#court reporter in fl

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jose Pagliery at NOTUS:

Rep. Matt Gaetz attended a drug-fueled sex party in 2017 with the 17-year-old girl at the center of the alleged sex trafficking scandal, according to legal documents filed to a Florida federal court shortly before midnight Thursday, which cite sealed affidavits from three eyewitness testimonies.

The minor, who was a junior in high school at the time, arrived in her mother’s car for a July 15, 2017, party at the Florida home of Chris Dorworth, a lobbyist and friend of Gaetz’s, according to a court filing written by defense attorneys who interviewed witnesses as part of an ongoing civil lawsuit Dorworth brought in 2023. The lobbyist claimed he had been unfairly dragged into the alleged sex trafficking scandal that has dogged Gaetz and his allies for years. Dorworth ultimately dropped the case, but lawyers filed these documents in an attempt to recoup attorneys fees for a lawsuit they say should never have been brought.

One eyewitness cited in the court filings, a young woman referred to as K.M., provided a sworn affidavit that claimed the teenage girl was naked, partygoers were there to “engage in sexual activities,” and “alcohol, cocaine, ecstasy … and marijuana” were present. The teenage girl was identified in the filings only as A.B. “The discovery taken in this case to date reflects that on Saturday, July 15, 2017 … Dorworth, hosted a party at his residence … with the following guests present: (1) A.B.; (2) K.M.; (3) B.G.; (4) Matt Gaetz,” lawyers wrote in the filing, also listing several others. The defense lawyers filed testimonies from those three women — who the attorneys say placed Gaetz at Dorworth’s house that night — under seal pending a judge’s approval to make the records public.

Additionally, Gaetz’s own ex-girlfriend — who was present at the party — provided testimony that lawyers say rebuts Dorworth’s claims that he was not there. NOTUS independently verified that Gaetz and one of the women who testified were previously involved in a relationship; she is only identified in the court filing by her initials, B.G.

The congressman’s ex-girlfriend’s eleventh hour testimony on Sept. 3 came just two days before Dorworth dropped his lawsuit, defense attorneys said in the filing. The defense lawyers also relied on Dorworth’s geolocated cell phone records, which showed that he communicated constantly with the congressman that day. The defense’s court filings show a hired digital forensic examiner identified Gaetz’s number, which has a Florida panhandle 850 area code and texted back and forth 30 times that day and then called Dorworth twice in the hours before the evening revelry. “B.G., another attendee at that party, confirmed A.B.’s testimony under penalty of perjury,” defense lawyers wrote.

This marks the first time that sworn testimony has been referenced in public court filings alleging that the congressman attended one of the long-rumored parties tied to an alleged underage sex scandal. Previous reports have revealed details of ex-politician and Gaetz friend Joel Greenberg’s confession letter that was never made public, which described how Gaetz would allegedly pay him to arrange several sexual encounters with young women — including a 17-year-old girl. Greenberg is serving an 11-year prison sentence for a list of charges, including fraud and sex trafficking with a child.

New filings reveal that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is at the center of a party he attended with a 17-year old girl in 2017 that featured drugs and sex.

See Also:

Daily Kos: Matt Gaetz attended sex party with minor, federal court filing alleges

[nanshe-of-nina]

Women’s History Meme || Women from Ancient History (or legends) (5/5) ↬ Musa, Queen of Parthia (fl. 1st century CE)

If indeed Phraates IV is rightly to be identified with the Arsaces of the second Avroman parchment, and its date 291 to be referred to the Seleucid era, in 21/20 BC notwithstanding the harem tragedy recorded by Isidore, four of the Arsacid's queens were living, Olenieire, Cleopatra, Baseirta and Bistheibanaps. This fact did not deter Augustus from pursuing his Parthian policy by the gentler method of bestowing upon Phraates an Italian slave-girl of unusual accomplishments, known as Thea Musa. Whether the gesture was explicitly by way of compensation for the Arsacid's previous losses is a matter for conjecture, but Musa quickly became the favourite of the fierce old king, and before long gave birth to a son known as Phraataces (the diminutive form of the king's own name), or by other authorities designated as Phraates (V). The infant prince was soon regarded as a candidate for the succession, and Musa, who now as acknowledged queen achieved a position of great influence at the court, persuaded the king to send his older children to Rome, and thus leave the way clear for her son. As Phraates may well have perceived, the arrangement was advantageous also from another viewpoint. For if Phraataces with the help of his mother was to inherit the throne, his half-brothers would be safer if they resided outside his jurisdiction. In 2 B.C., when the aged Phraates IV was no doubt already ailing, Musa is reported to have had him taken off by poison, thus smoothing the succession of her son Phraataces. Subsequently Josephus reports that the mother became the consort of the son, an event which some authorities regard the coin of AD 2 (bearing the two portraits) as confirming. It is not clear whether this alliance, if such it was, should be regarded as an early instance of Zoroastrian kin-marriage; but the assumption is contradicted by the fact that the historian ascribed the subsequent Parthian rebellion against the new king partly to their detestation of such incest. The new king was driven from the throne in AD 4, and himself fled to Roman Syria, where he did not long survive. — The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 3, Part 1: The Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanid Periods edited by Ehsan Yarshater

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Kamala Harris promises to carve out exception to filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade

In a significant policy announcement (and departure from Joe Biden’s policy), Kamala Harris promised to support an exception to the Senate filibuster to allow passage of a bill codifying the protections for reproductive rights previously recognized in Roe v. Wade. See Politico, Kamala Harris backs ending filibuster for abortion rights legislation. [Note to experts on the filibuster: I am using the term in the popular sense, to describe a cloture vote.]

There is a great deal of confusion surrounding the filibuster and what it means to create an exception to the Senate rule. Indeed, the Politico headline, above, misstates what Kamala Harris proposed. She did not propose to “end” the filibuster for abortion rights legislation, but merely to create an exception in a rule that is riddled with exceptions.

Before discussing the hypocrisy that surrounds the opposition to creating an exception to the filibuster, let’s skip to the most important part first: Despite popular belief to the contrary, it is possible to create an exception the filibuster with only 51 votes in the Senate. The complicated procedure is known as the “nuclear option,” but has been used in the recent past. Mitch McConnell created an exception to the filibuster for Supreme Court nominations when he wanted to jam Trump's reactionary justices through the Senate nomination process.

So, the important point is that Kamala Harris can restore the protections of Roe v. Wade with a 50-member Democratic caucus (which would include independents who caucus with Democrats). But for safety’s sake, Democrats should aim for 52 or 53 votes to pass the protections of Roe v. Wade as federal legislation. We must therefore focus our efforts on defending every seat (Senators Tester (MT) and Brown (OH)) and capturing new seats (Colin Allred (TX) and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL)).

Let’s get some common misconceptions out of the way. See, the excellent article by The Brennan Center, The Case Against the Filibuster | Brennan Center for Justice (October 30, 2020).

The filibuster rule is NOT in the Constitution. Indeed, there is a strong argument that it is unconstitutional.

The Senate filibuster rule did not exist for the first 129 years after the Constitution was ratified. Even then, it was used for the first several decades of its existence to speed the passage of legislation, not to block it.

The filibuster does not “protect the rights of the minority.” To the contrary, the Constitution presumes that action by the Senate requires only a simple majority, with exceptions for super-majorities for treaties, convictions after impeachment, and overriding vetoes by the President The filibuster denies the rights of the majority expressly recognized by the Constitution.

The Senate is designed to be an anti-democratic institution by giving disproportionate representation to small states. Layering on an additional undemocratic feature (the filibuster) grants extreme power over all legislation to 20% of the population. The filibuster thus does violence to the vision of the Framers of the Constitution.

Exceptions to the filibuster were recently created in 2013 and 2017 to allow federal judicial nominations, including Supreme Court justices, to be enacted by a simple majority. Budget bills are not subject to the filibuster.

Since 1960, the increasing use of the filibuster has drastically reduced the productivity of the Senate. See the report by The Brennan Center.

In short, the filibuster is an antidemocratic, unconstitutional, productivity-killing tool that has been used to suppress voting rights and deny protection of rights to American citizens in the minority by exalting the partisan interests of the political party in the minority in the Senate—which was never the intention of the Framers.

Kamala Harris’s proposal to create an exception to the filibuster is a major policy announcement that will help move women closer to their rightful status as equal citizens under the Constitution. That should have been the headline story today. But unbelievably, the NYTimes ran with this headline: Manchin Won’t Endorse Harris After Her Call to End Filibuster Over Abortion Rights.

What?! The Times subordinates the major policy announcement that will promote the equality of all women to the political story of a has-been Senator who won’t be around to vote on Kamala Harris’s proposal on the filibuster. Shameful and disgraceful journalism at its worst! You really must make an effort to be that bad. The Times doesn’t care about women’s equality but is hot and bothered about what Joe Manchin is thinking. Did I say shameful and disgraceful? Unbelievable!

And for everyone who will write to me to say that the reporters don’t write the headlines, the Times editors and publishers are responsible for the headline writers. Apparently, the editors and publishers want trashy, clickbait headlines. Did I say shameful and disgraceful?

Trump has crossed another line

Trump gave a speech on Monday that broke a new barrier: He blew past racist, antisemitic, and misogynistic barriers to plumb the depths of “creepiness.” In addressing the issue of reproductive rights, Trump appeared to be trying to “hypnotize” women by telling them that everything was fine, that their eyelids were growing heavy, and that they will cluck like chickens when he is elected. (For those who missed my tone, that last sentence used the literary device of sarcasm.)

See Talking Points Memo, Behold Trump’s New Creeptastic Quotes On Abortion. See also Aaron Rupar, Public Notice, Trump's pitch to women is getting weirder and weirder.

As noted in TPM and Public Notice, Trump said the following in an effort to convince women that he isn’t responsible for denying them reproductive freedom:

“I always thought women liked me. But the fake news keeps saying women don’t like me.” “You will no longer be abandoned, lonely, or scared.” “You will no longer be in danger.” “You will be protected, and I will be your protector.” “Women will be happy, healthy, confident and free.” “You will no longer be thinking about abortion.”

Trump's comments are patronizing, offensive, weird, and creepy. When added to the comments of JD Vance and GOP candidate for the Senate Bernie Moreno (that women over 50 shouldn’t care about reproductive rights), it is incontestable that the GOP platform is anti-woman. But that fact has been clear for some time.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[mariacallous]

(JTA) — When I was 18 years old, like many American Jews, I spent a gap year in Israel. At a right-wing army-prep program called Mechinat Yeud, located in the illegal settlement of Efrat, I learned Torah, went on hikes and practiced krav maga. I fondly look back at this year as a positive experience and a time when I matured as a young adult.

I also saw the daily mechanisms of the occupation, though I didn’t have the vocabulary to articulate this.

Over that year, I saw Palestinians whose cars bore different license plates than those driven by Jews. I saw a checkpoint between Israel and the West Bank that was a formality to Jews like my friends and me but very real to the Palestinians living right next to us. Though I finished my year in Yeud with a strong desire to live in Israel, I also knew that I couldn’t be complicit in Palestinian oppression. 

I eventually moved to Israel and threw myself into anti-occupation activism, spending weeks and months at a time in Palestinian communities in the West Bank. In addition to the bureaucratic oppression that Palestinians face on a daily basis, I saw — and sometimes was a victim of — the settler violence that plagues the West Bank.

During the American civil rights movement, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel famously referred to his protesting as “praying with his feet.” This past Yom Kippur, when the rabbis of the Talmud tell us to fully prostrate ourselves during prayer, I asked for forgiveness with my whole body by spending the Day of Atonement in Ein Rashash, a Palestinian Bedouin shepherding community located 22 miles northeast of Ramallah. Its residents had requested a 24/7 presence from solidarity activists due to threats from the nearby Israeli outpost of Malachi Hashalom.

According to a United Nations report released on Sept. 21, 1,105 Palestinians fled their homes and villages in 2022 and 2023. The report stated that settler violence is at a record high since the U.N. began documenting the trend in 2006. 

This report includes the villages of Ein-Samia, Al-Qabun, al-Baqa and Ras al-Tin. All of these villages were located near Ein Rashash, and like Ein Rashash, the communities all relied on shepherding for their livelihood. Settler attacks in the Palestinian towns of Huwara and Turmus Aya, frequently described as pogroms, have received attention within Israel and internationally.

Ein Rashash has faced similar settler violence and harassment. Shortly upon entering the village, one can see where settlers shattered the windows of homes and destroyed an outhouse in an attack in June. The community is considering leaving their land just like the community of Ein-Samia and many others have done. 

In response to this violence, a group of activists, most notably Rabbi Arik Ascherman, is spending long periods of time in Ein Rashash — located north of the ruins of Ein-Samia — to use our privilege as a de-escalating presence. When non-Palestinian activists are around, settler violence is less likely. Ein Rashash and the nearby villages are all located in Area C, the portion of the West Bank under full Israeli control as per the Oslo Accords. The Palestinian residents do not have Israeli citizenship, and they are subject to military law as opposed to the civil courts through which Israeli settlers are tried. “Protective Presence” activism is utilized in other communities in Area C that face regular threats of settler violence and home evictions, such as Masafer Yatta. I have done several shifts already, and I volunteered for the Yom Kippur shift.

I was accompanied by five other activists. The first thing we did was assign roles in case settlers came. Who would call the police or other activists? Who would film? Who would stand in front of a settler’s car if he tried to enter the village or drive through a flock of sheep? These are normal conversations in this line of work. 

There is no break during Protective Presence activism. Either there’s an immediate incident, or you’re waiting for the next one. Every unfamiliar car or person in the distance can be a settler coming to attack or harass or bringing soldiers to force Palestinians off their land. A drone from the nearby outpost hovered overhead for around 30 seconds, and I was on edge for the next hour. You sleep with one eye open. Jewish holidays often bring with them right-wing violence in Israel and the West Bank. Hate crimes were carried out in Bat Yam this year and last year, and in 2021 there was a settler pogrom in the Palestinian village of Mufagara.

This is exhausting and emotionally draining. Unlike many other Protective Presence shifts I have participated in, Yom Kippur ended without incident. 

After 25 hours, I had the privilege of going home to Jerusalem. Palestinians do not have this option. This is their life. 

According to Torah, on Yom Kippur the Israelites are told to “afflict themselves.” The rabbis concluded that self-affliction must refer to fasting, reasoning that “affliction” refers to something that, when taken to a certain extent, can lead to death. 

Life under occupation can, and does, lead to death. One look at the statistics makes that all too clear. Since 2000, 10,667 Palestinians in the occupied territories have been killed by Israeli soldiers or civilians.

Protective Presence is my self-affliction. And yet, in homage to Yom Kippur’s imagery of being sealed in the Book of Life, life goes on. Activists laughed with and got to know each other and our Palestinian hosts. We read and we ate delicious homemade food. We didn’t embrace misery as a form of repentance. We embraced the full spectrum of life. 

I believe fasting is mentally, physically and spiritually unhealthy. The only self-affliction I find meaningful is in sharing the pain — and the joy — of my fellow human beings, particularly in a way that lightens their pain and suffering. The people of Ein Rashash have told us that our presence is making their lives easier and helping them stay on their land. The children are laughing and playing in a way that they were not when we first started these shifts. This has been the most meaningful Yom Kippur I’ve ever had.

In Mishnah Yoma 8:9, we learn that repentance on Yom Kippur only allows us to atone for the sins between ourselves and God. For a sin against another person, one must “satisfy their fellow.” We don’t need to ask God for forgiveness. We must stand with the Palestinians suffering under Israeli rule, until they’re satisfied. 

I know that it’s not a matter of if the settlers will be back, but when. For as long as that’s the case, I will continue to pray with my body and sometimes “self-afflict” in the name of justice and equality. The Talmud states self-affliction does not absolve one from their sins towards other people, only those towards God. And yet, our sins towards other people are the ones for which we direly need to repent.

[yril-writes]

— BELOVED

synopsis ; Letting someone go is sometimes the right thing to do, some say letting go is just another form of running away but in your case letting go is seeing someone happy, even if it's not with you.

scenario ; your first love back in your high school days came back after how many years, he is now a pro volleyball player and right now you are watching him play in this stadium.

"Maybe, it's because I loved you too much. Too much that I created these shackles that pull you down. Maybe, it's time I let you go, no?"

type ; drabble and one-shot

include/s ; ushijima wakatoshi

pairing/s ; pro volleyball player character x fl! reader

genre ; angst and a hint of sad corn

You came back here again, in this very stadium you watched him play you watched him like nothing happened. Ushijima now is a pro volleyball player, you always believed his dream would come true one day and this is it. The man playing on the court right now was his dream years ago. But what about your dream? "Wakatoshi! When you achieve your dream in the future! Would I still be able to spend time like this with you?!" your voice echoed in the empty classroom that you were both in. Wind blowing the curtains and the sun sets behind the mountains at a distance, Ushijima who is across the room from you next to the opened windows, he looked towards your direction and his lips were moving but you couldn't hear a word he says. This happened in the last year, and last day of school since both of you are in the third year now, it's time to graduate. You didn't have a special relationship with him, in other people's eyes you were a classmate admiring this popular volleyball geek of a guy but both of you are close, you share small things in common when it comes to food and even hobbies aside from his volleyball obsessed self.

You never thought of having a future with this guy, but you still tried at the very end. "Spend time? What do you mean?" Ushijima asks in a confused tone with his eyebrows furrowed. "You know, hang out...talk and have fun..." you felt your voice cracking the second you tried to mouth out words one word to the other, but you fell at ease when you saw how he is eager to listen. "Wakatoshi, I am willing to wait for you. I'll be here waiting for you when you're all done with your dreams, I'll be waiting to have mine!" you gave such a smile he felt how sincere you were, but he felt something else within. While he was out there achieving his dream you stayed there waiting, until days became weeks then months turned into years, and here you are in the very same stadium still watching him from afar.

The game soon ended and immediately the press interviewed them and gave you no opening for you to go near. One of the reporters asked if he had any girlfriends and he abruptly said no and made his way to the change room. Looking at his broad back, made you realize that he isn't the Ushijima you used to know, he changed. Everyone does and that is where you saw how high he is now that you are too low to reach him, all those years waiting and waiting only made you weak and reached none, while Ushijima now is out there thriving making his own name gaining his own fame, he is too bright, he is too much and you only have less. Waiting for him to walk out from the doors of the exit at the alleyway, the door opened wide to reveal a familiar figure. "Long time no see, Wakatoshi." you waved your hand a little and gave a smile, for a moment he was stunned enough to have troubles to what he is about to say, or even should stay. "(Y/N)..." he utters under his breath, it's been a while since he called you by your name that somehow, you heard it in a bittersweet tone.

Looking into his eyes the way he looks at you was very obvious, he was stunned to see you since he didn't expect for you to show up like this. And as if he was uncomfortable even. "You haven't completely achieved your dreams yet, haven't you, Ushijima?" judging by those words you said his expression softens as if you hit a bullseye and you did. "(Y/N), I'm just getting started...these past years I never forgot about your words...but now looking at you I can't...I just can't..." the way he looks at you right now, you felt pity in a worse case scenario, because you already knew that it's your fault for holding him back, no. Not holding back, but pressure. Putting him at the edge, just by appearing like this in front of him as if woke him up from his dream of reaching the top of his career, you were the wake up call that he didn't want to take. "(Y/N), I don't want to make you wait, I feel like I'm dragging you into this without knowing if you're okay to go with it. My dream is this, and I don't see my dream with you being in it..." just hearing those words you felt like you were being stabbed over and over, it hurt so much that you wanted to burst into tears but you didn't you mustered up to show a smile, cleaning both of your palms into a ball you feel your nails digging into your palm, it hurts.

Your chest aches each time you breath in and out, it hurts. The more you talk the more you feel like you are going to choke on your words with your throat tightening up, it hurts. Even though it all hurts mustering up a smile, it was just a pitiful sight to see."Maybe, it's because I loved you too much. Too much that I created these shackles that pull you down. Maybe, it's time I let you go, no?" while you were stuck with your dreams in the past you didn't realize that you were putting shackles on Ushijima who wished to achieve great heights. Letting someone go is sometimes the right thing to do, some say letting go is just another form of running away but in your case letting go is seeing someone happy, even if it's not with you. Letting Ushijima go to achieve greater heights was the choice you chose because you get to see him happy, the happiest he had ever been.

"Farewell, my beloved. I'll be cheering on you."

a/n ; yeah, kinda teared up just a little bit. Hoping to up more angst I want to cry lmao. Here is another post to celebrate my 70+ followers! Just the tiniest bits is enough to bring joy to this human! All the reblogs and likes thank you so much!

taglist ; @sammushy @ryuuudesuwa @jasugoi @gcj-doesart

if you want to be tagged/mentioned, please do comment down below so you won't miss an update!

[killed-by-choice]

Shirley Payne, 33 (USA 1983)

On January 4, 1983, Albert Payne got a phone call from his friend Debbie Manning, who worked in the ER at a Miami hospital. Debbie gave Albert some horrible news: His wife Shirley was dead. She bled to death from an abortion. "No way my wife is pregnant," Albert responded, and he hung up. Still not believing what was happening, he called the day care where his three surviving kids were. The day care told him that Shirley never showed up to pick up the children.

Earlier that day, Shirley went to an abortion facility called Woman’s Care Center in Miami in secret. She was at least the fourth client they killed. In fact, she was the second client to be killed by that facility in less than three weeks.

On that day, facility owner and abortionist Hipolito Barreiro perforated Shirley’s uterus. Barreiro misled Shirley to believe that nothing illegal was going on even though he was not licensed in America. Instead of immediately calling an ambulance, he tried to cover up his crimes at Shirley’s expense.

Dr. Nsibide Ipke, who did not work at the facility, was called by the panicked unlicensed abortionist, who wanted Ipke to come over and forge documents to put the blame for Shirley’s injury on someone else. “You’ve got to come sign. I’m not licensed.” Ipke, who up until then had believed Barreiro to be licensed, went to the facility to see what was going on and found Barreiro trying to attend to Shirley before calling an ambulance. When paramedics finally arrived on the scene, they found the heavily bleeding Shirley lying on a couch with an IV in her arm.

Because the abortionist didn’t immediately call an ambulance, Shirley was in critical condition from her perforated uterus. An emergency hysterectomy was done, but Shirley just lost far too much blood. She bled to death.

Her husband Albert was in a state of shock disbelief over the death of his wife and his fourth child. Shirley never told him she was pregnant and he didn’t understand why she kept that secret from him.

After Shirley's death, authorities lamented that they were powerless to oversee abortion facilities in Florida. "We have no authority to look into sanitary conditions or whether a [facility] location is near a hospital," a licensing and certification official told a reporter for Florida Today. An abortion facility could only be investigated in the event of a complaint or a client death, the official said, and that the only permissible grounds for state action would be if the abortion had been done by somebody other than a licensed physician. While authorities told reporters that greater state oversight could protect women from horrible conditions in legal abortion facilities, The Florida Abortion Council (an organization of abortion facility owners) had gotten a US district court to strike down a 1980 Florida law that would have allowed state oversight. Over and over again, the abortion industry put money over women’s lives.

Despite the backlash from abortion supporters, the abortion facility was finally closed down. It should never have taken four dead clients and many more injuries to shut this hazardous business down.

"Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VV47-6J4 : 25 December 2014), Shirley Yvonne Payne, 04 Jan 1983; from "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : 2004); citing vol. , certificate number 2257, Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, Jacksonville.

Death certificate 2257

“Fourth Woman Dies After Abortion at Miami Clinic,” Miami Herald, Jan. 5, 1983

“Miami police tie 4th death to abortions,” The Times-Picayune, .Jan. 6, 1983

“4th Woman Dies In Abortion Clinic,” The Daytona Beach Morning Journal, Jan. 6, 1983

“Clinic Owner is Held After Latest Death,” Miami Herald, Jan. 8, 1983

“2 die in 17 days at Miami abortion clinic, Florida Today (Cocoa, FL), Jan. 8, 1983

“Clinic owner held in abortion death,” The Mobile (AL) Register, Jan. 10, 1983

“Miami Abortion Clinic Closed Down,” The Ocala Star-Banner, Jan. 11, 1983

"Abortion clinic being investigated after fourth death” Tampa Tribune, January 3, 1983

“Chronology of Claims Against Women's Care Center” Miami Herald, January 7, 1983

“Cluster of Abortion Deaths at a Single Facility,” Kafrissen, Grimes, Hogue, Sacks, Obstetrics & Gynecology, 68:3, September 1986, 387-389

CDC Abortion Surveillance 1983

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

The Justice Department has asked a judge to hold former President Trump’s legal team in contempt for failing to comply with a subpoena demanding the return of all classified records stored at Mar-a-Lago, according to reporting from The Washington Post.

The appeal to a federal judge in sealed court documents comes after the Trump team has still failed to designate a custodian of records and is the latest sign of tension between DOJ and the Trump team just days after another two classified documents were found at a South Florida storage unit housing other Trump records.

A U.S. District Court judge has yet to take action on the request, according to The Post.

The contempt request follows months of efforts to recover classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

After a May subpoena, the Trump team turned over 38 documents with classified markings, but resisted a request for a sworn statement certifying all classified material had been returned.

Instead, Trump attorney Christina Bobb offered a statement saying the former President’s team had returned all records “based upon the information that has been provided to me.”

After determining that more classified records may be found on the property, the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, finding another 103 documents with classified markings.

On Wednesday, a separate Washington Post report said at least two additional documents with classified markings had been found at a storage unit in West Palm Beach, Fl.

Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to request for comment.

The sealed filing before U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell comes after the judge ordered the Trump team to conduct a search for records at other Trump properties.

Holding the legal team in contempt of court could prompt a fine for the legal team until Trump designates a custodian of records, a person who would be responsible for ascertaining to the Justice Department that no classified records remain on Trump property – something his lawyers have been hesitant to do.

Trump’s legal team has resisted the request from DOJ, arguing that they can only reasonably offer that a search of the properties has been conducted in good faith.

[elvencantation]

blue's comic recs

@ori-flails inspired me to start making a list of these since ive been reading so many comics lately <3

self-hosted:

earthsong- my very first webcomic ever, sci-fi/fantasy? art style develops so much! the artist redid the first volume after finishing, so the second might be jarring cause its back to her older style

mias and elle- i love them so much. chaotic and fun fantasy romance

inverloch- like a fantasy epic. i miss it

ava’s demon- I HAVE BOTH VOLUMES AS PHYSICAL BOOKS I AM OBSESSED. SCIFI WITH THE MOST UNIQUE ART STYLE AND IVE ADORED WATCHING HER GROW AS AN ARTIST

spindrift- beautiful fantasy, abandoned but the art is to die for

phoenix requiem- same author as inverloch, steampunk ghost mystery?

gunnerkrigg court- magic school with lots of secrets! never finished this... in fact im pretty sure its still ongoing! a fun kinda steampunk fantasy story with lots of mythology and another one where ive loved watching the art style develop!

webtoons: (fantasy unless noted otherwise, usually transmigration, time travel or general revenge)

remarried empress

go away romeo

omniscient reader

marry my husband

my in laws are obsessed with me

i am the villain- one of my first ones!! gorgeous art and i love the characters so much

for my derelict favorite- love the mc. so satisfying and a cute slow burn

im the queen in this life- absolutely badass MC reliving her life, court intrigue and politics included

from a knight to a lady- i adore this one. literal reincarnation. enemies to lovers

wished you were dead- everyones miserable and there’s so many misunderstandings but its like a trainwreck i cant look away

perfect marriage revenge- so much drama, sort of marry my husband vibes

the reincarnation of countess diabolique- very short chapters but very pretty

obsidian bride- fantasy dating show! cute so far

i thought my time was up- god i love seeing the FL fluster the ML. cute cute but also some asshole family drama. fun and beautiful

her wish to be isekai’d- silly and fourth wall breaking but cute

saving a mercenary unit from bankruptcy- transmigration is a known phenomenon in this series!

as if love doesn’t exist- also sort of marry my husband vibes? with switched at birth added in

reporting for duty duchess

winter before spring- not fantasy at all, cute WLW!!!

i stole the first ranker’s soul- dungeon break video game system but this time with a female MC!!

i will live the life of a villainess- isekai’d MC AND ML???

baby tyrant- cute cute but the mc is stuck in her baby body for quite awhile so if that’s not ur thing keep scrolling

tricked into becoming the heroines stepmother- cute transmigration with a side of romance

adopted by a murderous duke- just what it says on the box for now! a new one, as of updating this list

leveling up my husband to the max- got a lot of politics and a cute relationship. reincarnation

who stole the empress?

mythic item obtained- dungeons and monsters suddenly invade the real world kinda story, more based on the norse gods though than DND

my husband changes every night- oh it keeps getting better! don’t trust the title though. his hair color changes and that’s it, physically

the tyrant wants to be good- oh i love some good good time travel/reincarnation angst

every rose has a death flag- gotten a bit bored of this one but cute art

new webtoons ive gotten into!

adopted by a murderous duke’s family

paranoid mage

they wish to take away my child

katlaya rising

the reason for the twin lady’s disguise

my villainous family won’t let me be

reincarnator

what the evil dragon lives for

the fish i loved

the price is your everything

what melvin left behind

ten ways to get dumped by a tyrant

the gardener in a hunter world

the reborn young lord is an assasin

not your typical reincarnation story

onsaemiro: never changing

re:trailer trash

unnie, i like you!

the worst villainess

monster princess of the snowy mountain

to whom it no longer concerns

returned by the king

you can’t kill me

the one who parried death

even when im dead

webtoons that are whole ass novels in their own right: (AWAN)

castle swimmer - adorable fantasy mlm with amazing worldbuilding

suitor armor - this is starting to stress me out but i love all the characters so much aaaaa

morgana and oz - so cute so cute!

eternal nocturnal - amazing kinda urban fantasy romance

wintercicle

in the bleak midwinter - scifi soulmate kinda post-apocalyptic?

star children

lore olympus - if you don tknow what this is im surprised. greek mythology retelling with lots of trauma and fascinating storylines

blood reverie - so much happens in this one. theres a hot vampire ML tho

sable curse - i love this so much!! read like a legit fantasy novel

a spell for a smith - cute cute fluffy fantasy romance

PETS- sci-fi wlw slow burn

your throne- haven’t caught up with this yet but it’s a fascinating story with two female mcs who have some amazing character growth and are badasses in their own ways (also yes i ship them)

the touch of sunlight- a cute one shot story with like ten chapters

empyrea- might have been abandoned, gorgeous art style, steampunk mystery

made of stardust

the princess’s jewels- starts out as a beautiful reverse harem, then becomes badass

death head’s deal - episodic amazing. will make you cry

cute episodic webtoons:

finding fiends- funny cryptid youtuber who's friends with mothman

grand ma- a new mythological creature each episode!

crow time- just cute things about crows, a few stories that last longer than one chapter

how to be a dragon- mostly one shots, like crow time

finished webtoons: (all AWAN)

muted- god this one’s a masterpiece, GL, maybe its time for my own reread i love this one sm

spells from hell- god i love this one!! kinda modern wuxia-esque. it is daily pass now for some reason but i highly recommend it

unholy blood- vampire mystery thriller with a dash of romance? its amazing

night owls and summer skies- wlw camp romance

shadow prophet- very weird but cool kinda dystopian sci-fi. unique and beautiful art style

siren’s lament- same creator as eaternal nocturnal, so gorgeous art obvi

always human- a cute scifi wlw story

webtoons i’ve fallen behind on but are still amazing: (also all awan)

subzero

stray souls

the croaking

diamond dive

like wind on a dry branch

the sweetness of salt

covenant

found on mangahasu:

finished:

solo leveling- finished, the ultimate OP main character saves the world with amazing supporting cast, dungeon break system

monstrous duke- finished, AWAN, one of my favorites, i adore the MC's new family. strong enough to protect her from the monsters who birthed her

the admiral's monstrous wife- AWAN, kinda romance, a dash of best revenge is living well, and so much cool worldbuilding

angel of the golden aura- very cinderella, tropey evil sister in the most fun of ways (imho)

she no longer wields her sword- transmigrated into the body of another person in the same universe, kinda like into the light once again but less politics and more romance

I've Become A True Villainess- isekai, green hair mc!! very sweet and caring ML too i love their dynamic. fascinating world-building

still updating:

cheating men must die- THE BEST. every arc is another revenge transmigration story i. am. obsessed.

the beginning after the end- i feel like this might be abandoned? on hiatus? hasn’t been updated in forever but it’s basically a high fantasy novel. literal reincarnation. as in reborn into a rando in another universe. but with all memories intact. AWAN, also i love all the other charcters so much and the art is so pretty

who made me a princess- just finished, starts out rough character dynamic wise, has some really dramatic bits but it turns out really intricate and wholesome and i love it sm

master villainess the invincible- god i love this one i want it to update so baddddd. wuxia and there's a cute romance too!

the villainess is a marionette- beautiful unique art style, transmigration, deliciously badass and manipulative MC

millionaire divorcee- lovely and sweet sort of ‘a life well lived is the best revenge’ kinda story. also so much pretty jewelry wow

untouchable lady- time travel squared, gorgeous art and wow so much angst it's delicious. last time i checked the translations weren't so good so im hoping its better now, ive been waiting to come back to this one

death is the only ending for the villainess- transmigration into a video game with, in my opinion, too many restrictions. svsss vibes in that way but its a fantasy AWAN romance video game

into the light once again- reincarnation, AWAN, wholesome and so damn pretty. i keep drooling over the intricate outfits

I will surrender my position as empress - remarried empress vibes. love it so satisfying

villainess’s stationary shop- cute and sweet and the MC gains a coterie of adorable children defenders, but yes also revenge

my unexpected marriage- kind of a “the best revenge is living well” story. very sweet very pretty unique art style. starts a bit dark

the perks of being an s class transmigrator- one of my faves! very fun video game mechanic and wonderful art and i love our mc. some great humor too

The Reincarnated Assassin Is A Genius Swordsman- actual reincarnation into another family, also i love the weird kinda sort of sidekick. evil? maybe? either way its funny

divorcee’s dessert cafe- another cute one

author of my own destiny- author falls into her own book!

vengeful weapon, tears of poison- kinda what it says on the box

how to live at the max level- OP MC falls into a video game but this time it’s a girl! fun and lighthearted

no more nice sis- revenge that turns into cute romance honestly

with vengeance, sincerely your broken saintess- lots of plots and intrigue in this one, i love it

the newbie is too strong- another dungeon break one, OP MC with adorable animal? monster? companions

the villainess turns the hourglass- both revenge is best served cold and the best revenge is living well

my farm by the palace- super sweet and wholesome i love it

the duchess’ fifty tea recipes- finished, super cute, transmigration addressed, romance?

the soulless duchess

all hail lady blanche- gets slow in the middle, then gets cool and starts kinda breaking the fourth wall. revenge and kinda video game dynamic

the doctor is out- forgot about this one, time travel, its cute!

villainess' reprisal boutique- revenge for her mother this time! mostly kinda fantasy royal school stuff, if that makes any sense

please marry me again- time travel, so fluffy and precious and satisfying

karina’s last days- AWAN, slow burn romance

the villainess’s daughter- reminds me a bit of monstrous duke

the princess in the attic- AWAN, revenge, oof this one is a bit dark but it’s got its light and i do love it

red hot revenge- lot of politics in this one! and some slow slow burn. abandoned cause it was stressing me out

solo max-level newbie- kinda like solo leveling, but more merciless MC and just as cool a supporting cast

self-made lady- fantasy transmigration with video game mechanics

carrier falcon princess- bit weird, i feel like it hasnt updated in awhile, but fascinating premise. MC spends a very large chunk of the story as a bird

another typical fantasy romance- just started this but i already love it!! most wholesome green flag forest power couple!

[weebsinstash]

I just wanted to add to the Remarried Empress convo by adding that there's like no way the child is even Sovishu's.... like he ruined everyone's lives for nothing. He truly is the worst!!

For real I wasn't about to just come out and say it but like the story itself showed us a flashback of Sovieshu eating a plate of cookies with abortion/infertility drugs and he thinks he's the father of Rashta's baby? Bro maybe the reason Navier isn't pregnant is because you're SHOOTING BLANKS DUDE

Bro but for real I was reading another manhwa yesterday and I found ANOTHER GUY worse than Sovieshu although this other guy is written in such an almost cartoonishly stupid and evil way that it's kind of just for the sake of plot at some point but, the man in question is the husband Stein from No More Turning A Blind Eye. My god this man speedran getting hard prison time like it was going for gold in the Olympics. A prideful narcissist who DESTROYS HIMSELF with how SEETHING he gets from his wife getting a divorce

Without huge spoilers, the transmigrated FL divorces him and he uh goes on a mission for revenge and blames everyone else in the mean time. If you want spoilers on how absolutely nuts he starts to go, read below

My god when I say this dude starts going off the rails. I would compare him to Mikhail from Father I Don't Want This Marriage because once the FL leaves him he begins a dark path of pure spite. But before the FL left him, before he even got a mistress, he treated his wife Ophelia like total absolute garbage. He causes his wife and the FL to start having body dysmorphia because he starts telling her she's eating too much and gaining weight, like, EVERY SINGLE NIGHT because he's essentially trying to scare her away from the dinner table to be alone with his mistress Ariel, who tbh the story never really explains how they met or why they fell in love unless im just way too stoned when I read these. The dude's a fucking loser too, he is only a count and he only gained that position from marrying Ophelia who is from a higher ranked very prestigious family, the Heavenwalker house. He basically mooches off her income

So like, here's a basic order of events. Dude starts not coming home, he brings his mistress in, at some point takes an extremely sentimental dress of the FLs and let's the mistress wear it, constantly berates and belittles FL, FL GETS HIS ASS BY WALKING IN WITH A DIVORCE ATTOURNEY WHILE HE'S STILL WITH THE MISTRESS, they have to take this to court, they set FL up where she hits Ariel by accident and Stein had reporters right outside the window to report OPHELIA HEAVENWALKER BEAT HER HUSBANDS MISTRESS CLEARLY SHE'S INSANE, he wins round one in court taking several of her businesses and like a large alimony payment, FL meets ML and Stein goes absolutely nuts accusing her of cheating, even showing up uninvited to a nobles party yelling and screaming and berating her in public, how she would just be an old hag without him, has to PHYSICALLY BE REMOVED FROM THE PROPERTY, immediately the next scene is him waking up in an alley from apparently getting blackout drunk, he begins a HUGE DOWNWARD SPIRAL onto alcoholism but Ariel is still extremely loyal to him BUT PSYCHE SHE BECOMES HIS NEW VICTIM, at one point he is literally screaming at her that she's useless and she ruined everything and how she's a parasite who needs to go make money and she even starts selling off her jrwelery he had gifted her to support him while he's drinking all their money away

Like. Genuinely cannot emphasize enough that he caused ALL of his own problems, never takes any accountability, AND HE COULDNT EVEN SUPPORT THE MISTRESS? I really kind of feel bad for her if she uh didn't turn out to be a sorceress who cursed the FL and tried to kill her (and successfully did pre-transmigration). After the divorce Ophelia is literally not having anything to do with him and he REPEATEDLY tries to fuck with her, at some point KIDNAPPING CHILDREN AND DUMPING THEM IN THE WOODS IN AN AREA FILLED WITH ANIMAL TRAPS and tells Ophelia when she is rightfully furious "chill it was just a prank, why are you even here to yell at me is it because you miss me :)", and THEN???? THEN???? THERE'S A SCENE WHERE HE LITERALLY BLUDGEONS THE FL IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD WITH A ROCK TO KNOCK HER OUT AND KIDNAP HER. A FUCKING ROCK.

Jesus. Like. After he got divorced and apparently became a jobless fucking loser, he got in bad debt with loan shsrks, and they wind up going to Ophelia all "aren't you worried about your former lovers safety?" And she just replies "if you want money go to his mom the marchioness, she'll pay you to keep quiet, I am not involved, leave me alone, I do not care" and when the loan sharks return to their hideout where Stein is all but hogtied and SNIVELLING LIKE A BITCH, the robbers mock him for Ophelia not giving a fuck and his legit reaction is HOW DARE OPHELIA DO THIS TO ME, HOW DARE SHE PUT ME IN DANGER and it's like NO DUDE THIS WAS ALL YOU, THE ENTIRE TIME, EVERY SINGLE MISTAKE

Actions, meet consequences. Just a cartoonishly idiotic man who im glad got punished. I really kind of wish Ariel had been given a second chance though :( she loved him right up until the end and winds up killing herself in her jail cell after being convicted of cursing Ophelia and murdering people (because yes she loved Stein so much she became a serial killer to rob people and resell their valuables)

[there-is-cromwell]

The Death of Cromwell

Something terrible has happened, Adrienne knows as a bleary-eyed maid wakes her in the morning. The sun has only just begun to rise. The maid tells her that there is a man waiting. Joseph-Léonard Poirey, her husband’s secretary with the National Guard. As Adrienne hastily dresses and hurries downstairs into the hall, she sees Poirey standing there. The face red and the hair disheveled. He has the appearance of a men who is the bearer of grave news.

As soon as Poirey sees her on top of the stairs, he bows and deeply and tries to regain some measure of control, his fingers are trembling as he smooths over his coat. Something terrible has happened, Adrienne thinks as she leads Poirey into the salon. Dread churns in her stomach. Dear God, please no! She begs Poirey to sit down as she does the same. Her hands are folded in her lap to keep them from trembling. She does not ask Poirey if he wishes any refreshments – quite unbecoming of a hostess, her husband would have scolded her for this oversight, but she can not bring herself to care at the moment. Not when she feels like her life hangs in a terrible, dreadful balance.

Poirey clears his throat as he searches for the right words. “Madame, I fear that I have solemn news for you. Your husband … your husband Madame is dead.”

Adrienne stares at her guest, her fingers fiddle with the hem of her dress. She dares not to breath, not to think, not to move. For a moment, the world has stopped. This is a dream, a terrible, terrible nightmare, she thinks. I have to wake up and when I do, Gilbert will lay in bed beside me, hale and healthy! But Adrienne does not wake up for this is no dream. She just sits there, in a chair in her salon with Poirey right next to her and she can do nothing while her worlds shatters around her.

Poirey clears his throat as he rises. “I best take my leave now Madame, but please, if there is anything that I can do for you, never hesitate to send for me.” Adrienne watches him cross the room and heads for the door before she finds her voice again. “How?”, she asks, her voice hoarse.

“Pardon?”

“How did my husband die?”

“Madame, I do not know if you should-“

“How did my husband, the father of my children, die, Monsieur Poirey?”

“He was murdered in his sleep”, Poirey finally tells her, his voice sounds defeated.

For a moment, Adrienne is unable to breath, as if there is no air left in the room. Murdered in his sleep? Who would do such a cowardly and dishonorable thing? As if reading her thoughts, Poirey continues. “Your husband led his National Guard and a few thousand civilians to Versailles. All in all, the scene was very orderly, but some members of the court disliked the orders the General gave. To assure the safety of the royal family, he assumed command over the Kings Gards-du-corps and placed the National Guard inside the palace. Some people thought him a usurper who was only waiting for the right moment to overthrow the king and crown himself. Utter nonsense, of course, but people who live in fear are seldomly rational. Your husband retired to bed after all affairs had been settled. He was exhausted to the bone, I doubt he was even woken by the assassins entering his chambers.” Poirey pauses for a moment as if unsure how to say his next words. “He was found dead in his bed the next morning. He had been stabbed … 23 times in his sleep. The National Guard arrested two possible culprits, but they were lynched before they could make a statement. It was a bloody morning, and the court has completely alienated himself to the soldiers – not just the ones of the National Guard.”

Poirey lingers for a few more minutes after he finished his report before he finally bows and takes his leave. Adrienne hardly realizes his departure. She can only sit there and try her best to comprehend the incomprehensible. The house awakes around her, and she hears the noises of the servants preparing for the day. She hears the sound of tiny feet running around on the floor above her.

*fin*

Historical Context:

Members of the court taking such drastic actions is certainly a more alternative scenario but La Fayette himself predicted in his Memoirs, that if he had assumed more command or stationed the national Guard in the palace, he would have been seen as a usurper.

When we enter fully into the state of things and of feelings at that period, and especially on that evening, we shall easily perceive, that if Lafayette had required that his troops should be placed in the palace, that if he had himself assumed the command of the gardes-du-corps, he could only have accomplished his aim by employing force; he must have made an irruption like the brigands, instead of being a guardian, he would have become an usurper.

Marquis de La Fayette, Memoirs, Correspondences and Manuscripts of General Lafayette, Vol. 2, Craighead and Allen, New York, 1837, pp. 325-326.

At night he was alone, unarmed, and unguarded in the apartment of his wife’s family. Killing him then and there would have been an option for someone desperate enough. The court was generally in disfavor of him and in this scenario his orders only widened the rift between himself and the court.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Walter Einenkel at Daily Kos:

GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, best known for fabricating her entire life story, told Fox News that she has a plan to get the sergeant-at-arms to arrest Attorney General Merrick Garland.  “Several months ago, I introduced a resolution for something called inherent contempt of Congress. This is something that Congress has the authority to do, and it hasn’t been done since the early 1900s,” she told host Maria Bartiromo on Monday. 

Luna was responding to questions about the Justice Department’s announcement that it would not prosecute Garland for not turning over audio of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur. “And what that allows Congress to do is really be the punitive arm and really hold Garland accountable by using the sergeant-at-arms to essentially go and get him,” Luna went on, “as well as the tapes, bring him to the well of the house and really be a check-and-balance on the Department of Justice.” Like most of what Luna says, there are all kinds of facts being misrepresented here. For one, her assertion that she introduced her inherent contempt of Congress resolution “several months ago” is belied by the fact that she actually announced it on May 7. And while that is technically more than one month, it is far less than several months. Though, to be fair, her announcement could have been missed, since it came the same day that Stormy Daniels was testifying … in Trump’s criminal trial.

The sergeant-at-arms is "the chamber’s primary law enforcement official and protocol officer, responsible for maintaining security on the House floor and the House side of the U.S. Capitol complex.” 

[...] The Republicans’ fixation on getting audio, despite having already received the entire transcript of Hur’s interview with Biden, has been a transparently political endeavor. Hur, a Republican, released a 375-page report in February saying that no charges were warranted and that Biden had likely kept the documents as a private citizen by “mistake.” Since then, House Republicans voted to hold Garland in contempt. Speaker Mike Johnson vowed to take the Garland contempt case to court after the DOJ announced it planned no further action. But whether Johnson will bring Luna’s resolution to a vote remains to be seen.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) playing revenge politics by urging the Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest AG Merrick Garland for frivolous political reasons.

[bighermie]

Breaking: Explosive Update from Jeremy Brown Trial via TGP Reporter Brian Lupo -- The FBI's Evidence Is Falling Apart (VIDEO) https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/12/breaking-explosive-update-jeremy-brown-trial-via-tgp-reporter-brian-lupo-fbis-evidence-falling-apart-video/

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

December 18, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

DEC 18, 2023

Reporters at ProPublica have uncovered yet more news about the right-wing network of wealthy donors who have supported Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas. According to Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan, Alex Mierjeski, and Brett Murphy, in January 2000, on a plane flight home from a conservative conference, Thomas complained to Representative Cliff Stearns (R-FL) about his salary. He warned that if lawmakers didn’t give Supreme Court justices a pay raise, “one or more justices will leave soon.”

After the trip, Stearns wrote to Thomas that he agreed “it is worth a lot to Americans to have the constitution properly interpreted.” Stearns immediately set out to pass legislation separating the salaries of Supreme Court justices from the rest of the judiciary, and then raising pay for the Supreme Court justices alone. But the top administrative official of the judiciary, L. Ralph Mecham, in June 2000 wrote to then–chief justice William Rehnquist to suggest that this was the wrong approach for this “delicate matter.”

“From a tactical point of view,” Mecham wrote, “it will not take the Democrats and liberals in Congress very long to figure out that the prime beneficiaries who might otherwise leave the court presumably are Justices Thomas and Scalia. The Democrats might be perfectly happy to have them leave and would see little incentive to act on separate legislation devoted solely to Supreme Court justices if the apparent purpose is to keep Justices Scalia and Thomas on the Court. Moreover, the fact that Representative Stearns is a conservative Republican may not help dissuade the Democrats and liberals from this view.”

Mecham distinguished between Republicans he thought of as “liberals,” and those, presumably like himself, Rehnquist, Thomas, and Scalia, who were pushing “to have the constitution properly interpreted.” By this, he meant those who wanted the concept of “originalism” to undermine the federal government’s regulation of business, provision of a basic social safety net, promotion of infrastructure, and protection of civil rights, principles on which “liberal” Republicans and Democrats agreed.

Although the extremist faction has now captured the Republican Party, as late as 2000 there were enough “liberals” in the Republican Party that members of the extremist faction worried they could not enact their chosen program. So they must have the Supreme Court. Stearns told the ProPublica reporters that Thomas’s “importance as a conservative [as they called themselves] was paramount…. We wanted to make sure he felt comfortable in his job and was being paid properly.” 

About this time, wealthy Republican donors began to provide Thomas and his wife Ginni with expensive vacations and gifts. Ginni went to work for the Heritage Foundation, making a salary in the low six figures. Yale law school professor George Priest, who has joined Thomas and billionaire donor Harlan Crow on vacation, says that Crow “views Thomas as a Supreme Court justice as having a limited salary. So he provides benefits for him.”

That is, a Republican billionaire donor “provides benefits” for a Supreme Court justice who voted in favor of—among other things—the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision that reversed campaign finance restrictions in place for over 100 years, permitting corporations and outside groups to spend unlimited funds on elections, and the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision that gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act protecting minority voting rights in the United States. 

The determination of wealthy Republicans to control our political system for their own economic benefit is now matched on the other side of the political equation by religious voters hellbent on overthrowing democracy to impose their religious will on the American majority.  

After voters in Republican-dominated states have tried to protect the right to abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that recognized the constitutional right to abortion, antiabortion forces are trying to stop voters from having the right to decide the matter. They are trying to prevent voters from signing petitions to put such measures on ballots. 

Steven Aden, the chief legal officer of the antiabortion group Americans United for Life, told Alice Miranda Ollstein and Megan Messerly of Politico: “Because we believe that abortion is truly about the right to life of human individuals in the womb, we don’t believe those rights should be subjected to majority vote.”

Breaking faith in democracy has led us to a place where the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination is openly praising dictators, trying to join the United States into a rising global authoritarian movement based in the idea that democracy, with its focus on equal rights, is destroying traditional society by getting rid of patriarchy, racial hierarchies, and heteronormative society.  A Fox News poll released over the weekend showed that 3 in 10 Republicans agreed that “things in the U.S. are so far off track that we need a president willing to break some rules and laws to set things right.”

Today, Pope Francis undermined that argument when he said in a landmark ruling that Roman Catholic priests can bless same-sex couples. While this is not the same as the sacrament of heterosexual marriage, the Vatican’s doctrinal office said this is a sign that God welcomes everyone. 

Pope Francis has tended to ignore the rise of right-wing extremism in the U.S. church but now appears to be defending his message that the church should be tolerant and welcoming in the face of the growing intersection of religion and authoritarianism. Last month, he relieved from duty Bishop Joseph H. Strickland of Tyler, Texas, who has vocally supported right-wing politics and openly revolted against the Pope’s positions. 

There is a strong economic reason to reinforce the idea of democracy, as well. After forty years in which a minority worked to push tax cuts and deregulation with the argument that they would promote investment in the economy, the Biden administration quite deliberately has used the government not to prop up the “supply side,” but rather to bolster the “demand side.” Despite the history that showed such a system worked, economists and pundits warned that Biden’s policies would dump the U.S. into a terrible recession. 

The 2023 numbers are in, and they show exactly what the U.S. Treasury under Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen predicted: inflation has dropped significantly, unemployment is at a low 3.7%, the economy grew at an astonishing 4.9% in the last quarter, and the stock and financial markets are at or near all-time highs. 

The economic news is tangible proof that a government that serves the majority, rather than a wealthy few, works.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[beardedmrbean]

JACKSONVILLE, FL – The Florida widow of slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan faced her husband's accused killer for the first time in court Monday before asking for his help to end "this nightmare."

Bridegan's widow and the mother of his two youngest children, Kirsten Bridegan; his brothers Adam and Justin Bridegan; and more than a dozen other family members and friends packed the gallery.

Kirsten Bridegan wept as suspect Henry Tenon, 61, entered the courtroom wearing glasses and a white face mask that covered his gray beard. The hearing lasted less than five minutes.

Tenon's attorney, Matt Bodie, entered a not guilty plea on his behalf to charges of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, accessory after the fact and child abuse for the Feb. 16, 2022, killing that left four children fatherless.

MAJOR BREAK IN JARED BRIDEGAN MURDER MYSTERY AFTER EX-WIFE MOVES CROSS-COUNTRY

Judge Roberto Arias adjourned the case to March 21 and set a trial date of July 19. 

Kirsten Bridegan, flanked by her family and friends, grew tearful as she read a brief statement in the lobby of the Duval County Courthouse.

FLORIDA EX-WIFE OF SLAIN MICROSOFT EXECUTIVE HIRES CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER

"Honesty, I think it's still sinking in," the shattered widow said of seeing Tenon for the first time.  "To think that might have been one of the last people my husband saw is kind of a hard pill to swallow."

Jared Bridegan was gunned down in front of his then-2-year-old daughter, Bexley, after he was lured from his car by a tire placed in the middle of the road in an upscale suburb of Jacksonville Beach.

FLORIDA POLICE, STATE ATTORNEY ANNOUNCE ARREST IN MURDER OF MICROSOFT EXECUTIVE JARED BRIDEGAN

Court papers say Tenon, who was arrested Jan. 25, carefully plotted the cold-blooded killing of the 33-year-old software developer for six weeks with at least one accomplice. Prosecutors haven’t said whether Tenon pulled the trigger.

During the press conference, Kirsten Bridegan said the family knows that he is only one piece of this puzzle, and they will fight until each person responsible for the heinous murder is brought to justice.

FLORIDA PERSONAL TRAINER CONFIRMS ALLEGED AFFAIR WITH EX-WIFE OF SLAIN MICROSOFT EXEC

In her final statement, she made a plea directly to Tenon.

"Henry, if you get to hear this, please choose now to do the right thing. Please help us receive justice sooner than later," she said. "Please help us in this nightmare that we are living every single day." 

She told Tenon's family that they were in her prayers. "We can only imagine the hurt and the pain you must also be feeling," she said.

Fox News Digital was the first to report that Tenon has a surprising connection to Bridegan’s ex-wife Shanna Gardner-Fernandez.

Tenon lived in a home owned by Gardner-Fernandez's husband, Mario Fernandez, at the time of the murder. Tenon also worked as a handyman for Fernandez.

Gardner-Fernandez and Fernandez remain suspects in the slaying, according to law-enforcement sources.

Minutes before Jared Bridegan was repeatedly shot, he had dropped off the now-10-year-old twins he shares with Gardner-Fernandez at her home nearby.  

Jared Bridegan and Gardner-Fernandez, who both remarried, had a contentious divorce and continued to battle in court over custody of their twins and finances until his death.

Shortly before their divorce, she asked a tattoo parlor staffer if he knew anyone who could "shut him up," apparently referring to Bridegan.

Melissa Nelson, State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District, announced the major break in the case at a press conference last month and suggested that more arrests were forthcoming. 

"We know that Tenon did not act alone," she said at the time. Tenon is being held without bail.

[the-final-straw-blog]

Voices In Struggle: Remembering Tortuguita + Resistance in Lützerath and Against Tren Maya

This week on The Final Straw, we feature three segments: words from a friend of Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran, the forest defender killed by law enforcement on January 18th outside of Atlanta, Georgia; A-Radio Berlin’s conversation with an activist at Lutzerath encampment in western Germany attempting to block a lignite coal extraction operation by RWE; a discussion of the Tren Maya megaproject by the AMLO administration in Mexico.

Remembering Tortuguita

First up, we caught up with Eric Champaign of Tallahassee, FL, about his friend Manny, aka Tortuguita or little turtle. Manuel Teran was shot and killed by law enforcement during an early morning raid of the forest encampment to defend the Welaunee aka Atlanta Forest and to stop CopCity on Wednesday, January 18th, 2023. Law enforcement claimed in the media that they responded to shots fired and the wounding of an officer by killing the shooter, but at the time of this release the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has not yet produced a weapon or bodycam footage of the clash. [Update, Georgia Bureau of Investigation claims they found Tort's gun and ballistics match the bullet in the pelvis of the cop] The killing of Tortuguita has sparked outrage, calls for independent investigations, vigils and calls for renewed and dispersed activity. Word is that another 6 people were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism during the raid. Check out our chat with a member of Atlanta Anti-Repression Committee for some context and links to group fighting back in the courts. There’s a fundraiser for Tortuguita’s family at GoFundMe

Eric also speaks about his friend, Dan Baker, who is nearing his release date. You can hear our past chat with Eric about Dan’s case at our website alongside links about the case and how to support him. There’s now a paypal for donations for Dan’s post-release, which can be found at DanielBakerDonations@gmail.com

Then, we feature two segments are selections from the January, 2023 episode of B(A)D News from the A-Radio Network. You can find this ep, #64, alongside many others at A-Radio-Network.Org

Updates from Lützerath

This second segment is a recording by A-Radio Berlin of a conversation with a radio activist from Aalpunk from Lützerath giving some context of the struggle there in the west of Germany. Since this recording, the encampments have been evicted but resistance continues against the ginormous lignite mine that the corporation RWE is attempting to expand there. You can also hear or read our September 25th, 2022 episode for some background. More info at https://luetzerathlebt.info/en

Opposing Project Tren Maya

Finally, we’re sharing a segment by Frequenz-A about Proyecto Tren Maya in the Yucatán peninsula of so-called Mexico. The conversation with a member of Recherche-Ag about a report they published in Solidarity with the Zapatista movement, on the German state and corporate participation in this mega-project and the dangers posed by the Maya Train, which includes huge expansion of electric, travel and other corporate and state infrastructure through sensitive ecosystems and sovereign indigenous lands, being overseen by the Mexican military. You can find this report and more at ya-basta-netz.org.

To hear a past interview of ours talking about Tren Maya & AMLO's infrastructure projects, you can find our February 2nd, 2020 interview.

Announcements

Phone Zap for Jason Renard Walker

Jason Walker, a writer and organizer held in the Texas prison system, is currently being held at a psychiatric unit after having to fake  suicide attempt in order to escape a plot to murder him. He's asking for urgent support in ensuring that he's not transferred back to Connally Unit, where the original incident took place, and for his entire classification file to be reviewed to help him get moved to a safer place. You can check our show notes for the relevant contacts and words from Jason and a script to call with at AbolitionMedia.NoBlogs.Org

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Featured Tracks:

We Were All Scared by Cloudkicker from Beacons

Push It Way Up! by Cloudkicker from Beacons

Check out this episode!

[graymanbriefing]

2nd Amendment Brief: National Summary  》In MA; A new referendum petition filed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) linked Gun Owners' Action League (GOAL) challenging a recently passed "gun control" law that bans most firearms. The NRA's petition seeks to overturn the law through a statewide referendum, allowing voters to decide whether the law s...  》In NM; recent reports indicate an increase in the utilization of the "red flag law" known as an Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order (ERPO) utilization. Debrief: There are ongoing discussions about "retooling" the ERPO to enhance its effectiveness at removing firearms from citizens that other citizens and official deem to be unsafe. Proposed changes include broadening the range of people who can petition for an ERPO and streamlining the process to ensure it is more consistently applied. The la... 》In MN; A new law has gone into effect that implement a 72-hour waiting period for firearm purchases. Retailers began the mandated requirement this month. Debrief: This move comes in response to the mass shooting in Lewiston, which left 18 peo... 》In NY; New York City has made adjustments to its gun laws in response to SCOTUS's Bruen ruling. Mayor Eric Adams signed new legislation that now allows nonresidents to apply for concealed carry permits within the city. This change allows for individuals who do not reside in New York City to seek permission to carry firearms there. The law als...  》In FL; Gun Owners of America (GOA) is challenging Florida's ban on openly carrying firearms, arguing that it is a violation of Second Amendment rights. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, contends that the state's restriction on open carry is a "blatant infringement" on the right to bear arms. Florida currently allows concealed carry but remains one of the few states that prohibits the open carrying of firearms. GOA's legal action aim... 》In OR; the Oregon Firearms Federation and the Firearms Policy Coalition Inc have filed a suit challenging a law banning unserialized firearms arguing that self-made guns without serial numbers are in common use a...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs unredacted by joining at www.graymanbring.com)