher wasn't like the others though, he was demented and the source of the physical abuse and had a creepy thing for poor Shaggy. So if Shaggy failed this exam, he wouldn't just fail for the year, but would lose literally everything, winner takes all. The exam was to fight against the teacher and win, so he used everything to his advantage to try to get the upper hand without hurting himself, but so did he. The teacher liked to taunt and mock this students to get them to grow angry and lose control, costing them the match, and he was doing the exact same tactic to antagonize Shaggy. But Shaggy was different, with every insult and mockery he threw out it only fueled his drive to escape, until he said something that shook him to his core. It was like a switch, in that moment gone was the kind hearted and loving boy the academy students knew and in his place was a killer with a heart made of stone.

His speed doubled and accuracy increased, he attacked from all sides dropping his defensive guard. The teacher thought he had finally gotten to the kid, but his smug smile was wiped off his face when he realized that Shaggy's movements weren't random acts of anger lashing out, they were calculated and thought out attacks, looking for his pressure points, weak points, and staying in his blind spots. Unlike other kids, when Shaggy is thoroughly pissed off, his emotional right brain is shutdown and only his cold and calculative left brain remains, fueled by the drive to escape his tormentors, even if that meant to run them down. Unconsciously, he begins to use his dormant magic to amplify his abilities and, while in a blind rage, strikes down his teacher in cold blood. Upon realizing what he had done, he snaps. Staring down at his blood stained hands, a small smile pulls at his lips and laughter bubbles in his chest, soon enough, he's full-blown cackling, laughing hysterically. His laughter turns to hysterical screams and cries, sobbing as it finally dawns on him that he killed his teacher.

The academy decides that Shaggy had become too strong, too powerful, to keep at their facility, and is even more of a danger since he doesn't recall the actual fight. They decided that they would stage his death and execute him. Upon arriving at the scene, Shaggy can't afford to waste anymore time and makes his escape. Terrified of being captured and killed, he runs away.

(CREEPINESS ENDS)

As he finally made his escape, he had to go through the entire facility to get dirt and evidence for what the place was doing. During which, he came across a dog in a very similar situation to his own. SC-00-B3-RT D:00 was a prototype experiment created by the academy to be a hunting and attack dog with human like intelligence. Equipped with navigation systems and a black box like feature, he saved the pooch and brought him along. The record system on the collar SC-00-B3-RT, or Scooby as he called him, had given Shaggy the idea to steal the “school's” records and use it as evidence, especially what they had done to him. As he did so, he was found and chased throughout the facility. This eventually got him caught in an explosion that should have killed him, but didn’t, however the school took it as his demise and simply moved on without a care.

Thankfully, Shaggy was alive though just barely and was found by a group of people that nursed him, and Scooby, back to health [I imagined Texas's gang from Legend of the Phantosaur]. They helped him find his way back home to his family and explained to his parents that he “dropped out” of the program and transferred to the public school system. Thanks to the men who helped him, all the paperwork was already in place and his parents could do anything about it. And without Shaggy's records of even being there in the first place, the “School” couldn't tell his parents that he was “dead.” Living with his parents again was relaxing, yes, but he couldn't help but feel empty. Finally deciding he has had enough, he moves out just before his freshman year and goes to live with his aunt in the apartment above her cafe and bakery shoppe.

In his first year he meets a young man, just a couple months younger than he is [Fred, I headcanon that Shaggy is the older one since technically him and Fred are the same age], and invites him to live with him. He found the poor kid trembling with his wrist slit open and leaning over bloody sink in the bathroom and managed to get him to spill about the abuse in his home. They became good friends after that since they really didn't have anyone else other than themselves. His Sophomore year, he found his best friend again. Overjoyed, he didn't want to leave her side again and surprisingly, Shaggy and his two friends had the same classes together. And finally, he met a wonderful little lady that had a knack for science [Velma], and even dated her for a while before eventually cutting it off, but that's a whole ‘nother story.

During an after school detention they got for separate reasons, they found out about a mystery that their school was literally built on top of and a legend about the old principle of the old school that still lurked in the catacombs beneath them. Since then, they had gained a pension for getting into situations and mysteries then meddling in things they didn't understand. Despite all his complaining about ghost and monsters, at least this was more enjoyable than his time at the academy. Sure, the gang was curious about the seemingly miraculous things he could do and survive, their skinny friend was something of an enigma to them, but they trusted that, when he was ready, he would tell them about his scarred past.

Oooh boy, that turned into an origin story for Shaggy real quickly. I know the “punk” elements aren't very prominent, but I tried to link everything that Shaggy can do and survive, and even included his constantly terrified behavior, into it too. But this was just a little plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it down. If you want me to expand on this let me know, I have multiple ideas roaming around in my head for this, I just have to wrangle them all up.

[aplaceforrtprompts]

Can you hit me up with some Chris/Reader exploring a "haunted house" please and thank you?

Word Count: 1,014

“Why are we doing this?” you asked once again as you stood in front of the “haunted” house with Chris, Aaron, and Blaine.

“Will wanted us to do something spooky for live action in October,” Blaine explained, exasperated and as if it were a recording he was just hitting play on at this point.

“Okay. But why us?” you gestured to the group but mostly yourself.

“Yeah. I’d also like to know,” Chris chimed him, raising his hand.

“Are you kidding me? Do you not remember last year’s fake haunted house or did you block that out?” Aaron snorted at the memory, “If you were that freaked at assholes in costumes just imagine how scared you’ll be when you meet some real ghosts.”

That sent a chill right down your spine.

“Okay! We’re all set. Let’s go in!” Blaine aimed a camera at you before you could even protest though that didn’t stop you.

“Um, shouldn’t we give a history lesson, a backstory, a ghost hunting lesson. Maybe just take some time before we go busting into some ghost’s home.”

“We went through the backstory on the way here. It’s just an RT Life so it won’t be long enough to go over all that with the audience,” Blaine just kept steamrolling over your dreams to stay outside on the nice porch.

“Chris, you want to go first?” you offered even though he looked as nervous as you felt.

“Ladies, first,” he nodded, voice cracking.

Aaron let out a laugh, “A gentleman as always.”

You shot Aaron a glare and reached for the doorknob. You twisted it slowly and pushed the door open. You waited until it swung all the way open before giving a tentative, “Hello?”

“No one is home. Go in,” Blaine gave you and Chris, who was clinging onto you and peeking over your shoulder, a shove.

You stumbled and shot him a look, “The ghosts are home.”

Blaine and Aaron both gave you a look as you took a few shaky steps inside. You looked around and it looked like a normal home but knowing that it could possibly be haunted was enough to make you quake with fear. Chris clinging onto you was honestly a comfort. Normally, you’d be blushing at the thought of him touching you but right now he was the only thing keeping you grounded.

The door slammed shut behind you and the two of you spun around and screamed. Blaine and Aaron were trying so hard to hold their cameras steady as they laughed.

You gave them a dirty look and turned on your flashlight. Something about you having the only source of light made the place even creepier.

“We should go upstairs. A lot of the murders happened up there in the bedroom,” Aaron suggested nonchalantly.

“Oh, great,” you squeaked out and reached out for Chris’ hand. You weren’t sure if the pounding of your heart was from him or your dread but you were guessing the latter as you began climbing the stairs.

Halfway up you froze, “What was that?”

“What?” Chris stopped himself just before ramming into you.

“I heard a pounding noise on the wall. Guys, can we go?” you turned to the others and they snickered.

“Just keep climbing,” Aaron nodded. You made a noise of protest but continued up the stairs.

As you went for the door to the bedroom it was Chris’ turn to stop you, “I heard scratching noises.”

You were quiet and heard the faint sound of fingernails on wood, “God, no.” You threw the door open with a scream and shined your flashlight inside. Everything was covered in sheets and dust. You scooted inside and poked around. Jumping as you heard more knocking noises.

You finally had enough and turned to the other two begging, “Can we please go?”

Blaine and Aaron gave each other a look, “We can…”

Your whole body flooded with relief.

“As soon as we finish exploring the basement.”

“Isn’t that where they sacrificed people to Satan?” Chris questioned.

“Oh, yeah,” Blaine laughed, “And you get to go first. Protect Y/N.”

You glanced over at Chris in the dim lighting and you almost saw a look of bravery as he took the flashlight from you. He gave your hand a quick squeeze as the four of you filed down to the basement.

“Oh, shit,” you felt your heart racing as you took the last few steps and Chris’ flashlight shown on a red pentagram on the floor.

“I want to go,” you told the group. Chris reached around you and pulled you into a shaky hug. At least you weren’t alone in your fear.

“Fine,” Aaron sighed. “Just let’s get video of one of you on the pentagram and we can go.”

You looked to Chris once more and could see him swallowing hard.

“I’ll do it,” you volunteered, “If it gets us out of here. I’ll do it.”

You slowly peeled yourself off of Chris and managed to take a few uneasy steps to the pentagram. Chris followed you and took your hands to help lower you down. You laid on top of the mark painted onto the floor.

“How do you feel?” Blaine asked.

“Possessed,” you shot the camera a look then reached for Chris as he helped you back up.

As you began brushing yourself off you noticed something was off. You took the flashlight from Chris and shinned it on the ground. The pentagram was smeared and missing and looked kind of wet. You glanced behind you as best you could at your clothing.

“You assholes!” you shouted starting to piece it together.

They were both holding back laughter. Chris gave you a confused look, “What? What happened?”

“Our two friends here painted this shit. It’s not even dry yet. I bet those noises upstairs were you too,” you crossed your arms and that’s when they broke into fits of hysterics.

“Hey, we got you to finally touch each other,” Blaine joked.

You felt a blush on your cheeks as you shouted, “That’s not the point!”

[kane-and-griffin]

Thanks for the PSA about Paige. I've had some fandoms in the past not respect actors and actresses while they go through something really personal and I find it extremely annoying. It's always good to remind people that our favorite actresses and actors are just human beings like us and deserve their privacy

Thanks, friend! And yes, it’s so important, especially in this case where there is a child involved; we all know that both of them are really caring parents, and this must be really difficult, and the more shit is floating around on the internet the higher the chances that their 13-year-old son and/or his friends will stumble over it.  Like I think it’s totally legit that we’re all having a lot of sad feelings about this - Paige and Jason were like a real-life OTP for a lot of people in this fandom, and we all care about Paige so much that we all hate the idea of her being unhappy - so it’s not like, you know, “NEVER TALK ABOUT THIS EVER EVER EVER” or anything like that. Just, like, keep the speculation in DMs instead of out in public where it’s searchable.  I feel like a reasonable barometer is, don’t post anything that you wouldn’t want her son’s friends to text him like “look what I saw on Twitter about your parents.”  They’re a real family going through a really hard time, and it’s not like a soap opera for our benefit.

That being said, though, I am REALLY PROUD of the Kabby fandom today because almost everyone I’ve seen has been handling this exactly right.  I haven’t seen anyone @ either of them, for the most part people are being respectful about not like flinging around wild rumors or theories, and not giving much airtime to that insulting TMZ article.  It actually makes me kind of emotional, tbh, because it’s obvious that people care about her so much but also are being really understanding about the fact that she’s a real person going through a terrible time and she doesn’t belong to us.  And I think we all know fandoms where the end result of this would have been like a blitz of hysterical tweets tagging both of them or attacking one or the other based on speculation about whose fault it was or hurling around crazy rumors and then retweeting them hundreds of times or people trying to win points with Paige by sending her a million invasive “support” tweets that mostly just serve to remind her that everyone on the internet knows her private business.  And literally none of that has happened. It’s just people quietly filling up her indirects by tagging her in stuff about her shows in order to try and drown out all the endless bot RT’s of that TMZ link. 

There are times when it’s a bummer being part of a small fandom - always being rooted against in polls when you’re up against another ship from your show, knowing you will never get Funko Pops of your OTP, constantly lamenting their lack of screen time - but times like this remind me why I love being part of the Kabby fandom and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  I’m just really proud of how respectful and chill and supportive-without-being-invasive everyone is being, and I agree with you that we’ve probably all witnessed or heard total horror stories from other fandoms where everyone goes crazy.  And the Kabby fandom’s just not like that.  The Paige fans are sad that she’s sad right now, but nobody’s sending death tweets to Jason.  And like I’ve never seen Ian fans say one SINGLE negative thing about Annie, either; as a matter of fact you often see them RTing stuff about her creative projects as a show of support as well.  It’s just like a uniquely chill attitude towards our faves’ personal lives, which I suspect is partly because the average age might skew slightly older (not that there AREN’T youngs in the fandom but there might be MORE olds balancing it out) (such as I, a known 35-year-old) and partly just because like we’re a smaller ship and everyone knows everyone and it’s easier to hold people accountable and create a positive dynamic across the board in a smaller-sized group.  I have friends who are both CL and BC shippers who have said to me “can we like be adopted by the Kabby fandom as honorary members, IT’S SO MUCH MORE CHILL OVER THERE!”

Anyway, I’m just having a lot of Kabby Mom Feels right now about how well everyone has behaved themselves today; I was sort of afraid we were all going to have to spend huge chunks of the day all over twitter telling people “yo, fucking untag Paige from your tweet full of spiteful unfounded rumors,” but instead everyone is just like “this is sad, I hope she’s okay,” and that was it.  Like seriously GOOD JOB TEAM

[gehayi]

Stephanie Kirchgaessner, Nick Hopkins and Luke Harding

Thursday 1 June 2017 07.30 EDT

Nigel Farage is a “person of interest” in the US counter-intelligence investigation that is looking into possible collusion between the Kremlin and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, the Guardian has been told.

Sources with knowledge of the investigation said the former Ukip leader had raised the interest of FBI investigators because of his relationships with individuals connected to both the Trump campaign and Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder whom Farage visited in March.

WikiLeaks published troves of hacked emails last year that damaged Hillary Clinton’s campaign and is suspected of having cooperated with Russia through third parties, according to recent congressional testimony by the former CIA director John Brennan, who also said the adamant denials of collusion by Assange and Russia were disingenuous.

Farage has not been accused of wrongdoing and is not a suspect or a target of the US investigation. But being a person of interest means investigators believe he may have information about the acts that are under investigation and he may therefore be subject to their scrutiny.

Sources who spoke to the Guardian said it was Farage’s proximity to people at the heart of the investigation that was being examined as an element in their broader inquiry into how Russia may have worked with Trump campaign officials to influence the US election.

“One of the things the intelligence investigators have been looking at is points of contact and persons involved,” one source said. “If you triangulate Russia, WikiLeaks, Assange and Trump associates the person who comes up with the most hits is Nigel Farage.

“He’s right in the middle of these relationships. He turns up over and over again. There’s a lot of attention being paid to him.”

The source mentioned Farage’s links with Roger Stone, Trump’s long-time political adviser who has admitted being in contact with Guccifer 2.0, a hacker whom US intelligence agencies believe to be a Kremlin agent.

Farage’s spokesman said he had never worked with Russian officials, and described the Guardian’s questions about Farage’s activities as “verging on the hysterical”.

“Nigel has never been to Russia, let alone worked with their authorities,” the spokesman said. But he did not respond to questions about whether Farage was aware of the FBI inquiry; had hired a lawyer in connection to the matter; or when Farage first met Trump.

The spokesman also declined to comment on whether Farage had received compensation from the Russian state-backed media group RT for his media appearances. RT, which has featured Farage about three times over the last 18 months, also declined to comment, citing confidentiality.

On Thursday Farage dismissed the story as “fake news”. He said he visited Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in March at the behest of LBC Radio “with a view to conducting an interview”.

He added: “I consider it extremely doubtful that I could be a person of interest to the FBI as I have no connections to Russia.”

Farage has said he only met Assange once has but declined to say how long the two have known each other.

The FBI’s national press office said it had no comment on Farage.

The former Ukip leader has voiced his support for the Russian president, calling Vladimir Putin the leader he most admired, in a 2014 interview. Ukip also has history with Assange: Gerard Batten, a Ukip member of the European parliament (MEP), defended the Wikileaks founder in a speech in the European parliament in 2011.

One source familiar with the US investigation told the Guardian that the examination of Farage’s activities was considered especially delicate given his role as an MEP.

Neither Farage nor Trump have made a secret of their admiration for one another. They emerged as unlikely winners last year in contests that have reshaped the world order: Britain’s vote to leave the EU and Trump’s surprise ascendency to the White House.

Both men credited their ability to tap into the worries of struggling and neglected citizens for their victories. But at the heart of the US investigation lies a deeper question: whether Trump campaign officials and people close to the former reality TV star sought to work with state players in Russia to try to influence the US election result.

Last July, Farage attended the Republican national convention in Cleveland, Ohio, when Trump became the party’s nominee.

According to an account by the Ukip donor Arron Banks, Farage first met Trump at a campaign stop in Mississippi in August, where he spoke at a Trump campaign event.

But Farage’s relationships with people close to the US president began years earlier. Farage first met Steve Bannon, Trump’s strategist and former campaign chief executive, in the summer of 2012, when Bannon, who was interested in rightwing movements in Europe, invited the then Ukip leader to spend a few days in New York and Washington, according to an account in the New Yorker magazine.

There Farage was introduced to, among others, the staff of the then senator Jeff Sessions, who is now the US attorney general. Speaking of his longtime admiration for Bannon, Farage told the New Yorker last year: “I have got a very, very high regard for that man’s brain.”

Two years later, in 2014, Breitbart News, of which Bannon was executive chair, opened an office in London. A top editor, Raheem Kassam, later went on to work as Farage’s chief of staff.

In 2015, Breitbart News arranged a dinner in Farage’s honour at “the embassy”, the nickname for the house the news group rented in Washington. According to a report in Bloomberg, attendees were “blown away” by Farage’s speech at the event, which was also attended by Sessions.

Then, on 24 June last year, the day after the UK voted to leave the EU, Farage thanked Bannon during an interview for Breitbart News’s coverage of the leave campaign. Bannon, in turn, congratulated Farage on his victory, saying he had led an extraordinary “David v Goliath” campaign.

Farage’s ties to Stone are also under scrutiny, it is understood. Stone has frequently publicised his relationship with Assange and described him on Twitter as “my hero”.

Stone publicly predicted the 2016 release of hacked emails from the Clinton campaign that now lie at the heart of the federal inquiry. Democrats on the House intelligence committee have named Stone in their hearings and, according to the New York Times, he is now under investigation.

Last summer, just a few weeks before Farage met Trump in Mississippi, Stone bragged about having a “mutual friend” who served as an intermediary between himself and Assange. He also mentioned in a separate tweet that he had dinner with Farage, though the date of the encounter is unclear.

After Trump’s victory, Farage was one of the first foreign politicians to meet and celebrate with the Republican president-elect, and had his picture taken with Trump in front of a golden elevator in Trump Tower just days after the US election.

In November, Trump suggested in a tweet Farage should become the UK’s ambassador to the US.

The tweet prompted a curt response from Downing Street, which pointed out that there was “no vacancy”. A spokesman said: “We already have an excellent ambassador.”

The pair met again in February, when they had dinner together with Trump’s daughter and adviser, Ivanka, and her husband and White House adviser, Jared Kushner.

Farage was asked about his relationship with Assange in a recent interview with Die Zeit, the German newspaper, after he was seen on 9 March leaving the Ecuadorian embassy where Assange has lived for years. Farage, who declared he had “never received a penny from Russia”, said he met Assange for “journalistic reasons”.

Pressed on his meetings with Russian officials in the past, Farage initially denied having had any, but then acknowledged that he had met Alexander Yakovenko, the Russian ambassador to the UK, in 2013.

Asked by Die Zeit what he was doing now, and whether he saw himself as a politician or a journalist, Farage concluded: “Changing public opinion. That’s what I have been doing for 20 years. Using television, media. Shifting public opinion. That’s what I am good at.”

A spokesman for Farage told the Guardian he had only met Assange on that one occasion. “The meeting was organised by a broadcaster, they could have easily sent another presenter instead.”

Key players in Russia-Trump investigation

Donald Trump

( Photograph: UPI/Barcroft Images)

The US president’s campaign team and people close to him are being investigated for possibly colluding with Russian state actors to influence the outcome of last November’s election. Trump, who has called the investigation “fake news” and recently fired the FBI director leading the case, was a staunch defender of Farage’s Brexit campaign and has met the former Ukip leader, whom he proposed several times as a possible UK ambassador to the US. While Trump recently said he would be OK with the US arresting Assange for leaks of sensitive information, he has previously sided with the Wikileaks founder, repeating Assange’s claim that he did not receive support from Russia.

Nigel Farage

(Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA)  

The former Ukip leader was an enthusiastic supporter of Trump’s presidential campaign and attended the 2016 Republican national convention. He also has links with Steve Bannon, Trump’s White House strategist, and Roger Stone, the president’s decades-long political mentor. Farage has praised Vladimir Putin as a strong leader and has appeared several times on RT, Russia’s English-language propaganda channel. Farage has declined to say how much money RT paid him. Sources say Farage is a “person of interest” in the FBI’s investigation into whether Trump’s associates colluded with Russia during the presidential election.

Steve Bannon

(Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty)

The president’s chief White House strategist, who served as chief executive of the Trump campaign, has known Farage since 2012, when he was working as a senior editor at Breitbart News, the rightwing news website. The former investment banker – seen as the driving force behind Trump’s “America First” nationalist policies – hosted Farage in the US while he was leading Ukip and introduced him to key US conservatives. Breitbart strongly supported the leave campaign during the EU referendum in the UK and Bannon is seen as the main conduit between Trump and Farage.

Roger Stone

(Photograph: Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters)

The Republican operative, who has known Trump for decades, is at the centre of the FBI investigation. Stone, who reportedly keeps in touch with Trump, boasted last year that he had a “back channel” to Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder, and predicted the release by Wikileaks of emails that damaged Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Last summer, Stone tweeted that he had dinner with Farage – confirming the pair’s relationship – and had contact with Guccifer 2.0, who claimed responsibility for the hacking of Democratic party emails.

Julian Assange

(Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP)

The editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks played a key role in the release of hacked Democratic party emails, according to US intelligence agencies. They allege Russian hackers working for two Moscow spy agencies – the GRU and the FSB – gave the emails to Assange in London. WikiLeaks then published the leaked emails in July and October. This damaged Clinton’s campaign and helped Trump’s, US intelligence says. Assange denies the emails came from a state. In March, Farage visited Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, just days after he had dined with Trump in Washington.

[the-memoirs-of-a]

When I read the spoilers that morning, I was in the middle of our annual car gathering in the blue ridge mountains. We were going white river rafting in less than two hours down the ocoee river. I was just numb. I got thrown, I was distracted, I swallowed too much water for my liking, and I just remember the guide yelling “get her ass back in before the next set of rapids”. We had our banquet, award show, and it was the last night before our good byes to some people I only see once a year who drove/flew in from all over the US. I was anti social nursing a beer, still just numb. People asked what’s wrong, I just shrugged them off.

I mean how silly is it to be so distraught and emotionally invested in a fictional character. They might have understood in hindsight because they were car people and well a car is more than a car to one of us, more than a hobby. I returned home and told Lost (prob the only person I talked to in this fandom at the time) I was taking a break. The fandom was a mess, hurt, defensive, and destructive. Lost understood. Maybe I should have stayed for the month reading the numerous metas, memorial posts and art, going through all stages of grief with this fandom.

But I didn’t, I detached myself and tried to process this on my own. Left to my own thoughts and feelings, at times my eyes would water and throat would get dry. But I never cried. Crying is a weakness or so I believed. I don’t how it came about. Maybe I tried so hard to be one of the boys growing up, keep emotions in check, stop acting “like a girl” in hysterics. Clearly all toxic views looking back. Or perhaps other factors where one learns to detach/push all emotion aside in a box in order survive/move on. An automatic defense system I’m still trying to reverse as I near the age of forty.

Regardless, I returned and spent numerous hours reblogging the amazing arts I missed. A distraction honestly, and in time I accepted (I use loosely) what happen in RTS. Granted Yams explanation helped soften the blow that Levi really did choose Erwin with “Let him rest”. Yet there was always a voice in the back of my head, that all these emotions will have to be dealt with someday. Some days I think I can fully explain how and why I became enthralled by a fictional character and other days I’m speechless, even feeling foolish.

And so we come to today. It’s finally animated bring a depth to the arc I can’t even begin to imagine . Honestly, I’m in limbo right now. I’m anxious and the control freak in me wants to shut all emotion down this instant. It’s going hurt, there’s no denying. I know what’s gonna happen, but it won’t be enough to prepare. But I’m not alone, and I shouldn’t dismiss my feelings because the people I reach out to won’t dismiss them either. That’s one of the greatest strengths of this fandom.

Thank you Mom for letting me hijack your post. I’m genuinely happy I overcame my anxiety and flew out to meet you at Katsu two years ago.

“Return to Shiganshina” starts today. No more avoiding all the feelings that come with that. It’s true that avoiding feelings is fine for a little while, necessary even, but I’ve recognized in my life that feelings are real, concrete things that eventually demand attention. Today mine are banging insistently on the lid of the box I crammed them into long ago.

Let’s be honest. Feelings for a fictional series or a fictional character absolutely qualifies as something others perceive as silly. That makes them hard to talk about. I don’t know the psychology behind how or why literary characters can become so important to a real life person. All I know is that while the characters might not be real, the emotions we put into them are. 

Attack on Titan was my introduction into a fandom that became an important part of my life for more than 5 years. What started as a story became my hobby,  a social circle, a creative outlet, and a totally selfish and indulgent part of my life. It was never a perfect bubble of happiness, but it was mostly good, mostly fun, mostly enjoyable.

Then Erwin died and my fandom experience was shattered. The heartbreak was exponentially exasperated by the serum bowl. Anyone around at that time remembers how fandom became a place to be feared. It took me weeks to learn some hard lessons. The existence of cruel people being one of those, but the most important being knowing when to turn it off and walk away. That, and finding a small fandom circle to trust enabled me to patch my fandom experience back into something mostly whole.

Like I said, I can’t explain it. I don’t know how or why I fell into that particular morass, but it’s something I never want to experience again. This season has the potential to bring it all back and that’s terrifying. 

A friend reminded me that we survived it once, we can survive it again, and I know that’s true. Just not today. Today I want to curl into a ball and cry. And I’m going to allow myself that. I’m going to allow for lots tears in the next few weeks.  

I know there are others who feel similarly. I hope it helps to know you aren’t alone. <3

[investmart007]

HELSINKI | The Latest: Trump to Putin: The world wants us to get along

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/5BkKlj

HELSINKI | The Latest: Trump to Putin: The world wants us to get along

HELSINKI — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin (all times local):

2:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump says at the start of his summit with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki that he thinks “the world wants to see us get along.”

Trump says the two countries have “great opportunities,” saying they have not been getting along for the past few years. He says he thinks they can have an “extraordinary relationship.”

He says their discussions will involve trade, the military, missiles, nuclear weapons and China, including their “mutual friend” China’s Xi Jingping. He did not mention Russia’s meddling in the U.S. election.

The two leaders were seated together in a room adorned by American and Russian flags at the Finnish Presidential Palace, separated by a small table.

The meeting started about 45 minutes late following Putin’s delayed arrival to Finland.

___

2:15 p.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says it’s time to talk seriously with President Donald Trump about relations between their powerful nations and global problems.

Putin revealed little about his agenda in terse remarks at the start of talks with Trump in Helsinki.

While Trump spoke more extensively amid incessant clicks of cameras, Putin said only that “the time has come to talk thoroughly about bilateral relations as well as various hotspots in the world.” He called the meeting part of “continued constant contacts” between the men.

Putin looked serious but smirked when journalists asked Trump about Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign. Trump refused to answer.

He and Trump shook hands briefly and headed into talks, which are being closely watched around the world.

___

2 p.m.

President Donald Trump has arrived at Finland’s Presidential Palace for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin arrived minutes earlier at the palace in Helsinki for the summit, which consists of a one-on-one meeting and a larger working lunch, and will conclude with a joint news conference.

Monday’s meeting is being closely watched on both sides of the Atlantic, coming days after the U.S. Justice Department indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers for their role in hacking Democratic entities during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump says he hopes for better relations with the Russian leader. He faces bipartisan skepticism in Washington that his desire for warming ties is displacing concerns over Russia’s annexation of Crimea and other destabilizing actions.

___

1:15 p.m.

President Vladimir Putin is using a newly designed Russian limousine abroad for the first time to get to the summit with President Donald Trump in Finland.

Putin first used the Kortezh limousine during his inauguration in May but had never taken it abroad until now. Putin landed in Helsinki behind schedule for the summit.

The use of the Kortezh could be a show of Russian pride to counter the U.S. president’s world famous limousine known as “The Beast.”

Putin’s motorcade included several other vehicles of the same Kortezh, or Aurus family.

___

1:05 p.m.

President Vladimir Putin has arrived late for his high-profile meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump — another display of the Russian’s leader famous lack of punctuality.

Putin’s plane touched down in Helsinki 30 minutes later than planned, pushing back the start of his one-on-one talks with Trump Monday.

In the past, Putin was late for meetings with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis, among many others.

In 2014, he was hours late for meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after his previous stop in Serbia lasted longer than usual.

Often seen as a trick to throw his interlocutors off balance, Putin’s tardy ways appear to be more of a personal trait than a well-calculated strategy.

__

12:45 p.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman says he hopes the summit with U.S. President Donald Trump is a “baby step” toward fixing exceptionally bad U.S.-Russian relations.

Ahead of Monday’s meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told broadcaster RT that the men had no strict agenda but recognize their “special responsibility” for global stability.

He said European countries shouldn’t be worried about a possible U.S.-Russian rapprochement or decisions about Europe made “over the heads of Europeans.”

Peskov said the Russian leader respects Trump’s “America first” stance because Putin puts Russia first, but said the only way to make progress at the summit is if both sides are open to finding areas of mutual benefit.

Russian officials say Putin is expected to reiterate denials of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

__

12:35 p.m.

U.S. first lady Melania Trump says she and her Finnish counterpart had a “good conversation about issues facing our nations.”

Mrs. Trump says in a tweet that she enjoyed Monday’s talk, adding “Thank you to @JenniHaukio for hosting me!”

Haukio is the wife of Sauli Niinistö (SAW-lee KNEE-nes-tuh), the president of Finland, which is welcoming Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin of Russia for a summit.

The first ladies met separately over breakfast while their husbands held talks.

Meanwhile, the Finnish tabloid Iltalehti took the American first lady to task with a front-page photo tweaking her for an alleged “breach of etiquette” because she walked off of Air Force One in front of President Trump after they landed at the airport in Helsinki on Sunday night.

__

12:05 p.m.

Finland’s biggest newspaper has a message for Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin: Respect a free press.

Daily Helsingin Sanomat has placed advertisements around Helsinki alluding to Finland’s reputation as a hub for a free press. The advocacy group Reporters Without Borders has regularly ranked Finland among the top in its “Press Freedom Index” — including the No. 1 spot two years ago.

The Russian in one of the black and white ads translates to: “Unpleasant things will happen to journalists who ask Putin questions.”

An English version for Trump said: “Mr. President, welcome to the land of free press.”

Trump regularly berates some news outlets as purveyors of “fake news.” Putin is regarded as creating a culture of violence that has led to the killing of some Russian journalists.

___

11:40 a.m.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief says the United States has remained a “friend” of the 28-nation bloc and said “a change in the administration does not change the friendship between countries and peoples.”

On Sunday, President Donald Trump named the European Union as a top adversary of the United States, saying “the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade.” He added that “you wouldn’t think of the European Union, but they’re a foe.”

The EU’s Federica Mogherini (feh-deh-REE’-kah moh-gehr-EE’-nee) says ahead of Monday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers that “for sure, we consider the United States friends, partners – close friends and partners. We will always do that.”

Trump is meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday.

__

10:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump says his upcoming meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin will go “fine.”

Trump made the brief prediction Monday at a breakfast at Finland’s presidential residence in Helsinki.

He was meeting with Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö (SAW-lee KNEE-nes-tuh) in the hours before his highly anticipated summit with Putin.

Trump thanked his Finnish counterpart for hosting the summit in Helsinki and spoke of his commitment to NATO.

Trump was a destabilizing presence at NATO earlier in his European trip, torching allies and demanding more defense spending before eventually reaffirming his commitment to the military alliance.

NATO at its heart is a bulwark against Russian aggression. Finland is not a member nation but has a memorandum of understanding with NATO.

Finland has also been the site of previous US-Russia summits.

__

9:50 a.m.

President Donald Trump is meeting with the Finnish president ahead of his summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Trump has arrived at the the Mäntyniemi Residence in Helsinki, where he and first lady Melania Trump were greeted by President Sauli Niinistö (SAW-lee KNEE-nes-tuh) and his wife.

The leaders were seen surveying the view from a small balcony before sitting down for breakfast.

Trump will then be returning to his hotel before heading to the presidential palace for his highly anticipated talks with Putin.

Finland has a long legacy of hosting U.S.-Soviet and U.S.-Russian summits due to its geographic location and perceived neutrality.

__

9:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump is no fan of American journalists, but might love what the Russian media are saying about him ahead of his meeting with Russian Vladimir Putin.

Russia’s largely Kremlin-friendly TV networks, websites and newspapers portrayed Trump as a political maverick who is being unfairly targeted by his own compatriots.

Newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda dismissed the U.S. investigation into Trump’s “mythical work for the Kremlin,” and praised Trump for meeting Putin “despite opposition from his own elite and the hysterics of the media.”

Commentators on popular Sunday night talk show “Vecher” or “Evening” said Putin goes into Monday’s summit in Helsinki as the stronger figure, notably coming off his hosting of the World Cup.

They brushed off new indictments of Russians accused of hacking the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

__

9:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump says the U.S. relationship with Russia “has NEVER been worse” as he prepares for a high-stakes summit Monday with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Trump in a tweet is blaming the hostilities on “many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!”

That’s Trump’s favorite derogatory term for the special counsel investigation into Russian election meddling and possible ties to his campaign that has already led to a slew of indictments, including of a dozen Russian intelligence officers last week.

Trump is also once again blaming his predecessor, Barack Obama, for failing to stop Russia’s efforts in the 2016 election.

He says Obama “thought that Crooked Hillary was going to win the election,” so he did “NOTHING” about it when informed by the FBI.

__

9:05 a.m.

President Donald Trump is claiming credit for bolstering NATO as he heads into a day of meetings with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Trump rocked a NATO summit last week when he lambasted members for failing to meet defense spending pledges and questioned the value of the alliance before doing a 180 and embracing it.

But Trump says in a tweet that he’s received “many calls from leaders of NATO countries” thanking him for helping “to get them focused on financial obligations, both present & future.”

Trump says, “We had a truly great Summit” and claims it was “inaccurately covered by much of the media.”

Foreign policy observers will be watching to see whether Trump has kinder words for Putin in Helsinki than he did for NATO leaders in Brussels.

__

7:50 a.m.

European Council President Donald Tusk has urged President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and China to work with Europe to avoid trade wars and prevent conflict and chaos.

Tusk was speaking Monday in Beijing at the opening of a summit between China and the European Union. He noted that Trump and Putin’s summit in Helsinki would take place on the same day in Helsinki.

Of the summit, Tusk said: “We are all aware of the fact that the architecture of the world is changing before our very eyes and it is our common responsibility to make it a change for the better.”

Tusk said Europe, China, the U.S. and Russia had a “common duty” not to destroy the global order but to improve it by reforming international trade rules.

___

7:10 a.m.

President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin are ready to go one-on-one in Finland.

Their summit Monday in Helsinki will play out against a backdrop of fraying Western alliances, the investigation into Russian election meddling and fears that Moscow’s aggression may go unpunished.

The meeting was condemned in advance by an assortment of members of Congress from both parties after the U.S. indictment last week of 12 Russians accused of hacking Democrats in the 2016 election to help Trump.

Undeterred, the American president is set to go face-to-face with Putin, the authoritarian leader for whom he has expressed admiration.

Questions are swirling about whether Trump will sharply rebuke his Russian counterpart for the election meddling that prompted a special counsel probe.

__

By Associated Press

[unabashedlycyberblizzard-blog]

Lil Wayne reportedly given last rites; Mack Maine tweets, ‘Don’t believe the nonsense’

http://bit.ly/2kSSxGk  If you’re not familiar with rapper Lil Wayne, you might be confused by a number of tonight’s trending topics on Twitter, including #PrayForWeezy, Weezy and Damn Wayne.  TMZ is reporting  that the 30-year-old rapper was being given last rites tonight after being hospitalized Tuesday night at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Hospital following multiple seizures. Label-mate Mack Maine says not so fast, though.  Wayne is alive and well! We watching the Syracuse game…thanks for the prayers and concern..he will update you all soon.  #love   — Mack Maine (@mackmaine)  March 16, 2013    We will be releasing an official statement shortly but dont believe the nonsense about comas and tubes to breathe…that’s false!!  — Mack Maine (@mackmaine)  March 16, 2013    @ lachlan  really confused now.  — Sister Toldjah (@sistertoldjah)  March 16, 2013    @ sistertoldjah  @ lachlan  Shroedinger’s Wayne  — jdonels (@jdonels)  March 16, 2013    @ mackmaine  photo or it didn’t happen.  — Justin Shattuck (@sh4t)  March 16, 2013    The news has apparently reached CPAC.  You know who is a hysterical dinner table buddy? @ allenwest  , that’s who.  #CPAC13   — Dana Loesch (@DLoesch)  March 16, 2013    Our entire table is now talking about Lil’ Wayne.  — Dana Loesch (@DLoesch)  March 16, 2013    Update:  A second source from the Young Money Cash Money Billionaires seems to indicate that reports of Lil Wayne’s impending passing are premature.  My son is in good spirit..feelin much betta…be home soon.YMCMB  — BIRDMAN (@BIRDMAN5STAR)  March 16, 2013    @ tmz  it’s certain shit you should not talk about or play with if u don’t kno what u talking bout….don’t deceive the fans or the people  — Mack Maine (@mackmaine)  March 16, 2013    @ tmz  and definitely don’t try to kill a man before his time….so from the bottom of my soul and on behalf of my fam……FUCK YOU  — Mack Maine (@mackmaine)  March 16, 2013    Update:  Wow. Lil Wayne’s first tweet following this social media firestorm has been retweeted more than 60,000 times in less than 15 minutes.  I’m good everybody. Thx for the prayers and love.  — Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi)  March 16, 2013    BREAKING>OFFICIAL statement from Young Money publicist: “We can confirm Lil Wayne did have a seizure and that he is recovering.”  #Weezy   — RICHELLE CAREY (@RichelleCarey)  March 16, 2013    Last rites? Who said anything about last rites?  Recap: TMZ says someone’s dead. Gets fact checked by man named Birdman. Deletes it w/o explanation. Now expects us all to just move along.  — Michelle Fields (@MichelleFields)  March 16, 2013    TMZ scrubbed the last rites thing from the story. No acknowledgment that it was ever there.  buzzfeed.com/perpetua/lil-w…   — Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew)  March 16, 2013    Buzzfeed is mad TMZ pulled a Buzzfeed  — Nathan Wurtzel (@NathanWurtzel)  March 16, 2013    Hey just like Buzzfeed! RT @ buzzfeedben : Huh, so TMZ reported, and then deleted all mention of, “last rites” being given to Lil Wayne  — S.M (@redsteeze)  March 16, 2013    Rapper T.I. has also expressed some, shall we say, passionate criticism of TMZ’s reporting.  Just holla’d @ my  Lil bruh Tunechi…& he skraight! TMZ some fuck-niggaz for reporting that hoe-ass-shit!!! That man daughter is like mines.  — T.I. (@Tip)  March 16, 2013    Read more:  http://bit.ly/2kSPVsd   The post  Lil Wayne reportedly given last rites; Mack Maine tweets, ‘Don’t believe the nonsense’  appeared first on  Automotive Guide To Everything .

http://bit.ly/2kSSw5e

[investmart007]

HELSINKI  | The Latest: Trump arrives at Finnish palace for Putin summit

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/VGsyHf

HELSINKI  | The Latest: Trump arrives at Finnish palace for Putin summit

HELSINKI  — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin (all times local):

1:xx p.m.

President Donald Trump has arrived at Finland’s Presidential Palace for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin arrived minutes earlier at the palace in Helsinki for the summit, which consists of a one-on-one meeting and a larger working lunch, and will conclude with a joint news conference.

Monday’s meeting is being closely watched on both sides of the Atlantic, coming days after the U.S. Justice Department indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers for their role in hacking Democratic entities during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump says he hopes for better relations with the Russian leader. He faces bipartisan skepticism in Washington that his desire for warming ties is displacing concerns over Russia’s annexation of Crimea and other destabilizing actions.

___

1:15 p.m.

President Vladimir Putin is using a newly designed Russian limousine abroad for the first time to get to the summit with President Donald Trump in Finland.

Putin first used the Kortezh limousine during his inauguration in May but had never taken it abroad until now. Putin landed in Helsinki behind schedule for the summit.

The use of the Kortezh could be a show of Russian pride to counter the U.S. president’s world famous limousine known as “The Beast.”

Putin’s motorcade included several other vehicles of the same Kortezh, or Aurus family.

___

1:05 p.m.

President Vladimir Putin has arrived late for his high-profile meeting with President Donald Trump — another display of the Russian’s leader famous lack of punctuality.

Putin’s plane touched down in Helsinki 30 minutes later than planned, pushing back the start of his one-on-one talks with Trump Monday.

In the past, Putin was late for meetings with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis, among many others.

In 2014, he was hours late for meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after his previous stop in Serbia lasted longer than usual.

Often seen as a trick to throw his interlocutors off balance, Putin’s tardy ways appear to be more of a personal trait than a well-calculated strategy.

__

12:45 p.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman says he hopes the summit with President Donald Trump is a “baby step” toward fixing exceptionally bad U.S.-Russian relations.

Ahead of Monday’s meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told broadcaster RT that the men had no strict agenda but recognize their “special responsibility” for global stability.

He said European countries shouldn’t be worried about a possible U.S.-Russian rapprochement or decisions about Europe made “over the heads of Europeans.”

Peskov said the Russian leader respects Trump’s “America first” stance because Putin puts Russia first, but said the only way to make progress at the summit is if both sides are open to finding areas of mutual benefit.

Russian officials say Putin is expected to reiterate denials of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

__

12:35 p.m.

U.S. first lady Melania Trump says she and her Finnish counterpart had a “good conversation about issues facing our nations.”

Mrs. Trump says in a tweet that she enjoyed Monday’s talk, adding “Thank you to @JenniHaukio for hosting me!”

Haukio is the wife of Sauli Niinistö (SAW-lee KNEE-nes-tuh), the president of Finland, which is welcoming Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin of Russia for a summit.

The first ladies met separately over breakfast while their husbands held talks.

Meanwhile, the Finnish tabloid Iltalehti took the American first lady to task with a front-page photo tweaking her for an alleged “breach of etiquette” because she walked off of Air Force One in front of President Trump after they landed at the airport in Helsinki on Sunday night.

__

12:05 p.m.

Finland’s biggest newspaper has a message for Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin: Respect a free press.

Daily Helsingin Sanomat has placed advertisements around Helsinki alluding to Finland’s reputation as a hub for a free press. The advocacy group Reporters Without Borders has regularly ranked Finland among the top in its “Press Freedom Index” — including the No. 1 spot two years ago.

The Russian in one of the black and white ads translates to: “Unpleasant things will happen to journalists who ask Putin questions.”

An English version for Trump said: “Mr. President, welcome to the land of free press.”

Trump regularly berates some news outlets as purveyors of “fake news.” Putin is regarded as creating a culture of violence that has led to the killing of some Russian journalists.

___

11:40 a.m.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief says the United States has remained a “friend” of the 28-nation bloc and said “a change in the administration does not change the friendship between countries and peoples.”

On Sunday, President Donald Trump named the European Union as a top adversary of the United States, saying “the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade.” He added that “you wouldn’t think of the European Union, but they’re a foe.”

The EU’s Federica Mogherini (feh-deh-REE’-kah moh-gehr-EE’-nee) says ahead of Monday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers that “for sure, we consider the United States friends, partners – close friends and partners. We will always do that.”

Trump is meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday.

__

10:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump says his upcoming meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin will go “fine.”

Trump made the brief prediction Monday at a breakfast at Finland’s presidential residence in Helsinki.

He was meeting with Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö (SAW-lee KNEE-nes-tuh) in the hours before his highly anticipated summit with Putin.

Trump thanked his Finnish counterpart for hosting the summit in Helsinki and spoke of his commitment to NATO.

Trump was a destabilizing presence at NATO earlier in his European trip, torching allies and demanding more defense spending before eventually reaffirming his commitment to the military alliance.

NATO at its heart is a bulwark against Russian aggression. Finland is not a member nation but has a memorandum of understanding with NATO.

Finland has also been the site of previous US-Russia summits.

__

9:50 a.m.

President Donald Trump is meeting with the Finnish president ahead of his summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Trump has arrived at the the Mäntyniemi Residence in Helsinki, where he and first lady Melania Trump were greeted by President Sauli Niinistö (SAW-lee KNEE-nes-tuh) and his wife.

The leaders were seen surveying the view from a small balcony before sitting down for breakfast.

Trump will then be returning to his hotel before heading to the presidential palace for his highly anticipated talks with Putin.

Finland has a long legacy of hosting U.S.-Soviet and U.S.-Russian summits due to its geographic location and perceived neutrality.

__

9:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump is no fan of American journalists, but might love what the Russian media are saying about him ahead of his meeting with Russian Vladimir Putin.

Russia’s largely Kremlin-friendly TV networks, websites and newspapers portrayed Trump as a political maverick who is being unfairly targeted by his own compatriots.

Newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda dismissed the U.S. investigation into Trump’s “mythical work for the Kremlin,” and praised Trump for meeting Putin “despite opposition from his own elite and the hysterics of the media.”

Commentators on popular Sunday night talk show “Vecher” or “Evening” said Putin goes into Monday’s summit in Helsinki as the stronger figure, notably coming off his hosting of the World Cup.

They brushed off new indictments of Russians accused of hacking the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

__

9:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump says the U.S. relationship with Russia “has NEVER been worse” as he prepares for a high-stakes summit Monday with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Trump in a tweet is blaming the hostilities on “many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!”

That’s Trump’s favorite derogatory term for the special counsel investigation into Russian election meddling and possible ties to his campaign that has already led to a slew of indictments, including of a dozen Russian intelligence officers last week.

Trump is also once again blaming his predecessor, Barack Obama, for failing to stop Russia’s efforts in the 2016 election.

He says Obama “thought that Crooked Hillary was going to win the election,” so he did “NOTHING” about it when informed by the FBI.

__

9:05 a.m.

President Donald Trump is claiming credit for bolstering NATO as he heads into a day of meetings with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Trump rocked a NATO summit last week when he lambasted members for failing to meet defense spending pledges and questioned the value of the alliance before doing a 180 and embracing it.

But Trump says in a tweet that he’s received “many calls from leaders of NATO countries” thanking him for helping “to get them focused on financial obligations, both present & future.”

Trump says, “We had a truly great Summit” and claims it was “inaccurately covered by much of the media.”

Foreign policy observers will be watching to see whether Trump has kinder words for Putin in Helsinki than he did for NATO leaders in Brussels.

__

7:50 a.m.

European Council President Donald Tusk has urged President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and China to work with Europe to avoid trade wars and prevent conflict and chaos.

Tusk was speaking Monday in Beijing at the opening of a summit between China and the European Union. He noted that Trump and Putin’s summit in Helsinki would take place on the same day in Helsinki.

Of the summit, Tusk said: “We are all aware of the fact that the architecture of the world is changing before our very eyes and it is our common responsibility to make it a change for the better.”

Tusk said Europe, China, the U.S. and Russia had a “common duty” not to destroy the global order but to improve it by reforming international trade rules.

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7:10 a.m.

President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin are ready to go one-on-one in Finland.

Their summit Monday in Helsinki will play out against a backdrop of fraying Western alliances, the investigation into Russian election meddling and fears that Moscow’s aggression may go unpunished.

The meeting was condemned in advance by an assortment of members of Congress from both parties after the U.S. indictment last week of 12 Russians accused of hacking Democrats in the 2016 election to help Trump.

Undeterred, the American president is set to go face-to-face with Putin, the authoritarian leader for whom he has expressed admiration.

Questions are swirling about whether Trump will sharply rebuke his Russian counterpart for the election meddling that prompted a special counsel probe.

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By Associated Press

[investmart007]

HELSINKI | The Latest: Putin arrives in Helsinki late for Trump meeting

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HELSINKI | The Latest: Putin arrives in Helsinki late for Trump meeting

HELSINKI  — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin (all times local):

1:05 p.m.

President Vladimir Putin has arrived late for his high-profile meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump — another display of the Russian’s leader famous lack of punctuality.

Putin’s plane touched down in Helsinki 30 minutes later than planned, pushing back the start of his one-on-one talks with Trump Monday.

In the past, Putin was late for meetings with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis, among many others.

In 2014, he was hours late for meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after his previous stop in Serbia lasted longer than usual.

Often seen as a trick to throw his interlocutors off balance, Putin’s tardy ways appear to be more of a personal trait than a well-calculated strategy.

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12:45 p.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman says he hopes the summit with U.S. President Donald Trump is a “baby step” toward fixing exceptionally bad U.S.-Russian relations.

Ahead of Monday’s meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told broadcaster RT that the men had no strict agenda but recognize their “special responsibility” for global stability.

He said European countries shouldn’t be worried about a possible U.S.-Russian rapprochement or decisions about Europe made “over the heads of Europeans.”

Peskov said the Russian leader respects Trump’s “America first” stance because Putin puts Russia first, but said the only way to make progress at the summit is if both sides are open to finding areas of mutual benefit.

Russian officials say Putin is expected to reiterate denials of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

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12:35 p.m.

U.S. first lady Melania Trump says she and her Finnish counterpart had a “good conversation about issues facing our nations.”

Mrs. Trump says in a tweet that she enjoyed Monday’s talk, adding “Thank you to @JenniHaukio for hosting me!”

Haukio is the wife of Sauli Niinistö (SAW-lee KNEE-nes-tuh), the president of Finland, which is welcoming Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin of Russia for a summit.

The first ladies met separately over breakfast while their husbands held talks.

Meanwhile, the Finnish tabloid Iltalehti took the American first lady to task with a front-page photo tweaking her for an alleged “breach of etiquette” because she walked off of Air Force One in front of President Trump after they landed at the airport in Helsinki on Sunday night.

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12:05 p.m.

Finland’s biggest newspaper has a message for Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin: Respect a free press.

Daily Helsingin Sanomat has placed advertisements around Helsinki alluding to Finland’s reputation as a hub for a free press. The advocacy group Reporters Without Borders has regularly ranked Finland among the top in its “Press Freedom Index” — including the No. 1 spot two years ago.

The Russian in one of the black and white ads translates to: “Unpleasant things will happen to journalists who ask Putin questions.”

An English version for Trump said: “Mr. President, welcome to the land of free press.”

Trump regularly berates some news outlets as purveyors of “fake news.” Putin is regarded as creating a culture of violence that has led to the killing of some Russian journalists.

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11:40 a.m.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief says the United States has remained a “friend” of the 28-nation bloc and said “a change in the administration does not change the friendship between countries and peoples.”

On Sunday, President Donald Trump named the European Union as a top adversary of the United States, saying “the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade.” He added that “you wouldn’t think of the European Union, but they’re a foe.”

The EU’s Federica Mogherini (feh-deh-REE’-kah moh-gehr-EE’-nee) says ahead of Monday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers that “for sure, we consider the United States friends, partners – close friends and partners. We will always do that.”

Trump is meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday.

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10:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump says his upcoming meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin will go “fine.”

Trump made the brief prediction Monday at a breakfast at Finland’s presidential residence in Helsinki.

He was meeting with Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö (SAW-lee KNEE-nes-tuh) in the hours before his highly anticipated summit with Putin.

Trump thanked his Finnish counterpart for hosting the summit in Helsinki and spoke of his commitment to NATO.

Trump was a destabilizing presence at NATO earlier in his European trip, torching allies and demanding more defense spending before eventually reaffirming his commitment to the military alliance.

NATO at its heart is a bulwark against Russian aggression. Finland is not a member nation but has a memorandum of understanding with NATO.

Finland has also been the site of previous US-Russia summits.

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9:50 a.m.

President Donald Trump is meeting with the Finnish president ahead of his summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Trump has arrived at the the Mäntyniemi Residence in Helsinki, where he and first lady Melania Trump were greeted by President Sauli Niinistö (SAW-lee KNEE-nes-tuh) and his wife.

The leaders were seen surveying the view from a small balcony before sitting down for breakfast.

Trump will then be returning to his hotel before heading to the presidential palace for his highly anticipated talks with Putin.

Finland has a long legacy of hosting U.S.-Soviet and U.S.-Russian summits due to its geographic location and perceived neutrality.

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9:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump is no fan of American journalists, but might love what the Russian media are saying about him ahead of his meeting with Russian Vladimir Putin.

Russia’s largely Kremlin-friendly TV networks, websites and newspapers portrayed Trump as a political maverick who is being unfairly targeted by his own compatriots.

Newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda dismissed the U.S. investigation into Trump’s “mythical work for the Kremlin,” and praised Trump for meeting Putin “despite opposition from his own elite and the hysterics of the media.”

Commentators on popular Sunday night talk show “Vecher” or “Evening” said Putin goes into Monday’s summit in Helsinki as the stronger figure, notably coming off his hosting of the World Cup.

They brushed off new indictments of Russians accused of hacking the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

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9:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump says the U.S. relationship with Russia “has NEVER been worse” as he prepares for a high-stakes summit Monday with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Trump in a tweet is blaming the hostilities on “many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!”

That’s Trump’s favorite derogatory term for the special counsel investigation into Russian election meddling and possible ties to his campaign that has already led to a slew of indictments, including of a dozen Russian intelligence officers last week.

Trump is also once again blaming his predecessor, Barack Obama, for failing to stop Russia’s efforts in the 2016 election.

He says Obama “thought that Crooked Hillary was going to win the election,” so he did “NOTHING” about it when informed by the FBI.

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9:05 a.m.

President Donald Trump is claiming credit for bolstering NATO as he heads into a day of meetings with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Trump rocked a NATO summit last week when he lambasted members for failing to meet defense spending pledges and questioned the value of the alliance before doing a 180 and embracing it.

But Trump says in a tweet that he’s received “many calls from leaders of NATO countries” thanking him for helping “to get them focused on financial obligations, both present & future.”

Trump says, “We had a truly great Summit” and claims it was “inaccurately covered by much of the media.”

Foreign policy observers will be watching to see whether Trump has kinder words for Putin in Helsinki than he did for NATO leaders in Brussels.

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7:50 a.m.

European Council President Donald Tusk has urged President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and China to work with Europe to avoid trade wars and prevent conflict and chaos.

Tusk was speaking Monday in Beijing at the opening of a summit between China and the European Union. He noted that Trump and Putin’s summit in Helsinki would take place on the same day in Helsinki.

Of the summit, Tusk said: “We are all aware of the fact that the architecture of the world is changing before our very eyes and it is our common responsibility to make it a change for the better.”

Tusk said Europe, China, the U.S. and Russia had a “common duty” not to destroy the global order but to improve it by reforming international trade rules.

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7:10 a.m.

President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin are ready to go one-on-one in Finland.

Their summit Monday in Helsinki will play out against a backdrop of fraying Western alliances, the investigation into Russian election meddling and fears that Moscow’s aggression may go unpunished.

The meeting was condemned in advance by an assortment of members of Congress from both parties after the U.S. indictment last week of 12 Russians accused of hacking Democrats in the 2016 election to help Trump.

Undeterred, the American president is set to go face-to-face with Putin, the authoritarian leader for whom he has expressed admiration.

Questions are swirling about whether Trump will sharply rebuke his Russian counterpart for the election meddling that prompted a special counsel probe.

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By Associated Press