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blueiscoool · 6 months ago

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European Court Upholds Italy's Right to Seize Greek Bronze from Getty Museum

A European court on Thursday upheld Italy’s right to seize a prized Greek statue from the J. Paul Getty Museum in California, ruling that Italy was justified in trying to reclaim an important part of its cultural heritage and rejecting the museum’s appeal.

The European Court of Human Rights, or ECHR, determined that Italy’s decades-long efforts to recover the “Victorious Youth” statue from the Malibu-based Getty were not disproportionate.

“Victorious Youth,” a life-sized bronze dating from 300 B.C. to 100 B.C., is one of the highlights of the Getty’s collection. Though the artist is unknown, some scholars believe it was made by Lysippos, Alexander the Great’s personal sculptor.

The bronze, which was pulled from the sea in 1964 by Italian fishermen and then exported out of Italy illegally, was purchased by the Getty in 1977 for $4 million and has been on display there ever since.

The Getty had appealed to the European court after Italy’s high Court of Cassation in 2018 upheld a lower court’s confiscation order. The Getty had argued that its rights to the statue, under a European human rights protocol on protection of property, had been violated by Italy’s campaign to get it back.

The court ruled Thursday that no such violation had occurred.

“This is not just a victory for the Italian government. It’s a victory for culture,” said Maurizio Fiorilli, who as an Italian government attorney had spearheaded Italy’s efforts to recover its looted antiquities and, in particular, the Getty bronze.

The Getty has long defended its right to the statue, saying Italy had no legal claim to it.

Among other things, the Getty had argued that the statue is of Greek origin, was found in international waters and was never part of Italy’s cultural heritage. It cited a 1968 Court of Cassation ruling that found no evidence that the statue belonged to Italy.

Italy argued the statue was indeed part of its own cultural heritage, that it was brought to shore by Italians aboard an Italian-flagged ship and was exported illegally, without any customs declarations or payments.

After years of further legal wrangling, an Italian court in Pesaro in 2010 ordered the statue seized and returned, at the height of Italy’s campaign to recover antiquities looted from its territory and sold to museums and private collectors around the globe.

Thursday’s ruling by the Strasbourg, France-based ECHR was a chamber judgment. Both sides now have three months to ask that the case be heard by the court’s Grand Chamber for a final decision. But Thursday’s ruling was unanimous, with no dissenting judges, and the Grand Chamber can refuse to hear the case.

There was no immediate comment from the Getty, and its lawyers referred comment to the museum.

Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano praised Thursday’s decision as an “unequivocal ruling” that recognized the rights of the Italian state and its ownership of the statue.

“Following today’s ruling … the Italian government will restart contacts with U.S. authorities for assistance in the implementation of the confiscation order,” he said.

In a statement, he doubled down on Italy’s campaign to bring its looted treasures home, and noted that recently Italy has ceased cooperation with foreign museums that don’t recognize Italian legal confiscation orders.

Recently, Italy banned any loans to the Minneapolis Institute of Art following a dispute over an ancient marble statue believed to have been looted from Italy almost a half-century ago.

The Getty had appealed to the ECHR by arguing, among other things, that Italy’s 2010 confiscation order constituted a violation of its right to enjoy its possessions and that it would be deprived of that right if U.S. authorities carried out the seizure.

The ECHR however strongly reaffirmed Italy’s right to pursue the protection of its cultural heritage, especially from unlawful exportation.

“The court further held that owing, in particular, to the Getty Trust’s negligence or bad faith in purchasing the statue despite being aware of the claims of the Italian state and their efforts to recover it, the confiscation order had been proportionate to the aim of ensuring the return of an object that was part of Italy’s cultural heritage,” said the summary of the ruling.

It wasn’t immediately clear what would happen next, though Fiorilli said the Getty had exhausted legal remedies and it’s now for U.S. the courts to enforce the Italian confiscation order.

“It’s not about guaranteeing the right to property, it’s about guaranteeing the internationally recognized value of every nation’s right to protect its cultural patrimony,” Fiorilli told The Associated Press over the telephone.

The statue, nicknamed the “Getty Bronze,” is a signature piece for the museum. Standing about 5 feet (1.52 meters) tall, the statue of the young athlete raising his right hand to an olive wreath crown around his head is one of the few life-sized Greek bronzes to have survived.

The bronze is believed to have sunk with the ship that was carrying it to Italy after the Romans conquered Greece. After being found in the nets of Italian fishermen trawling in international waters in 1964, it was allegedly buried in an Italian cabbage patch and hidden in a priest’s bathtub before it was taken out of the country.

Italy has successfully won back thousands of artifacts from museums, collections and private owners around the world that it says were looted or stolen from the country illegally, and recently opened a museum to house them until they can be returned to the regions from where they were looted.

The most important work to date that Italy has successfully brought back is the Euphronios Krater, one of the finest ancient Greek vases in existence. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which purchased it for $1 million in 1972 from an art dealer later accused of acquiring looted artifacts, returned it to Italy in 2008.

In 2010, the same year that Italy ordered the “Victorious Youth” statue confiscated from the Getty, a criminal trial ended in Rome against the Getty’s former curator of antiquities, Marion True. After years of trial, the Rome court ruled that the statute of limitations had expired on charges that True received stolen artifacts. She has denied wrongdoing.

In 2007, the Getty, without admitting any wrongdoing, agreed to return 40 ancient treasures in exchange for the long-term loans of other artifacts. Similar deals have been reached with other museums.

Under the 2007 deal, the two sides agreed to postpone further discussion of “Victorious Youth” until the court case was decided.

By Nicole Winfield.

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jpitha · 1 year ago

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You have to understand.

At least at first, I didn’t mean to do it. I had just gotten out of College, a kid with a degree in History and an eye watering amount of debt. I made the mistake of telling the professor I did early 21st century historical reenactments for my summer job and he let me take on a titanic amount of debt for historical realism. I’m not sure who I owe the money to, since we live in a post scarcity society, but I sure worry about repaying it, so I have that going for me. Extra points for realism.

After I graduated - with an ulcer from stress worrying about the debt, another point for realism! - I was bumming around the orbital looking for a way to earn some quick cash and I realized how I could put my degree to use. Everyone has everything provided for them by the government because - after the Unpleasantness - we figured out that was easier and cheaper than giving everyone on the planet a gun.

But that means that everyone has mostly forgotten how to keep an eye out for scams. Who is going to scam you anyway when you all have the same access to cheap and easy housing, food, and Space Cocaine?

People who have mountains of debt due to historical accuracy, that’s who.

I set up shop right outside the exit from Customs on the station. Rubes-er People from all over the Galaxy would come, hellbent on seeing the sights of my planet and before they could hit up the Cøffee Haüs they would find me.

I started small; ran a couple of three card monte tables, but without a partner, convincing people they could win without them actually winning was tough. I hacked a janitorbot into being my assistant and soon enough I would have a crowd watching.

This, while effective was incredibly boring, so I changed to my plan B and just started making fake supplements. For maximum compatibility across all of the galactic species, mine were pure carbon (to absorb toxins you see). This increased who I could sell too without worrying (too much) about inadvertently poisoning anyone.

A few people were sad I moved away from scamming people with cards, but they became my first ‘partners’ in selling my supplement. I had to actually explain how a Ponzi scheme worked though, nobody remembered. I told them about how so long as they found more suckers underneath them, they wouldn’t be left holding the bag and it took off like an oxygen accelerated fire.

There was also an oxygen accelerated fire, but that can’t be traced back to me.

Three weeks later, I was the richest human in the Galaxy. Honesty, I didn’t even know where everyone even got the money, I thought we had eliminated it, but here I am, rich as hell. I feel a little bad about it, but if I admit the whole thing was a ploy to pay off my student loans, I worry that they’ll turn on me.

I still haven’t paid off my loans either. I don’t think I can swing the payments and the payments on my Super Dreadnought. Did you know they’ll build anyone one so long as you put the deposit down?

Anyway, do you want to get in on an incredible deal on the low effort world of supplement sales?

#writing #sci fi writing #jpitha #humans are deathworlders #humans are space oddities #humans are space orcs #humans are space capybaras #humans are space australians

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lulubelle814 · 5 months ago

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A Marriage of Convenience - Part 1

Part 2

A Marriage of Convenience Masterlist

Main Masterlist

“You will get married! It’s time to settle down.” Loki had dinner with his parents the night before, and Odin was relentless. To make matters worse, Odin brought the sentiments on the matter into his work life at Valhalla Industries. His father ... .no, his adopted father kept saying it’d look better for him in the company, heavily implying that he would not be considered to be in line to take over the company should he not. Hela had fallen out of the line of succession when she told Odin to fuck off as she married the CEO of a rival company. Thor had skipped out some time before, falling from grace when he married Jane against his father’s wishes. That left Loki. While Loki wanted to tell his adopted father where to go and how to get there, he was the only viable option. After him was the idiot nephew Baulder. While he hated Odin, he despised Baulder. Everything was just handed to his idiot nephew.

Two floors down, Eva Walmsley was in a pickle of her own. She was soft spoken and lacked confidence. While she was a tad taller than the average woman (5’11” at full height), no one in the office could tell as she tended to hunch over a bit as if to hide herself while dressing in clothes that were far from flattering, but they were all she could afford from the thrift shop. On top of that, she’d been living in a shitty studio apartment and had just received a 30 day eviction notice. Where was she going to find the time to look for a new place? Where was she even going to get the funds? Money had been tight.

While Odin paid his employees quite a bit, most of her earnings went to pay the many medical bills left when her brother passed two years ago. Insurance wouldn’t cover most of his treatments as they were experimental, but that didn’t stop them from taking out loans so he could get into those trials. He was her best friend, all she had left in the world and couldn’t find it in herself to regret a single penny borrowed from the bank even when the treatments stopped working because it meant that she knew they’d tried absolutely everything they could. It was a few weeks after his passing that she got a job at Valhalla Industries as a glorified receptionist. Mostly she would help with admin work in the office, but occasionally she would be sent to assist higher ups when they were drowning in paperwork. Mostly, Odin had her assigned at random to Loki to try and use her as a spy, to see how his son was really doing. He never seemed to accept her reports that Loki was doing well, but he kept sending her to him anyway as she was the only one Loki hadn’t sent away crying yet.

Loki was the only person she’d ever told about her brother. They’d become unlikely friends, especially when she told him why Odin kept sending her specifically to help Loki. No one befriends a receptionist, but he did. Initially, he may have harbored some judgments towards her for her career choice, perceiving her as highly intelligent; however, as he got to know her better, his critiques softened and eventually vanished altogether. Eva wanted so much more in life, but circumstances forbade it, and the thought of it made his heart break a little more each time.

He’d often seen her wearing what even he considered to be an extremely beautiful and expensive ring. When he finally asked about it, all she told him was “it was my mother’s,” never offering any other piece of information.

That was until one day when he no longer saw her wearing it. She’d never tell him, but Eva was short on the amount of money she needed for an unanticipated balloon payment to the bank and reluctantly sold it to a jeweler who paid quite a bit but not as much as she needed. She could either cover rent or the balloon payment, but not both in their entirety. So it surprised Loki to see her no longer coming in with it on her finger. It seemed to be a permanent installation on her right hand. He was further surprised at her ask for additional hours if they were available but wouldn’t say as to why. It wasn’t hard to tell that she needed the money, and Loki knew she was too proud to just accept it as a gift. Despite that, he tried to offer and was not surprised when she refused. So instead, he had her help with some menial paperwork, paying her overtime out of his own pocket.

Loki had seen the light in her eyes fade, more so after the disappearance of her ring. When he asked where it was, she gave excuses such as it was misplaced, it was being cleaned, or flat out ‘I didn’t feel like wearing it today.’ Something was definitely going on.

Today was the worst state he’d seen her in since she started working at his father’s company. Yet again, Eva refused to tell him why. Loki pulled her into his office and closed the door to give them some privacy.

“Something is going on with you, and I’d like you to tell me what’s got you so downtrodden?” Eva knew she couldn’t evade Loki’s questioning much longer and finally relented. “You remember what I told you about the loan for the medical bills from my brother’s experimental treatments?” Loki nodded. “Well, there was a balloon payment I wasn’t aware of. I didn’t have enough money to pay for it. So I sold my mother’s ring.”

The mystery of the missing ring was finally solved. “I sense that’s not the end of this story,” he said and encouraged her to continue when she shook her head. “Even with the extra money from selling it, I couldn't cover both the balloon payment and rent. The bank wouldn’t work with me on it. So I paid the balloon payment and hoped my landlord would understand.”

Ah, the pieces were finally coming together. “And I’m guessing he didn’t take it well?” Once again, Eva shook her head. “The only thing he gave me was an eviction notice unless I can figure out how to pay him for the next 3 months up front.” This angered him. The idiotic buffoon couldn’t see it in his heart to give her more time? Suddenly, he had an idea. Something that would solve both of their problems.

“I have a proposition for you. I want you to hear me out before you say anything.”

“Alright.”

He took a deep breath before continuing. “My father has been hounding me to get married.” Her eyes went wide, but he held his hand up in a silent request to allow him to continue. “I am to take over the company; however, this can only occur should I take on a wife. I understand you are in financial difficulty along with your horrid landlord evicting you. So here’s what I propose. We would marry, likely an elopement. I’ll pay off any and all outstanding debts you have as well as fund you a new wardrobe. I’m not saying you look bad. It’s more that once we marry, you will be expected by my parents to dress to a certain standard. You’ll also receive a monthly stipend as well as a bonus at the end of the contract in which we will divorce amicably. I will even provide you with your own, fully paid for apartment which you can have furnished however you’d like, also paid for by me.”

“You’re crazy, you know that?” Loki knew she was right. Who in their right mind would do this? “I’m well aware of how insane this sounds, but it would solve both of our problems.” There was no denying it.

Loki wouldn’t tell her how much he’d leave in an account for her, but he would make sure it would be more than enough to cover tuition, books, and everything else she��d need covered should she wish to go back to university. Or she could use the money to finally travel the world like she’d wanted. Either way, it was up to her what to do with the money.

"As today is Tuesday, I suggest taking the next few days to carefully consider the matter and let me know your decision by the end of the week. Would that arrangement be acceptable to you?" She nodded.

The next evening, the landlord poked her about the eviction notice, trying to get her out sooner rather than later and didn’t take it well when she told him to fuck off. That next morning found her going directly to Loki’s office to accept his offer. “The agreed period of time begins today.” Before signing the paperwork he’d prepared in anticipation of her answer, they went over some key points. “In public, we would act as a loving couple. This will include hand holding, some kissing, and other forms of affection; however, I will not force you to do anything untowards. If something makes you uncomfortable, I expect you to tell me so we may rectify it moving forward. I may be an ass, but I am not a cad.” They discussed if they would have a proper wedding or an elopement. Whichever they chose, he said he would cover all the costs. Twenty minutes later, they came to an agreement, and both signed the papers. That evening, Loki arranged movers to help her pack and move into his place, giving her a bedroom of her own.

While the situation was not ideal, she would get to be married (at least on paper) to the man for whom she harbored a deep crush.

Dividers by @jiyascepter

Taglist: @vbecker10

Taglist is open!

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 1 month ago

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William Faulkner, "Never be afraid" :: [(From a speech delivered May 28, 1951 at Fulton Chapel, University of Mississippi)]

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

September 25, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Sep 26, 2024

In 2004 a senior advisor to President George W. Bush famously told journalist Ron Suskind that people like Suskind lived in “the reality-based community.” They believed people could find solutions to problems through careful study of discernible reality. But, the aide continued, Suskind’s worldview was obsolete. “That’s not the way the world really works anymore,” the aide said. “We are an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality— judiciously, as you will—we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”

We appear to be in a moment when the reality-based community is challenging the ability of the MAGA Republicans to create their own reality.

Central to the worldview of MAGA Republicans is that Democrats are socialists who have destroyed the American economy. Trump calls Harris a “radical-left. Marxist, communist, fascist” and insists the economy is failing.

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, today, Harris laid out her three-pillar plan for an “opportunity economy.” She explained that she would lower costs by cutting taxes for the middle class, cutting the red tape that stops housing construction, take on corporate landlords who are hiking rental prices, work with builders and developers to construct 3 million new homes and rentals, and help first-time homebuyers with $25,000 down payment assistance. She also promised to enact a federal ban on corporate price gouging on groceries and to cap prescription drug prices by negotiating with pharmaceutical companies.

Harris said she plans to invest in innovation by raising the deduction for startup businesses from its current $5,000 to $50,000 and providing low- or no-interest loans to small businesses that want to expand. Her goal is to open the way for 25 million new small businesses in her first four years, noting that small businesses create nearly 50% of private sector jobs in the U.S.

Harris plans to create manufacturing jobs of the future by investing in biomanufacturing and aerospace, remaining “dominant in AI, quantum computing, blockchain, and other emerging technologies, and expand[ing] our lead in clean energy innovation and manufacturing.” She vowed to see that the next generation of breakthroughs—“from advanced batteries to geothermal to advanced nuclear—are not just invented, but built here in America by American workers.” Investing in these industries means strengthening factory towns, retooling existing factories, hiring locally, and working with unions. She vowed to make jobs available for skilled workers without college degrees and to cut red tape to reform permitting for innovation.

“I am a capitalist,” she said. “I believe in free and fair markets. I believe in consistent and transparent rules of the road to create a stable business environment. And I know the power of American innovation.” She said she would be pragmatic in her approach to the economy, seeking practical solutions to problems and taking good ideas from wherever they come.

“Kamala Harris, Reagan Democrat!” conservative pundit Bill Kristol posted on social media after her speech.

For his part, Trump has promised an across-the-board tariff of 10% to 20% that billionaire Mark Cuban on the Fox News Channel called “insane” and Quin Hillyer of the Washington Examiner warned “would almost certainly cause immense price hikes domestically, goad other countries into retaliating, and perhaps set off an international trade war” that could “wreck the economy.” Cuban then told Jake Tapper of CNN that Trump’s promise to impose 10% price controls on credit card interest rates and price caps is “Socialism 101.”

Yesterday, more than 400 economists and high-ranking U.S. policymakers endorsed Harris, and today, the members of former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley’s presidential leadership teams in Michigan, Iowa, and Vermont announced they would be supporting Harris, in part because of Trump’s economic policies.

While Trump insisted yet again today that “the economy is doing really, really badly,” the stock market closed at a record high today for the fourth day in a row.

In other economic news, for nine years, Trump has said he will find a cheaper and better way to provide healthcare to Americans than the Affordable Care Act, although on September 10 he admitted he has only the “concepts of a plan.” Today the Treasury Department released statistics showing that 4.2 million small business owners have coverage through the ACA. Losing that protection would impact 618,590 small business owners in Florida, 450,010 in California, 423,790 in Texas, and 168,070 in Georgia.

Trump has made a claim that crime has risen dramatically under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris central to his campaign rhetoric. The opposite is true. Two days ago, on September 23, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released its official report on crime statistics from 2023 compared with 2022. Those statistics showed that murder and non-negligent manslaughter fell by 11.6%. Rape fell by 9.4%. Aggravated assault fell by 2.8%. Robbery fell by 0.3%. Hate crimes fell by 0.6%.

Central to the worldview of MAGA Republicans is that immigration weakens a nation and that immigrants increase crime and disease. First Republican vice presidential nominee Ohio senator J.D. Vance and then Trump himself repeatedly advanced the lie that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating their neighbors’ pets and bringing disease.

Clergy members from multiple faiths have asked politicians to stop their lies about Haitian immigrants, and today the leader of Haitian Bridge Alliance, a nonprofit organization that represents the Haitian community, filed a charges against Trump and Vance for disrupting public services, making false alarms, telecommunications harassment, and aggravated menacing and complicity.

Immediately, Representative Clay Higgins (R-LA), who in the past supported Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and filmed a selfie inside a gas chamber at Auschwitz, posted on social media: “Lol. These Haitians are wild. Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters…but damned if they don’t feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP. All these thugs better get their mind right and their *ss out of our country before January 20th.”

After an outcry, Higgins took the post down. According to House speaker and fellow Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, who called Higgins a “very principled man,” Higgins took it down after he “prayed about it.” Johnson seemed unconcerned about his colleague’s racism, saying, “we believe in redemption around here.”

But in a statement, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) called Higgins’s statement “vile, racist and beneath the dignity of the United States House of Representatives. He must be held accountable for dishonorable conduct that is unbecoming of a Member of Congress. Clay Higgins is an election-denying, conspiracy-peddling racial arsonist who is a disgrace to the People’s House. This is who they have become. Republicans are the party of Donald Trump, Mark Robinson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Clay Higgins and Project 2025. The extreme MAGA Republicans in the House are unfit to govern.”

On Monday, Dan Gooding of Newsweek reported that although Trump said on September 18 he would go to Springfield, he will not. Republican Ohio governor Mike DeWine had warned that the local community would not welcome a visit from the former president.

Republican politicians and candidates, including Trump, embraced North Carolina gubernatorial candidate and current lieutenant governor Mark Robinson, who trumpeted the extremists’ MAGA narrative. The September 19 revelation by CNN reporters Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck that Robinson had boasted on a pornography website that he considers himself a “black NAZI!”, would like to reinstate slavery, and would like to own some people himself, and shared the sexual kinks in which he engaged with his wife’s sister prompted most of his campaign staff to resign.

Andrew Egger of The Bulwark reported today that on a different online forum, Robinson called for a political assassination as well as making racist attacks on entertainer Oprah Winfrey and former president Barack Obama. Robinson has called all the information released about him “false smears” and has said “[n]ow is not the time for intra-party squabbling and nonsense,” but declined help tracking down those he claims falsified his online comments. Today, multiple media outlets reported that top staff in Robinson’s government office are stepping down.

Reality hit hard this week in Texas, too, where U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez yesterday approved the auctioning off of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s media business, the aptly-named InfoWars. Jones insisted that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a “hoax” designed to whip up support for gun restrictions, and that the grieving parents were played by “crisis actors.” Juries found Jones guilty of defaming the families of the murdered children and causing them emotional distress.

The auction of his property will enable the families to begin to collect on the more than $1 billion the jurors determined Jones owed them for his reprehensible and harmful behavior.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Letters From An American #Heather Cox Richardson #election 2024 #William Faulkner #quotes #MAGA poison #racism #Mark Robinson #Clay Higgins #the economy #the middle class

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jjmcquade-misc · 3 months ago

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California Bill AB1840 approved!

California bill aimed at making it easier for migrants, the AB1840 has already passed in the Assembly, allow illegal immigrants to buy homes with $0 down payments and 0% interest loans. Dems politics plan is, first criminal immigrants, any vote matters.

#gavin newsom #california #immigrants #bill #democrats #kamala harris #tim walz #donald trump #republicans #jd vance #maga

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talkfastlibrary · 1 year ago

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A Second Meeting—Jake Seresin (An Arrangement Series)

**the dress photo is simply for the outfit not how I imagine reader to be! So it’s here simply for outfit choice🙂

An Arrangement Masterlist

Follow here for all updates as I do not have a taglist

Synopsis: you meet up with Jake again to discuss The Arrangement but your questions remain unanswered. Yet, you find out a bit more about Jake.

word count: 2.2k

Feedback is always welcome!

Enjoy!

****

Three days have gone by since dinner with Jake and you’re starting to think it was an illusion or a weird dream. Reynolds has been driving you everywhere just like Jake said which was nice to save money on gas but also strange because you’re not used to this.

On Thursday Reynolds arrived with a black legal envelope and you ask if it’s the paperwork Jake mentioned. Reynolds nodded and you left it on your counter for two more days.

A week and many debates in your mind later, you finally decided to open it just to see what’s inside. You’re surprised to find it’s only five pages long. The first couple are about him, his schooling, random information, his accomplishments both in the Navy and otherwise, his likes and dislikes.

Then there’s lists of what you’ll have access to; his house(s), cars, private plane, vacation homes, a credit card of hers linked to his account and then any form of a physical relationship should you desire one. He lists that he’s a good cuddler and gives great massages. He says he will be an ear for her whenever she needs and that he’s as much her companion as she is his.

The last page lists what she’d need to oblige to; the Naval Aviation birthday at the end of the month, naval dinners, weddings, vacations, and family get-togethers. At the bottom is a place for the both of them to sign then a post-it note from him stating your grandmother’s medical bills and further assistance from nursing staff has been taken care of by him.

A lump forms in your throat at that nugget of information and just to make sure you open up your emails to see the final payment notices from all of your grandmother’s expenses. The papers drop to the floor and you’re soon to follow in a crumpled heap. You start to cry but then pull yourself together quickly because you know once you start you won’t be able to stop.

“Keep it together,” you whisper to yourself and shuffle the papers back in order.

Then you start to truly think of all the things he can help you with financially; you could move your grandma back home, pay off your loans and debts on credit cards you used for your grandma. You pick up the last piece of paper that has his note and there’s a phone number next to it.

You take out your phone and type in the number followed by a quick text:

I read the paperwork. I still have questions. Can we meet again?

His response is fairly quick back:

Of course. Join me for brunch tomorrow? Reynolds will know where to take you, he’ll be there by 11:00

You simple like the response. Your heart is pounding.

Are you actually going to agree to this?

***

Reynolds is knocking on your door at 11:00 and he smiles when you open the door.

“Good morning, Reynolds.”

“Good morning, Miss y/n.”

“I hate to ask…but does this look okay? I don’t want to be underdressed,” you press down on your light green dress. It reminded you of Jake’s eyes.

“You look wonderful. Mr. Seresin will agree, I’m sure.”

“Okay,” you exhale and follow him to the car. “Where are we going?”

“A favorite brunch spot of his called Horizons.”

“Oh…” you chew on your lip as you climb into the backseat. You were almost hoping it would be at his home, surely he has staff to cook for him. Why would he want to cook for you anyway?

The drive is only thirty minutes and you’re tapping on the black envelope with the paperwork you pulled from your bag. You run through the questions you had so you don’t forget them. When you arrive at the restaurant you see it’s along the water, luxury cars are shining in the morning sun.

Just like with dinner, the host walks you to the back on the deck outside where Jake is. He stands up when you appear, all smiles and so very handsome. He looks wonderful in tan chinos and a green sweater that matches your dress perfectly.

“Good morning, y/n,” he greets. His eyes slide down to the envelope but he doesn’t comment on it.

“Morning,” you respond shyly.

“I hope you’re hungry, they have wonderful omelets,” he pulls out your chair.

“Do they have pancakes?”

“Yes, they have pancakes.”

After placing your order and being given your drinks, you slide the black envelope on the table but Jake covers your hand. You look up and he has a slight frown on his face.

“We don’t have to talk about that now,” he removes his hand then proceeds to cut up his egg. “Tell me about your week, what did you do?”

You stare at him in confusion and he senses your hesitancy. He shifts his gaze from his breakfast to your puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m so confused and have so many questions about all of this…”

“I know, and I promise we will discuss it.”

“But you said the ball was in my court, so can’t we talk about it now?”

“That depends,” he grins.

“On?”

“By saying the ball is in your court…does that mean you agree and signed the form?”

You close your mouth then huff because you haven’t agreed to anything and definitely didn’t sign for it. You felt a bit of a kinship to the little mermaid, Ariel, signing that could mean signing your life away for all you knew. You were going to voice all your concerns. He smiles back easily because he knows he’s got you, and it’s not in a patronizing way which makes it worse.

“That’s what I thought. Now, tell me about your week. I’ve thought of you everyday.”

Your stomach flips at that comment. How does he do that? He slips in these one liners that always catches you off guard but also makes you feel fuzzy inside.

You continue your breakfast and tell him about your week. How busy you’ve been, how late you’ve been getting home from work and the constant headache you seem to be getting. While you’re talking you realize how easy it is to talk to him. You spill everything you’ve been feeling and he really listens which is something you’re not used to.

While he takes care of the bill you gaze out at the water watching the waves ebb and flow.

“Would you like to walk along the beach?” he asks.

“Could we?”

“Of course, I take it you didn’t bring a sweater?”

“No…”

“I came prepared,” he nods, then pulls a cream cardigan from the back of his chair as he stands. You stand up as well.

“I’ll be okay–”

But then a breeze blows and you shiver. He gives you a knowing look then holds up the cardigan. You turn around as he helps you put it on, his fingers brush the top of your arms and you shiver again.

“Fits you perfectly,” he mumbles, his breath blowing in your ear. He’s standing very close to you.

“Is it yours?” you spin away from him. Being so close is making it hard for you to think.

“No. I bought it for you.”

“What?” you squeak, eyes widening at the gesture. “You didn’t have to–”

“I wanted to,” he shrugs, placing his hands in his pockets. He rolls back and forth on the balls of his feet then jerks his head towards the water. “How about that walk?”

It’s a little steep and rocky getting down to the water, you’re grateful you decided on a nice pair of sandals and not your wedges you were debating on. There’s one more big drop and you pause staring at the distance of it. Jake hopped down no problem.

“Jump,” he holds out his arms, “I’ve got you.”

You inch forward, some pebbles tumble to the earth as you crouch down. You gauge the distance again between you and his open arms.

“Are you sure?” you chew on your lip.

“Positive. Jump, y/n,” he commands softly, his fingers motioning you forward.

You suck in a deep breath, close your eyes and push off. You gasp the short moment you’re in the air and then you’re in the sturdy arms of Jake, his hands curve around your waist and lower back while yours is locked behind his neck.

“Why’d you close your eyes?” he asks.

“So it’d be over faster,” you exhale.

He sets you down, gently releasing you from his hold. You’re not sure if he did that to keep you at ease or if he didn’t really want to touch you.

“You have more questions, don’t you?” he moves through the sand and you follow.

“Only a hundred.”

You walk in silence for a bit and he still keeps a chaste distance between the two of you then a realization comes to your mind.

“Why aren’t you at work?”

“I have Sundays off,” he shrugs gazing out on the water.

“Oh…”

“Would you like to sit for a while?” he motions towards a large piece of driftwood that has been flattened enough to make a decent bench. You nod and join him on the smooth wood.

You count in your head to eighty-three seconds then take that as your cue to ask your first question. You open your mouth but he speaks first.

“Amazing how water can be so calm and then so violent the next, isn’t it?”

You stare out at the water, a few white caps rolling in and then outlines of boats in the distance. It doesn’t look too bad from here but you’ve read about riptides and how dangerous they can be under the surface of the water.

“Do you not like the water?” you ask carefully, somehow this seems like a sensitive topic for him.

“I don’t know,” he shrugs leaning on his knees. “It reminds me of you, actually. You look so calm and peaceful on the outside but on the inside, you’ve got a riptide, a true force. I saw it last week at dinner with how quick you jumped to all of those conclusions about me.”

You sit up a little straighter at the mention of riptides, it was like he was reading your mind.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to–”

“No, no, you have every right to think of all angles of this. I want to know your questions, y/n, I do. But I first need you to trust me that there is no recourse or trap of some kind.”

“How can I trust you when I hardly know you?” you’re staring at him as he stares at the water, the soft oceanic breeze tousles his hair. The undersides of his eyes look a little dark, like he hasn’t been sleeping.

“You read all about me in the paperwork.”

“That’s not the same, that’s just words on a sheet but it doesn’t really show me who you are. And signing it would feel like I’m signing my life away to the devil or Ursula.”

“Ursula?” he cocks his head to the side smirking, “from the Little Mermaid?”

“Yes. Ariel lost her voice, I don’t want to lose mine.”

“That’s not going to happen. You have a wonderful voice that is very sure and profound. You might be a little closer to the devil aspect.”

“Are you the devil?”

“I’ve been referred to him once or twice,” he nods. “Does that scare you?”

You squint your eyes at him puckering your lips. You notice the way his eyes flick down to your lips and you look over the top of his head.

“Turn forward,” you instruct and he does so, “now look to the right…”

“What are you looking for?”

“Horns. I don’t see any so you must not be the devil.”

That makes him laugh, it causes his eyes to crinkle and you can see how nice his teeth are. He really does have a great smile.

“You’re sweet.”

“Can we discuss the paperwork now?”

“Not yet, let’s enjoy the water for a bit longer.”

You sit in silence watching the waves roll and flower over the shore with seagulls swooping down low. The water looks so inviting you remove your sandals then walk to the edge of the beach. The wet sand is a little cool but the squish feels nice between your toes. You take a few paces forward and then the water rolls over your feet causing you to squeal at the coolness. You close your eyes inhaling the fresh salty air, the skirt of your dress flapping against your legs and one sleeve of your cardigan falls down your shoulder.

Your questions are still bouncing around your head but now a new part of you is wishing Jake would come up behind you and wrap his arms around you. You want to hear his voice close to your ear again and maybe see what his smile feels like against your own lips. With a sigh, you open your eyes then turn around to see he’s already staring at you, his gaze intense and smoldering. It makes your cheeks warm and also a little sad because you can see a violent storm in his eyes, just like the one he was talking about with the water.

What’s his violent storm?

#an arrangement #an arrangement series #jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #hangman x reader #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin fic #jake seresin writing

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simply-ivanka · 4 months ago

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What Kamala Harris Believes

The Vice President’s political record reveals the views of a California progressive.

Wall Street Journal

Democrats are rapidly unifying behind Kamala Harris as their party nominee, yet the Vice President remains relatively unknown to most Americans. That means it’s important to look at her record to see what she believes.

As VP she’s closely identified with the Biden agenda, for better or worse, and she embraced that record in remarks on Monday. She said President Biden’s first term has “surpassed the legacy” of most Presidents who have served two.

So mark her down as endorsing the spending blowouts that caused inflation, the Green New Deal, entitlement expansions and student loan forgiveness. Until she says otherwise, we should also assume she’s in favor of Mr. Biden’s $5 trillion tax increase in 2025.

The Vice President’s four years as a Senator from California are another window on her worldview. She sponsored a bill to create a $6,000 guaranteed income for families making up to $100,000. Another Harris proposal: A refundable tax credit that would effectively cap rents and utility payments at 30% of income. Liberal economists panned the subsidy because it would drive up rents.

She co-sponsored legislation with Bernie Sanders that would pay tuition at four-year public colleges for students from families making up to $125,000. This is more honest than the Administration’s back-end student loan cancellation. But it would cost $700 billion over a decade and encourage colleges to increase tuition.

Another Bernie mind-meld: Single-payer healthcare. Ms. Harris co-sponsored his Medicare for All legislation paid for by higher income taxes. She tweaked Bernie’s plan when running for President in 2019 by extending the phase-in to 10 years from four and exempting households making less than $100,000 from the “income-based premium.” But it would still put government in charge of all American healthcare over time.

As a San Francisco Democrat, Ms. Harris shares the state’s hostility to fossil fuels. She used her power as California Attorney General to launch an investigation into Exxon Mobil over its carbon emissions. In 2019 she endorsed a nationwide ban on oil and gas fracking, which would cost tens of thousands of jobs and cause power outages like those that often occur in her home state. Expect this to be a GOP talking point in Pennsylvania.

One question to ask is whether the Vice President wants to restructure the Supreme Court. She said in 2019 she was “open” to adding more Justices, but that idea doesn’t poll well. Does she agree with Mr. Biden’s mooted plan to endorse “reforms” to the High Court that would make the Justices subject to Congressional supervision?

Mr. Biden famously put Ms. Harris in charge of border policy, and we know how that has turned out. Rather than push for border policy changes, her first instinct was to blame the rush of migrants on “root causes” in developing countries, including corruption, violence, poverty and “lack of climate adaptation and climate resilience.”

Climate change makes the U.S. border a sieve? Apparently so. “In Honduras, in the wake of hurricanes, we must deliver food, shelter, water and sanitation to the people,” Ms. Harris declared. “And in Guatemala, as farmers endure continuous droughts, we must work with them to plant drought-resistant crops.” These “root causes” take decades to address, and in the meantime she had nothing to say about actual border security.

Ms. Harris’s foreign policy views aren’t well known, or perhaps even well formed, apart from promoting Mr. Biden’s policies. While she has backed the Administration’s military assistance to Ukraine, she has equivocated about support for Israel. In March she chastised Israel for not doing enough to ease a “humanitarian catastrophe.” Leaks to the press say officials at the National Security Council toned down her speech’s criticism of Israel.

She lambasted the Trump Administration for killing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qassem Soleimani, claiming it could lead to bigger war in the Mideast. The killing chastened Iran’s rulers instead, at least until the Biden Administration began to ease sanctions and tried to repeat the 2015 nuclear deal.

It will be especially important for the press to ask Ms. Harris about her national security views. If her handlers control her as much as White House advisers have Mr. Biden, we’ll know they’re afraid that the Vice President might not be able to handle the scrutiny.

A fair conclusion from all of this is that Ms. Harris is a standard California progressive on most issues, often to the left of Mr. Biden. Perhaps as she reintroduces herself to the public in the coming weeks, she will modify some of those views. She would be wise to do so if she wants to win.

Given the rush by Democrats to anoint Ms. Harris as their nominee, the press has a particular obligation to tell the public about who she is and what she really thinks. Does she believe California is a model for the country?

#repost

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thebuyeragency · 1 year ago

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mishikaiya · 1 month ago

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youtube

Hello all,

I am posting on behalf of the wolf and wolfdog sanctuary, Apex Protection Project. The work we do there is important for our current residents and we advocate for their wild counterparts. I’ve only been volunteering for about two months now and it is fulfilling work getting to know and bond with these animals.

I am writing to you now to ask for assistance. Apex has found a forever home but is still in need of assistance towards its purchase. For information, I am quoting the e-mail I received so you can hear it in Paula's (co-founder) own words under the read more.

Even if you cannot donate at this time, please tell others. It would mean the world to me and the rest of us to be able to secure this property. For additional information, please feel free to contact me or Apex.

Thank you for your time.

When epic YouTubers Yes Theory first visited us, we were on a two and a half acre rental property with a pack of 16 rescued wolves and wolfdogs. They're visit changed our lives, sharing our mission with the world and helping our community grow. Since then, we've added more members to the pack, saved many more lives, and even visited Washington D.C. to advocate for wolves in the wild and you've been here supporting us, believing in us, and helping us achieve our mission... Since then, we've been searching for a property Apex can call home that will allow us to continue growing and saving more lives and we've finally found the PERFECT Forever Home! - but it's not ours yet. We are in the process of raising enough finances to secure a down payment. Will you help us? By making a donation toward this new home for Apex, you are literally becoming an active part of a very important and major step in Apex's growth and success. We are so lucky and incredibly grateful to have such a supportive global community! You the real deal and when we come together, anything is possible. You have been here for us when we've needed you and now, we need you more than ever. A property like this doesn't come along often and may not be available very long. Matter of fact, we've found that there is another interested buyer so we are doing whatever we can as quickly as possible to have a fair shot at getting it. Let us share what's possible...

Imagine... A 60-acre ranch and permitted wild animal sanctuary nestled in the mountains only an hour and a half north of Los Angeles. The beauty of this property is that it comes with all of the amenities we need: perimeter fencing, two sprawling compounds with large enclosures as well as ample fencing and materials to build and expand - buildings that would serve as an on-site medical center, offices, and isolation areas for sick or injured animals to heal - and acres of forest, fields, and a stream for the pack to run and play - where the wolves will enjoy a cooler climate year round. There's a house for Steve and me to live on the property as well as a caretaker's house for our Pack Care Manager Bette so we can care for the pack 24/7. A small guest house and an event center for programs and presentations. There's unlimited possibilities including nature retreats, school field trips, our ongoing educational experiences and programing, and camping under the stars while listening to the pack howl. Our pack will have the security of a forever home and we will have the ability to grow, save more lives, and increase our efficacy in our fight to save wolves in the wild for decades to come. This is all possible with YOUR help! Please join us in making this dream a reality! DONATE NOW! Don't let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity pass us by. Time is of the essence!

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#apex protection project #wolves #wolfdogs #animal rescue #donations #fundraising #Youtube

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mariacallous · 6 months ago

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The United States and other major countries are close to finally finding a way to turn frozen Russian state assets into financial assistance for Ukraine, with this week’s G-7 meeting of finance officials in Italy expected to lay the groundwork for a breakthrough deal worth as much as 50 billion euros.

But the U.S. push to get allies on board with large-scale financial assistance to Ukraine is undercut by the Biden administration’s reiterated limits on what Ukraine can actually do with the assistance it receives, with Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory still a no-go for Washington. Those restrictions are becoming increasingly contentious as Russia continues its bloody offensive against Kharkiv using troops and weapons staged with impunity right across the border.

The good news for Ukraine is that after weeks of U.S. prodding, key members of the G-7 seem inclined to sign off on a novel way to aid Ukraine with frozen Russian assets. The idea, which will be discussed at the meeting this week in Italy and likely further developed in meetings over the summer, is to use the approximately 3 billion euros in annual proceeds from Russia’s 300-odd billion euros in frozen state assets to underwrite a loan for Kyiv worth as much as 50 billion euros. Germany, which was reluctant to entertain previous proposals to tap frozen Russian funds, was the latest country to throw its support behind the new initiative.

“I believe it’s vital and urgent that we collectively find a way forward to unlock the value of Russian sovereign assets immobilized in our jurisdictions for the benefit of Ukraine,” said U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a speech in Germany on Tuesday. “This will be a key topic of conversation during G-7 meetings this week.”

The new plan, if it comes to fruition, would substitute a scheme that Europe just finalized this month on how to use the proceeds from Russian assets, which involved taxing the roughly 3 billion euros a year that accrue and sending the bulk of that money to Ukraine. Instead, the United States and allies in Europe and Asia would provide Ukraine with a lump sum rather than annual payments.

That would go some way toward meeting Ukraine’s huge financial burdens in the medium term, and also insulate some future assistance for Ukraine from potential political upheavals in the United States after November’s presidential election; presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has a mixed record on Ukraine and has consistently complained that the United States is doing more than Europe to support the country in its fight against Russia.

“The advantage is that you get the money for Ukraine now, and it would be partially Trump-proofed,” said Charles Lichfield, deputy director of the Geoeconomics Center at the Atlantic Council.

It’s no coincidence that Europe is just now coming around to even this watered-down way to tap frozen Russian funds, he added. Europe was reluctant to take further action to support Ukraine while U.S. assistance remained frozen. But Republican lawmakers in the United States finally unlocked billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine after months of delay, removing one possible European objection to taking a step that some countries still see as risking Russian retaliation.

Those European fears help explain why the United States and the United Kingdom have been unable to muster much support for more ambitious plans to seize the entirety of Russia’s frozen assets to aid Ukraine. The United States just passed a fresh law reaffirming its right to seize Russia’s assets, but the bulk of that money is held in Europe, making unilateral U.S. action unlikely and ineffective. Many European countries are worried that any move to seize the entirety of Russia’s frozen assets could spark tit-for-tat retaliation from Moscow, as well as threaten the euro’s attractiveness as an international reserve currency.

But Moscow isn’t waiting for an excuse to snatch Western assets in any event. In recent weeks, Russia has seized hundreds of millions of dollars in assets held by Western banks in Russia such as J.P. Morgan, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, and UniCredit. Moscow has also shaken down Western businesses that left the country due to sanctions to the tune of more than $1 billion, and it continues to grab money even from companies such as IKEA that have suspended operations there.

A number of questions about the latest plan to use Russian assets remain, including the size of the loan, the timeframe of future revenues used to pay it back, and whether it would be underwritten by the entire G-7 or by the United States alone.

Perhaps the trickiest part of turning future revenues into current money is the fact that, as things stand now, the European Union needs to renew its sanctions on Russia every six months. That could cast a shadow over just how secure those future revenues meant to back a loan really are, Lichfield said. That uncertainty could increase the risk profile of any loan underwritten by the United States or other major economies.

“To lock in that revenue stream for 20 years, you’d need to change European Union law—you can’t have it subject to renewal every six months,” he said.

But the U.S.-driven progress in unlocking more aid for Ukraine remains undermined by the continued restrictions placed by the United States and some other Western allies on exactly what Ukraine can do with the military assistance it receives.

Washington has since the start of the conflict warned Ukraine that it will not allow Kyiv to use U.S.-supplied weapons to strike at targets outside Ukraine itself, a prohibition that severely limits the utility of long-range weapons such as the recently supplied ATACMS, an Army missile system. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated that prohibition this week, even as Russian forces staged just outside Ukraine’s reach are sowing death and destruction in places such as Kharkiv. Washington has even sought to extend the prohibition to Ukraine’s use of its own weapons, frowning on long-range drone strikes at vital targets inside Russia, though the White House has acknowledged that “Ukraine makes its own decisions about its military operations and how it uses equipment that it manufactures.”

From Washington’s perspective, the cautious approach makes sense when dealing with a nuclear-armed state that has repeatedly threatened to escalate the war if the United States and its allies keep bolstering Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. It’s not a trivial fear: Russia did practice starting a nuclear war just this week, ostensibly in response to increased Western involvement in Ukraine’s defense. But the Biden administration’s goal of keeping Ukraine from losing while keeping the war from widening is running into a logical cul-de-sac.

“They don’t want Ukraine to fall, but they also have the priority of keeping the war contained,” said Edward Hunter Christie, a senior research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. “The mind virus that has taken hold is that you can control the war through the tap of military assistance—dial it up, dial it down—but the U.S. administration has put itself on this tightrope where it is afraid of falling on either side.”

The United Kingdom, for its part, has seemingly removed such limits. Foreign Secretary David Cameron said earlier this month that Ukraine can use British-supplied weapons as it sees fit. But U.S. limits remain.

The problem with the U.S. constraints has come into sharp relief with the Russian attack on Kharkiv, a big Ukrainian city right on the Russian border. Due to U.S. restrictions, Ukrainian forces are powerless to interdict Russian forces that stage beyond the border, leading to more destruction and more Ukrainian deaths.

That, in turn, has led a chorus of U.S. lawmakers to call on the Biden administration to relax its restrictions on Ukrainian use of U.S. arms. A bipartisan group of House lawmakers sent Austin a letter this week, echoed by a similar plea from Sen. James Risch, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. House Speaker Mike Johnson Other prominent figures, including Mike McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, have publicly questioned the continued U.S. restrictions. Even a lawmaker who held up U.S. aid for Ukraine, House Speaker Mike Johnson, is questioning the Biden administration’s limits on Ukraine’s targeting.

“The debate is live now, because of Kharkiv. Everybody can now see how absurd and damaging to Ukraine these caveats are,” said Christie, who was also formerly a NATO official. “We continue to be in a situation where Ukraine has to fight with one hand tied behind its back.”

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