#felony criminal information

[azaenigma]

If you or your loved one is facing the long-term obstacles that show up after a felony conviction, you'll want to check out this $25 course: https://friendlyfelonlifecoaching.coursify.me/.

After my own journey in life with a felony conviction, I offer encouragement, guidance, and information that helps people with felony backgrounds find the resources that help us in particular build more stable lives.

#lifeafterafelony #secondchances #lifeafterlockup #takealeap #goals

[elodieunderglass]

Why are jockeys not supposed to look at smartphones?? will it make them heavier

No, of course not!

It’ll make them criminals

This is in reference to something I mentioned about a prominent female jockey leaving the sport over breaking smartphone usage rules. Nanako Fujita, who raced for Japan, was an excellent jockey with a promising career and international prospects. She was lucky, talented, and in a sport that’s starving for public interest, popular. But she used her smartphone on a weekend, so on October 2024 she tearfully penned her resignation letter and left the sport.

Now, this is slightly more about Japanese sporting authorities than general horse racing practice, but it’s embedded in the idea that jockeys are inherently just such unscrupulous little bastards that they can only be prevented from cheating by locking them in hamster cages.

Going back to how horse racing is historically the province of organised crime, disorganised crime, chaotic crime, things that aren’t crimes but should be, crimes that haven’t been invented yet, and felonies; and given that it all happens for the amusement of billionaires and royalty, not noted for being generous and scrupulous; and given that - much like how claiming a hobby of “knitting” is really a cover story for collecting yarn - horse racing is really an excuse to gamble;

Given all that background - there’s always been a lot of anxiety about jockeys “fixing” races. After all, they’re historically treated as disposable and make inconsistent and indifferent money while entire fortunes are wagered on their backs they’re in an obvious position to influence race outcomes, and there are unbelievable amounts of money at stake.

Thus, the sport feels that we have to assume that jockeys are simply inherently susceptible to bribery. In the UK, jockeys can’t bet on any races and have to declare their mobile phone numbers to the horse racing authority, and have restrictions placed on where/how/what they can use smartphones for around the tracks. They can’t bring a phone to work, basically. Which isn’t too unusual in some professions. The idea is that jockeys with phones could communicate with each other or outsiders to change racing outcomes, or share information in advance before it can impact on the betting odds (like insider trading on the stock market.) this is not commonly practiced in other UK sports. It’s a working condition imposed by anxiety about preserving the integrity of the gambling.

The Japanese licensing authority is more strict. The night before a race meeting, Japanese jockeys surrender their phones and go into separate quarters without lines of communication. So you might give up your phone at 9pm Friday night, enter a sort of corporate youth hostel, work for 2 days, and recover your phone on Monday. Nanako was caught using her phone during this period of sequestration, even though there’s no evidence that she was using it for race fixing (another jockey caught for the same thing in the crackdown was making a restaurant reservation.) again, this level of control over personal communications isn’t practiced in other Japanese sports! Even Japanese pop idols, famed for having restricted personal lives, don’t risk getting pushed out of their job entirely for touching a phone.

It’s about a lot of things, but the level of control exerted over jockeys is interesting to me! and speaks to their position as athletes who aren’t the focus of the sport they do; of jockeys as the disposable pilots of things that are far more valuable than they are; of workers whose working conditions are unique; of sportspeople whose sport is defined by the anxieties of the rich about gambling; of people whose bodies are ferociously honed for a specific set of rules that don’t even necessarily make sense; of a sport thousands of years old, one of the oldest continuous sports of human history, in which the humans who play it are invisible; of ancient once-immovable traditions colliding, in the 2020s, with renewed interest in animal and human welfare and renewed pressures to Perform for social media and everything changing in ways we can’t see because we’re in the middle of them. Like when I say “one of the oldest continuous sports in human history”, as old as the domestication of horses, think about it for a minute and think how strange it is that the human athletes are this invisible, this disposable, this secondary to considerations. Why is it that you’ve been forced to learn about football against your will all your life, and you never thought for a second about this. Isn’t that wild? I think it’s wild.

(Disclaimer: I’m really not an expert, just a mild fan, which is a bit unusual for my demographic; despite the sport being ancient and internationally known, it isn’t very relatable to “people like us,” so this is kind of the first time anyone on tumblr’s really posted about having an interest in horse racing/jockeys. I’m really not an expert and I barely follow the news and do NOT attend races or understand the stats/gambling. It’s just that it was my first career ambition when I was 6, and it’s one of those things where literally no one else cares, so you get to feel like you have Secrets and a Unique OC.)

[mckitterick]

What Really Happened During the Atlanta Presidential Debate

This (very long but deeply informative) exposé of American journalistic failure reveals not only the malice they've shown toward Biden but also their inexplicable gentleness toward the other candidate who'd almost certainly put them all out of their jobs.

Not reported anywhere I've seen is how badly tRump's mind has been failing (perhaps because they're so used to his mental instability) or that he spouted 602 lies in 40 minutes during the debate (perhaps because he's known to have told more than 30,000 lies while he occupied the White House). And we've never seen a full accounting of why Biden was tired that night (as anyone would be, regardless of age, after such a harrowing week).

Rather than talking about the 34-times-over felon's (who's also facing 54 more felonies) horrific performance during the debate, or that tRump's physical and mental health are far worse than Biden’s (who's about the same age, btw), the mainstream press is only talking about how tired Biden was after a grueling week of actual work.

And let us not forget the ableism inherent in mocking a stutterer rather than exposing the other candidate's actual mock-worthy performance - a guy who presents as a malignant narcissistic sociopath and career criminal who’d be unemployable and likely unhoused if not for a $400 million inheritance from his likely-KKK dad, who constantly lies to hide the fact he was born between third base and home, and who's lost more money than he's ever "earned."

Check out the deeply researched article for the full story of journalistic malpractice: X

[justinspoliticalcorner]

David Badash at NCRM:

Republicans ground the House to a halt Wednesday afternoon after U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN) objected to remarks made by Rules Committee Ranking Member Jim McGovern (D-MA), during which he delivered a short overview of the 88 criminal charges Donald Trump is facing, and civil court findings including one deeming him an adjudicated rapist. “Take down his words,” Congresswoman Houchin declared, interrupting Rep. McGovern. “I demand that his words be taken down.” For more than one hour, according to Fox News’ Chad Pergram, the people’s business stopped as Republicans, angered by the Democrat’s factual remarks, had them investigated by the House Parliamentarian. “Donald Trump might want to be a king, but he is not a king,” Congressman McGovern observed. “He is not a presumptive king. he’s not even the president – he’s a presumptive nominee.”

“At some point,” McGovern told his congressional colleagues, “it’s time for this body to recognize that there is no precedent for this situation. We have a presumptive nominee for President facing 88 felony counts, and we’re being prevented from even acknowledging it. These are not alternative facts. These are real facts. A candidate for President of the United States is on trial for sending a hush money payment to a porn star to avoid a sex scandal during his 2016 campaign, and then fraudulently disguising those payments in violation of the law. He’s also charged with conspiring to overturn the election. He’s also charged with stealing classified information and a jury has already found him liable for rape and a civil court. And yet, in this Republican controlled House, it’s okay to talk about the trial but you have to call it a sham.” The decision to strike McGovern’s “offensive” remarks appears to have come from U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl (R-AL), who was presiding over the chamber. He cited House Rule XVII, which Pergram reported “says House members are prohibited from impugning the motives of fellow House members, senators or the President. And in this case, the former President.”

Earlier, before Rep. Houchin demanded his remarks be stricken, McGovern also blasted Republicans for traveling to New York in their “cult uniforms,” to show support for Donald Trump at his criminal trial in Lower Manhattan. The Massachusetts Democrat told his colleagues, “my friends over the other side of the aisle have pandered to their most extreme members over and over and over again. They let the extremists kick out their own Speaker. They let the extremists dictate the agenda on the House floor. They let the extremists take down seven rule votes since January 2023 – a stunning indictment of their ability to get anything done. And speaking of indictments, Republicans are skipping their real jobs to take day trips up to New York to try to undermine Donald Trump’s criminal trial. No time to work with Democrats, but plenty of time to put on weird matching cult uniforms and stand behind President Trump with their bright red ties like pathetic props.”

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA)’s speech on the House floor calling out criminal defendant Donald Trump was delivering truth bombs left and right, and it made Republicans upset, especially the part in which he said that Trump “might want to be a king, but he is not a king” and the fact that he was calling out his criminality.

Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN) was the Republican who ordered a frivolous halt to McGovern’s speech by demanding “that his words be taken down.” Floor Presider Jerry Carl (R-AL) granted Houchin’s request, and McGovern was barred from speaking on the Floor for the rest of the day.

See Also:

NBC News: Democrat McGovern ruled 'out of order' after listing off Trump's legal woes on the House floor

Daily Kos: GOP brings House to a halt to debate whether facts are allowed

[lessersole]

Bridging Boroughs - Part Three

Pairing: Congressman!Bucky x reader. Platonic!Matt Murdock.

Summary: You and Bucky meet to talk after the events of the gala.

Word count: 2.9k

Warnings: Some swearing, mention of alcohol.

Part two | Part four

------------

“You are the only person I know who could end up doing something illegal on a first date,” Sam laughs. “So the transition to respectable member of congress is going well?”

Bucky glowers at him, “It’s not funny, Sam.”

“It’s kinda funny,” Sam counters.

Bucky’s in DC for work and as usual, has taken the chance to catch up with Sam for a few beers. Since Joaquin’s out of town, it’s just the two of them - and with you almost constantly on his mind, the conversation quickly turned to the events of the charity gala a few days before.

Sam sighs, recognising Bucky’s sour attitude, and continues more seriously, “Look, you said more of a misdemeanor than a felony, right?

“Yeah.”

“And well-intentioned, not immoral, and she didn’t ask you to get involved.”

“She wanted to use me as cover. Without asking.”

“Okay, that part’s not great,” Sam concedes, “But there’s clearly still some trust there, or you wouldn’t be refusing to tell me the specifics.”

Bucky frowns. He’s told Sam the broad outline of what happened at the charity gala, but he didn’t want to give away anything that could get you - or Sam, if he doesn’t disclose it - in trouble. He just wants advice on what to do.

“And I’ve never seen you fall for someone so fast,” Sam adds, lifting his beer. “Actually - I’ve never seen you fall for someone, period.”

“Except Sarah,” Bucky can’t help correcting with a smirk.

Putting his drink down hard, Sam points a stern finger at Bucky, “No. Still no.”

Bucky’s grin fades. “So what do I do?”

“About your criminal girlfriend? Give her a chance,” Sam shrugs, “Talk to her about it. Make sure she doesn’t drag you into anything worse - you said she was doing this for a friend?”

Bucky nods.

“So stay away from that friend, I guess.”

—

You check your phone for the hundredth time - still nothing from Bucky. The night at the gala had ended awkwardly, the flirting and teasing of your previous encounters killed by you breaking and entering into the mayor’s office. You’d understand if he didn’t want to see you again - he was a congressman, and you’d used him as an accessory - but you desperately wanted to. The memory of the kiss you’d shared still lingered in your mind.

After waiting a few days for him to make the first move, you’d caved and texted him, only for him to reply that he was in DC for the week. At least he hadn’t ignored you. Or blocked your number. But he should be back in town by now, and you’ve still heard nothing.

“A watched phone never rings,” Matt tells you with a knowing grin.

“Not helpful,” you sigh, clearing away his drink.

Matt’s taken to dropping in on you at work, trying to convince you to join his crusade against the Kingpin - although he’s still vague on the details of his plan, other than recruiting a team of vigilantes.

Despite your repeated refusals, he still turns up, sometimes just to talk or quietly work on cases at the bar. Today it’s to talk.

“You know, it’s not my fault he hasn’t called you.”

“Yeah, because a little B&E really goes down well on a first date.”

“Pretty heavy event for a first date,” Matt observes, “And you chose to do it.”

“After you asked! And what have you done with the information anyway? I’ve ruined a potentially really good relationship with a really good guy, and all for nothing.”

“Forewarned is forearmed.” He explains, before cocking his head in curiosity. “And I thought you don’t usually do relationships. Or good guys, for that matter.”

You glare at him so hard even he has to see it. “You haven’t known anything about my love life for a while now, Matt.”

He holds his hands up in submission. “Sorry. Low blow.”

You wipe down the counter to stop your hands twitching for your phone again. “Given that unwarranted observation, and since you’re only interested in good guys for your little militia, I take it that means you haven’t invited Frank?”

“No,” Matt grimaces, “He’s too out of control.”

“Meaning he won’t follow your orders.”

“Meaning he murders people. I want to protect the city, help it heal - not just rip it to pieces in a different way.”

Before you can reply your phone buzzes in your pocket and you snatch it up. It’s finally Bucky.

I’m back in town. Can we talk?

—

You hate how nervous you’re feeling as you walk towards your agreed meeting spot outside Central Park. You might have snapped at Matt about it, but you’re not used to being so invested in someone, especially so soon. Seeing that Bucky’s already waiting at the entrance to the park, you hope him arriving early is a sign that he’s feeling similarly.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” You both stand awkwardly, unsure how to greet each other. The soft cheek kiss he welcomed you with before the gala feels like a million years ago.

“Okay, look, I’m sorry,” you burst out in a rush, exasperated by the uneasy atmosphere, “You invited me to the thing, and you’re a congressman, and I used you as cover for something not entirely above board, which was not cool of me. If you don’t want to see me again, that’s fine. But I wanted to say sorry.”

Bucky opens his mouth to respond, but you keep going.

“Although you chose to join me in doing that, which I didn’t ask you to, and it was absolutely for a good reason, and I didn’t plan it, and no one got hurt or even found out about it. And a fancy, high profile gala is a really weird choice for a first date, so you kind of set a precedent for unusual behaviour, so you’re not really blameless in this.”

Bucky looks both amused and surprised at your outburst. “Are you done?” He asks.

“I could continue,” you answer defensively.

You hide your delight as Bucky smiles, “You’re right about it being a bad choice for a first date. I guess I wanted an excuse to see you, and I had the event anyway, so it made sense in my head.”

“So you were using me?” You challenge with a smirk. “You’re saying you’re the one who should be apologising?”

“Don’t push it,” Bucky answers, “But - can we reset?” He nods to the park you still haven’t entered, “I hear a walk is a more normal first date these days.”

“So I’m forgiven?” You ask hopefully.

“Let’s see how this goes,” he answers more cautiously.

—

One hour, a couple hot dogs and an ice cream later, you’d say the date was going well.

“So, congress - what’s that about?” You ask.

“Well,” Bucky begins, “congress is a branch of government with the power to pass or-”

“Okay, smartass,” you interrupt, gently smacking his arm as he grins, “I mean why for you? What made you want to run?”

“I wanted to make a difference,” Bucky answers, simply and seriously, “I thought I could stand up for people who aren’t really represented at the moment.”

“People with ‘special abilities’?”

Bucky nods.

“And do you feel like you’re able to do that?” You don’t doubt his intentions, but it wasn’t too long ago you felt even more strongly than Matt that working within the system was hopeless - and recent experience has taught you that the only politicians able to actually effect change are the bad ones.

Bucky pauses for a moment before answering, “I think it’s possible. I believe it is. It’s complicated - and difficult - but there’s a lot that needs changing in this country, and this seemed like the best way to help make it happen.”

“I’ve heard that before.” You can’t help thinking of Matt again, and his repeated assertions that he could help people using the law just as well as, or better than, outside of it. And how thoroughly he seems to have given up on that idea now. “So why the drive to help people? You’ve been through a lot, no one would blame you if you wanted an easy life, and politics is, like, the opposite of that. Are you just that good of a guy?”

“Maybe I’d like you to think so,” Bucky shoots you a roguish smile, “but actually it was sort of my therapist’s idea.”

Your horror is only half in jest, “Your therapist suggested you go into politics? Christ, Bucky, you need a new therapist.”

He laughs and you glow at the warm sound, the distractingly sexy way his eyes crinkle, and at you at being the cause of it.

“Making amends was her idea.” He explains. “Owning my past and taking responsibility. Acknowledging what I did, apologising for it, and making up for it.”

You frown, confused. “We’re talking about your past as-”

Bucky takes a deep breath, “As the Winter Soldier, yeah.”

“But - I thought you were brainwashed or something.” You remembered the news around the time of his pardon, the details re-emerging when he ran for congress.

“I was,” he clarifies.

There’s no joke in your coldly appalled tone any more. “Your therapist told you to take responsibility for things you were forced to do - things you had no control over?”

Bucky looks puzzled by your outrage in a way that half breaks your heart and half enrages you on his behalf. “I still did those things.” His voice is quiet, but firm. “I remember doing them.”

“Bucky-”

“Making amends helps. It helps with the guilt, the ni-” He stops himself, not ready to be so vulnerable.

For a moment, you’re unsure how to react, then an idea flashes into your mind. “Is it okay if I make a quick phone call?”

“Alright,” Bucky’s answer is uncertain.

He watches warily as you step away from him, unsure what’s prompted this. Maybe he should have been clearer about his past, but it’s not exactly a secret. You’d known who he was from the moment you met, and part of what he liked about you was how completely unphased by it you were - not just untroubled by it, but willing to sass, argue and hold your ground against him.

But perhaps he’d misjudged something somewhere.

You return to him, a broad smile on your face that he’s starting to recognise as the look that appears when you have a plan.

“Are you okay with me derailing this date in a much more legal way than last time?”

—

A quick cab ride later, the two of you arrive at an unassuming diner back in Hell’s Kitchen. Bucky follows as you enter and head into a private room at the back, but he lingers to read the simple paper sign on the door - there’s a ringed image of a defiantly raised fist and the words Kilgrave Victim Support Group. Understand, Rebuild, Move Forward.

When he catches up with you, you’re greeting the smiling man who seems to be in charge and turn to introduce them. “Bucky, this is Malcolm. Malcolm, Bucky.”

Malcolm steps towards him with an outstretched hand, “Great to meet you, man. Welcome.”

“Thanks,” Bucky shakes his hand, but says to you both, “I’m not sure I should be here. I don’t even know what a Kilgrave is.”

“It’s not just for Kilgrave’s victims,” you assure him.

Malcolm nods enthusiastically. “Right. It was set up for Kilgrave’s victims, but we support all survivors of mind control here. Everyone will introduce themselves, but we’ve had people affected by the thing in Westview, someone who worked for some organisation called the TVA, even Professor Selvig drops by when he’s town, after the incident in 2012. Actually we should probably change the name.” He adds as an afterthought. “But I promise you’re more than welcome here, Bucky.”

“I don’t know,” Bucky hesitates.

“You don’t have to say anything. You can just observe if you want.” Malcolm explains. “Come on, we’re about to get started.”

“Go on,” you nudge Bucky’s arm, “I have to get to work anyway. Just give it a go. And - you can let me know after if you want a second date? This doesn’t count as part of the date though, you can just rate me on the fun park stuff. And remember that I bought you a hot dog.”

Bucky rolls his eyes at you, but you can tell there are some nerves beneath his gruff exterior. “Fine.”

—

It’s hours since the support group will have finished, and you realise you’re back to waiting for a text from Bucky while you go through the motions at work. You resist the urge to message him and ask how it went, and just as you’re telling yourself - again - not to obsess over him, Bucky’s familiar frame fills the doorway. You greet him as he approaches the counter. “How was it?”

“It was - interesting,” he runs a hand through his hair, and if it wasn’t for the visible tension in his shoulders you’d have to force yourself to focus on what he’s saying and not how attractive it is when he does that. “I went for a walk after. I guess I’ve got some things to think about. But I think I’ll go back.”

“That’s great, Bucky,” you tell him softly, biting back the question you’re desperate to ask about a second date.

As though he’s read your mind, Bucky glances at you apologetically before dropping his gaze to the floor. “About - us. I think I need some time to think about that too. And you should as well. Given my job, and my past, things are going to be complicated. You need to think about what you really want. And so do I.”

Your heart drops, but your usual defensiveness kicks in and you try to play it off. “I mean, it’s not like I’m proposing here, Buck. We can just have fun, right?”

His troubled eyes meet yours, “I don’t know.” He answers quietly. “Sorry.”

With that, he turns and leaves. You’re shocked at the strength of the disappointment that rips through you and have to blink rapidly to push back tears. Taking a deep breath, you force yourself to carry on with work as normal, and have just rounded the counter when the door crashes open to reveal Bucky once again.

“I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking,” he says as he strides desperately towards you, reaching for you and pulling you into him. His lips crash into yours in a heated, frenzied kiss, which you return full force, your hands grasping at each other, tongues and teeth tangling, the desperate press of your bodies against each other saying more than any of your words have been able to.

I want you.

I need you.

It’s only a piercing wolf-whistle from one of the regulars that prompts you to break apart, laughing breathlessly. Bucky presses his forehead to yours as you flip a middle finger at the old man who interrupted you.

“You can back out on me any time,” Bucky tells you.

“No chance.” You grin back at him. “Can you stay until close?”

“Of course.”

You kiss him gently, your lips teasing his, “Then I can take you home?”

Bucky pulls back slightly, running his fingers reverently along your jaw, tracing your mouth with his thumb. “As tempting as that is,” he tells you softly, “I don’t want to rush this. I really like you. I want to do this properly.”

“So what was that before about needing to think about things?”

“Some bullshit,” he mutters, making you laugh again, “I wanted to protect you. It’s true that dating me will be complicated. I don’t want to make your life difficult. But I can’t stop thinking about you. I haven’t felt like this about anyone in 80 years, maybe never. If you’re up for it…”

“I am very up for it,” you assure him firmly, “And I can look after myself.”

“I know you can,” he smiles, his tone lightening, “but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to stay until your shift ends and then make sure you get home safe.”

Disentangling from each other enough for you to reluctantly get back to work, Bucky settles in at the counter.

“They’re never going to let me live that down,” you grumble goodnaturedly as you make your way over to the still chuckling regulars to collect their empty glasses.

While your back’s turned, someone enters and joins Bucky at the bar. When you see who it is, you rush over, your good mood dented.

“Evening,” Matt smiles at you, “I was just telling Congressman Barnes how good it is to meet him. I guess you two have worked things out?”

“Now’s not the time, Matt.”

“I think now’s the perfect time,” Matt answers, blithely oblivious to Bucky’s angry stare.

“I know you’re her friend,” Bucky tells him, his voice carefully even, “But I don’t think it’s a good idea for the two of us to get to know each other too well.”

Despite the hum of customers and low music in the background, a hush seems to fall over the three of you.

Ignoring Bucky’s comment, Matt leans in closer to him,  “Do you ever think, with your abilities, your skills, you could help this city more if you tried something other than being a congressman?”

“Jesus, Matt, straight in with it?” You hiss.

Bucky scowls at him. “I think the less I know about whatever you’re getting up to, the better. For all of us.”

“Seriously,” you warn Matt through gritted teeth, “drop it.”

“Fine,” he surrenders, getting up to leave. “But I’m just saying - to both of you - if you ever change your mind, there’s a lot you can get done as part of a team.”

------------

Part four

Tags: @yesshewrites1 @itsmeamysworld

[dragongirlpoet]

Corrupt

Sylus x reader (not mc)

Synopsis: Feared, ruthless and agonisingly attractive, Sylus infuriates you like no other. Yet, you work for him. As you immerse yourself in a life of vice with the Onychinus leader, you soon uncover secrets darker than the shadows he wields. Perhaps, just perhaps, you got more than what you bargained for…

Themes: Enemies to lovers, angst, sexual tension, slow burn, violence I Words: 2.1k I Semi made-up lore/cultural facts

“Drinking on the job? Tsk, that’s the third infringement on company policy you’ve made tonight, kitten.”

He took a sip of his whisky — aged in sherry cask, distilled just right with spherical ice. It was how he liked it. I knew, because I was having the exact same drink — his choice of poison at every revel, every meeting, every reclusive night alone. 

Sylus threw me a derisive look, cherry eyes surveying me over the glisten of his glass. 

“Intentions become more blatant, after a drink or two. Or in your case, five.” I challenged the man who’s kept me hired for the past year.

I was grateful. My work at the Hunters Association had turned trite. Clockwork really, — detect Wanderers, eradicate them, aid the wounded. Righteous, lawful, and so…moral.

My heart had staged a mutiny long before my mind resolved for change. And so I left my woe of comfort and dived into the hellfires of felony. He had found me scavenging for Protocore fragments in the N109, attempting to make my mark with abysmal self-made weapons.

Trinkets — Sylus had called them. Indeed I was a stray cat vagrant in the dominion of vultures.

The leader of Onychinus circled me as I downed my glass, eyebrow cocked at my words. His handsome face gave nothing away — a classic Sylus signature. 

“Dance with me?” 

A loaded question. One with threat and agency lurking beneath.

I took his outstretched hand and let him whisk me into the centre of the dapper nightclub — exclusive, accessible only to the most premier, and despicable, of criminals. 

Sylus was one of them. 

With expert grace, he spun me into an embrace, one gloved hand intertwined with mine, the other at my waist. Our steps fell in harmony with each other at once, like missing chords finding solace in a melody. 

“So? What have you heard? You seemed thoroughly engaged with that halfwit over there…” his words trailed away as his gaze dipped to my silver dress. Being his right hand had me acquainted with his quirks — sometimes endearing, more so disturbing. 

The subtle smirk dissipated as soon as it came.

“They have ties with the Ever Group. Something about a nitrogen spectrum…a capsule…Kenshi and his men have been on the hunt for it for a whi…” 

“You look divine in this dress. I had it picked out just for you. Do you not like it?” his impertinence interrupting my mid-sentence. 

I huffed a breath. “It works similarly to a Protocore, quite li…”

“Damask rose, isn’t it? With a hint of honeysuckle…out of all my spies…” he lowered his head, “you’re my favourite scent.” A roguish smile accompanied the wanton glint he cast into my eyes. 

It had always been like this. Sylus would send me on missions, most times by his side. I was never granted the elucidations of tasks, only that I’d to “act as good bait…suss out whatever information you can…kill if you have to…”

I would probe, and he would reply with a curt, “Not safe. Just do as you’re told.” It was in those moments where I thought I’d witnessed fragility in his demeanour. He would catch on, and he would put on his mask of aloof and asshole, like right now.  

I rolled my eyes, vexation apparent on my features. Sylus seemed content that he got under my skin. Not giving me a chance to reply, he twirled me around, the warm velvet of his coat now a flaming singe against my bare back. So that’s why he chose this dress…

“Come on, don’t look so incensed. I heard you. You’re doing a fantastic job, kitten. Always giving me what I need.” The last word came out huskier than intended beside my ear. 

The club was cold. Sylus was conceited. It was a perfect match. As much as I abhorred his arrogance, I welcomed the warmth of his body to mine. 

I remembered defrosting at my fireplace after I’d been caught in a snowstorm. I had sat there for hours, letting the crackling heat appease my frozen limbs. It felt nice, comforting. And with Sylus’ arms now wrapped around me — he was my fireplace.

“I’m just trying to make this spy business enjoyable for us both. Even if you’re unhappy, at least act it. After all, you’re good at pretending, right?” 

There was an edge to his words.

“I saw how you brushed his hand… that spineless leech….unless you were thinking of fucking him tonight?” His hiss was loud enough for the crowd close to us to hear. They turned, throwing us looks of disdain and outrage. I doubted Sylus realised how hard his fingers were digging into my skin.

Cheeks flushed both from the whisky and his risky display of assertion, I shot him a warning glance. “You’re insane, Sylus.”

“So quit then. But do it later, not now, not while everyone’s watching. I don’t want an audience I didn’t ask for.” He was taunting me again, wholly unfazed by the almost furore.

How much did he drink tonight?

Maybe it was the alcohol, but I was in no mood to counter his transgressions. Instead, I snaked my arms back, cradling his neck, fingers threading through his silver head of hair. Sylus stiffened at my touch, likely taken aback by my insolence. 

Soulful, sensual beats reveberated through the club, patrons — descendants of the devil themselves, wives, mistresses — all caught up in the fervour of the music. Couples were fondling and kissing on the monochrome floor. And well, I didn’t find a reason why I shouldn’t join the hedonistic heist.

So into his body I pushed mine. Gripping my hips with his right, his left hand slipped down to my abdomen, tracing the lining of my underwear. As I let my head fall back into his chest, his own came lower to nudge my face, burying his nose in my temple. A flutter flushed in my core.

There was a sort of courtliness to the way Sylus moved, a kind of elegance you could find only in Kings and Queens. Yet the way he was guiding my hips to sway in rhythm to his held such lewdity. To the frolicking outlaws here, we looked very much the part of reigning besotted lovers — timeless, transcendent. 

Enthralled by the song and how Sylus was spooning me like I was his revered ruby, I ground myself indulgently against his leather pants. He grew hard at once, length prodding at my back. 

Our combined excitement was short-lived, though. The silver dress he gifted me caught in the buckle of his belt, hiking the silk up. My black panties were exposed in wondrous glory, earning hungry looks from the men around. 

The Onychinus kingpin tugged my dress down immediately, struggling slightly at the fabric fastened to his metal. His reflexes were swift as the time I aimed a loaded gun at him. 

A loaded gun, one that was now hoisted towards the crowd. He really was insane. 

“Look away, or I won’t hesitate to blow your brains out.” His decree thundered over the booming of the speakers.

Several men smirked, others pretended to ease back into their cavorting. Assault, drugs, murder — it was just another night here at the N109. Being threatened with a revolver? — A mere parlour trick. 

But perhaps that was what Sylus wanted to let on. “Never reveal your hand. Remain powerful by appearing meek.” That was the first lesson he had taught me. 

“Sylus…careful…you could’ve put us in jeopardy…” I cast a concerned glance his way, only to find him polishing his pistol with his coat, his face a nonchalant calm. 

His tone however, was one of annoyance, as if reprimanding a child. “I wasn’t fond of the little show you just put on.” 

I put on a show? He was the one who…I sucked in a breath to abstain from an outburst. He was getting on my last nerve. 

Pretending the best I could, I instead riposted, “Oh no, it’s not for them. I put these on just for you.” 

Two could play at that game. 

I watched the silver-haired devil pin me with his gaze, the dark of his pupils rising up to swallow me whole.  

“I ought to punish you for violating company rules. Seems you’re breaking many of them tonight.” 

“That’s why you hired me in the first place, isn’t it? I don’t play by the rules.”

There was a pause. The music seemed to fade out into a distant void, drowning the chatter along with it. Strobe lights danced around his face, illuminating the reds of his eyes. His right iris appeared to…glow?

A faint disorientation overcame me. In between blinking and regretting what I said, though, I thought I noticed Sylus inch closer — as if a subtle act of want. Only I had the privilege, or burden, to be sentient of his every complexity. 

I regarded his stare as they roved over my eyes, my lips, closing the space between us…

“I want to go home.” I muttered. 

Sylus straightened himself. If he was peeved, I couldn’t tell. 

—

The ride on his motorcycle was spent in silence, save for the roaring of his modified exhausts. I refused to hold him, choosing instead to grab onto the fairing of the tail. So was another night of ambiguous motives and aimless flirtations, one in which I had grown increasingly restless.

“Why is everyone looking for the spectrum?” I asked at a traffic stop.

Silence.

“How is it even related to a Protocore? What’s so danger…”

“You really should hold on to me. I can’t risk my best spy falling off…” once again disregarding my questions, crimson eyes glaring at me through his side mirror.

“What is wrong with you? It’s been a year! And yet you don’t trust me enough with details of your dealings?” I yelled over the muffle of my helmet, my own voice ringing in my ears. 

A low rumble sounded in the distance, quite like skyscrapers being blown apart by covert dynamites. The loud whirring of Sylus’ motorcycle remained, the combined knells throwing us into a pit of trepidation.

“Kitten.” 

I knew that tone. 

Drawing out my gun, I swung myself off the bike and fired. The Protocore-infused bullet buried itself in the recesses of a Wanderer, shredding its power source, erupting shards of alloy projectiles. Some of the pieces lodged themselves into other Wanderers, causing them to convulse violently, teetering on the brink of destruction.

Behind me, Sylus fended off several monsters, his Evol wrapping ominous tendrils around their form. In a mere furl of his hand, they disintegrated into dust, leaving clouds of ash in their wake. 

My weapon was formidable enough, having been altered with a Zenith Core — a deviant design forged by Sylus himself. “I made this just for you,” he had surprised me in my first month of training. “It’ll keep you safe. Though you’ll always be so long as I’m around.”

Another shot was fired, this time by Sylus, barrel of his gun aimed over my shoulder. The creature at my back let out a piercing snarl before it crumbled into pieces. Our eyes met at once, the animosity from earlier now a muted thrum.

Hostility, however, chose to emerge in a different form — more Wanderers. Hoards of them. I spotted Foulwings and Magma Knaves, both species not known to spawn here. 

I unsheathed my blade, but we were ringed in. Their screeches and grunts enveloped the night, like a fathomless blackhole draining all levity.

“There’s too many of them. We need to leave now.” 

In a swift grab of my arm, Sylus tugged me into a whirl of nothingness. Red and black sworls engulfed us, and the last thing I remembered was being thrust in such nauseating force that I blanked out. 

—

“Kitten. Kitten, wake up.” 

I’d have recognised that voice anywhere.

Sylus was staring at me, hints of distress plain in his electric eyes. I was propped up against his arms in the middle of an empty street. It looked familiar, but not quite. Dim streetlamps cast an unearthly glow to the pavements, their shadows prostrate like spindly entities on a night prowl. 

The buildings were far from towering ones in Linkon and the N109, carved instead, out of bricks and stone no more than five stories tall. Rickety signboards flickered on and off, as though a visual alarm to caution that we were not welcomed here.

“Sylus, where are we?”

A deep sense of rue loomed over his face.

“N109 Zone.”

“120 years in the past.”

[mrs-hatake]

Jealous, jealous, jealous girl!

pairing: sylus x afab!reader

Surveying the N109 Zone is not a regular occurrence in your agenda…is what You told Yourself at first. In the beginning, You’d just patrol around Sylus’ neighborhood, ensuring that that sneaky little fox isn’t up to no good. Somehow, as the days turned into weeks, watching over the N109 Zone has become a habit that you can’t seem to break free from. 

But Your endeavor isn’t fruitless. Though You have yet to witness Sylus competing any sort of felonies, You have stopped petty criminals from harassing the few innocent civilians living in the zone. At the mere sight of crime, You’ll wear a porcelain maroon mask (one that You’ve purchased so that Sylus won’t recognize you), jump out of Your car and head straight into battle. 

The crimes aren’t much to begin with but the more You get involved, the lesser they’ve been committed. Your assistance even made news into their shoddy newspapers. Masked hero saves The Zone! Is how most of the headlines are read. 

Tonight has been a quiet night. There are not bored looking children roaming the streets for some highly inappropriate prank that’ll cost the city quite a few millions in damages —not that the city council will do anything about it.  You don’t spot shady looking people who are breaking and entering. It’s a silent night. Still, You wait out a few minutes, just to make sure that everything’s good before You leave. 

Just as You’re about to press the grey button to start the engine, a familiar tuft of hair catches Your eyes.

Sylus, in his glorious height and broad shoulders, leisurely walks from around the block. A hand casually slipped into the pocket of his dark jeans pants. Though the man is giving the aura of friendliness, You can tell that Onychinus’ leader is on high alert. His shoulders being slightly elevated is a dead give away. 

You observe the man, following his every move, ready to strike when needed. Despite the fact that the two of you have gotten closer in recent months, You still can’t fully trust Sylus. How can You when he’s a crime lord?

As You continue to watch, Your tense muscles relax. It truly does seem that Sylus is simply out for a walk. In the back of Your mind, You vaguely remember Sylus informing You that he has trouble sleeping at night. Maybe tonight is one of those nights and he thought that strolling through the city might tire him enough until he sleeps. 

Just like earlier, You’re about to start Your car when a figure appears from the shadows. 

High heels step into the street lights, black leather gleaming under the artificial lights. They’re adorned on feet that carry long and smooth pairs of legs. Supple thighs are barely hidden by a blood dress, too short and revealing to be worn in the dangerous streets of N109. 

Sylus is a crime lord, that much is true, but You don’t believe he’d do something to an innocent woman but You can never be too sure. 

With a bated breath, You watch as the two about to cross paths. They’ll pass each other and You’ll be reassured, once again, that Sylus isn’t all that bad. 

However, the mysterious woman stopping directly in front of Sylus catches you off guard. Her boldness as she runs her finger down Syulus chest, the very same one that’s been haunting You in Your dreams, has You gawking in disbelief. 

Her flirtatious demeanor that is eagerly reciprocated by Sylus has You double taking at the exchange. Yeah, Onychinus’ leader can come off as flirty with You at times but it’s never anything serious. Yet, seeing Sylus’ lips curly lazily as his eyes appreciatively roam over the woman’s figure has Your chest feeling hollow. 

Without a thought, You shove Your car door open and march to where the two are. 

Thoughts of Sylus’ teasing remarks, him relentlessly calling You kitten, sweetie and other frivolous pet names, the nonstop skinship, all of those seemingly insignificant moments has Your footsteps thundering down the chewing gum covered pavement. 

Once they’re within reach, You impulsively yank Sylus away from the woman and step between the two of them.

Purple eyes that can be mistaken for sugilite blink with incredulity. The woman’s—whom Your brain tauntingly marvels at her beauty—pouty lips part ways, as if to defend herself but You don’t let her. 

“Sorry.” You press Yourself closer to a stupor caught Sylus. Glaring at the woman, You continue,  “He already has someone to warm his bed at night.”

“What?” Both Sylus and the woman ask, as if they haven’t heard what You had said. 

You don’t repeat Yourself but the fire burning in Your gaze is warning enough for the woman to back off. 

Suddenly, a quick bark of laughter cuts through the night air.

The nerve of the woman to laugh at You! 

Behind You, a voice sighs, “Y/N.”

The heated glare is now directed at Sylus who has his face hidden behind his large hand. 

“And you!” You shove Your finger into his rock solid abs, “How dare you seduce me and flirt with another woman?” You spit out the words in his face.

“I-” Sylus tries to explain but You cut him off. 

“I took You for many things, Sylus, but a womanizer wasn’t one of them!” Your tone is cold and disapproving. 

Sylus, despite being on the receiving end of Your venomous words and harsh glare, stares down at You in amusement. This only adds fire to the fuel.

 “What’s so funny?!” Your gaze shifts between the giggling woman and the amused looking Sylus, nausea churning Your stomach. You need to leave before You continue making a fool out of Yourself. Screw Sylus for his flirtatious nature. And screw him for playing with Your heart. 

“Relax Y/N.” A familiar voice stops You from running away in embarrassment and driving all the way home with Your vision filled with tears. 

“Kieran?” You blink in astonishment at the…woman? “What?”

Kieran chuckles, his gaze soft and apologetic. “I’m not stealing your man, don’t worry.”

When You’re still staring at him with shocked confusion, Kieran explains, “Boss and I are luring out a rival kingpin who has been relentlessly targeting our organization.”

“But,” You tilt Your head, still trying to process what has been said to You, “why are you dressed as a woman?”

Vibrant red colors Kieran’s cheeks, amplifying his beauty. He avoids meeting Your eyes as he explains, “The dirtbag has a specific type of woman and I’m the only one who matches the description. Luke’s sick so…” he rubs the back of his neck.

An awkward silence envelopes around the both of you. It is only interrupted by Sylus’ chuckle. 

As if remembering his existence, Your entire body flushes in embarrassment as Your behavior from earlier caught up to You.  

“So you’ve been warming up my bed?” His eyebrow rises when You turn to face him, “I’ve been wondering why I’ve been sleeping so restfully the past few days.”

Mortified, Your hands shoot out to push Sylus away but he catches Your wrists in a strong grip, “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” 

Sylus leans forward, his lips a hair's breadth away from yours, “Never.” 

[twopoppies]

Sorry to go back to Bg but I'm convinced Louis team was intending to let it fade into irrelevance until nobody remembered it until B's sugar daddy exposed her and he/his team did what they always do and overreact instead of using it and backdating the whole thing they went in the opposite direction and pushed to try and cover up the fact he had nothing to do with the kid for years. ( just like with larry,, there was no reason to do all that it just made people more interested in them) all they've done with it is made a bigger mess that's going to be MORE sus and make MORE people look deeper into everything when it finally ends or more likely gets exposed (disclaimer: i dont want him to be exposed it's just the fact is the bigger the lie the harder it is to keep 🤷‍♀️)

Yeah, I agree that Boobgate seemed to be the turning point. I don't think it was entirely an overreaction because they could have course-corrected if so. They haven't yet and it's been two years at this point. I really think there's some kind of legal issue he's trying not to get caught in. There's no way Sony would take the fall if the truth came out. It would all fall on Louis.

I'm not an attorney, but from what I can understand, falsely claiming to be a parent on a birth certificate can lead to serious legal consequences. At the federal level, there is no specific law criminalizing falsely signing a birth certificate, but this type of fraud can have various legal repercussions based on state laws.

False Information as Fraud: In California, knowingly providing false information on a birth certificate is considered a form of fraud, and the state may impose both civil and criminal penalties. California law treats falsely establishing paternity as perjury if done knowingly, which can be a felony with significant fines and potential jail time.

Paternity Presumption: In California, when a man signs a voluntary declaration of paternity, the law presumes he is the legal father. If he later claims he is not the biological father, he may face legal complications, especially if he signed the declaration while knowing he was not the biological parent. Depending on the state, this can be classified as a misdemeanor or felony offense with penalties including fines, imprisonment, or both.

Federal Involvement in Fraud Cases: If the false claim is part of a larger fraud scheme involving benefits, such as falsely claiming dependency benefits, federal charges could apply. For instance, fraudulently claiming a dependent on tax filings (if connected to a fraudulent birth certificate) could lead to charges for tax fraud or other federal offenses. I doubt Briana is filing taxes claiming Freddie as a dependent, but Tammi and Brett may be. Or Louis might be required to do it but isn't. I have no idea, but it's something to think about.

Consequences Beyond Criminal Penalties: Falsely signing a birth certificate can also have serious civil repercussions, especially in cases where paternity or custody rights are contested later. Courts may impose penalties, order repayment of child support or benefits fraudulently obtained (ie: requesting government assistance), and adjust parental rights or responsibilities (would this affect who has the right to care for Freddie and make decisions concerning his well-being?). Additionally, Louis' ability to keep his US Visa (thus being able to visit/tour/work in the US) could be compromised if he were found tp have committed fraud.

(If there are actual Family Law attorneys out there, please correct me if I'm wrong)

This is not to say he is stuck forever. But I think he needs to establish that he THOUGHT he was Freddie's dad for a long enough time to then have a DNA test and prove that he's not, but he can't appear to have known the whole time.

This, IMO, is why fans are better off just shutting up about it right now because constantly pointing out the pregnancy discrepancies, or how much he didn't do in those first five years, probably makes things more difficult for him.

[rapeculturerealities]

(9) BREAKING: Police & Nurses Conspired to Fabricate Evidence Against Brittany Watts, Suit Says

The suit details “an expectant mother’s worst nightmare,” blasting the defendants for depriving Watts of medical care and reporting her to the police when she was “most vulnerable.” She was interrogated, the suit says, while “tethered to her hospital bed with IVs.”

But it’s the claim that police conspired with hospital staff that took my breath away. Two nurses and an officer, lawyers allege, conspired to “fabricate evidence to falsely implicate” Watts in criminal conduct:

“They knowingly created reports and hospital notes that contained blatantly false information. As a result, Ms. Watts was arrested and charged with a felony: abuse of a corpse. She faced a year in prison for simply having a miscarriage at home.

The suit names two nurses, Connie Moschell and Jordan Carrino. First, Moschell contacted the hospital’s risk management department and falsely claimed that Watts had given birth to a viable baby and left it “in a bucket.” Carrino then wrote in a medical note that Watts had said she saw and touched the fetus—which was also false. Finally, Moschell called the police.

It’s bad enough that this nurse violated a patient’s medical privacy, but Moschell also told officers that Watts didn’t want her baby and that she didn’t look to see if it was alive. She also suggested there could be live baby in Watts’ home. And remember: these nurses knew that Watts had been carrying a nonviable pregnancy.

[sunboki]

⭑ KOREA'S MOST WANTED : WANTED LIST

CRIMINAL #0002 — LEE, MINHO.

CRIMINAL RECORD

Minho has been convicted of assassination— a first degree murder on four accounts of public committee members. Please proceed with caution.

CRIMINAL #0003 — SEO, CHANGBIN.

CRIMINAL RECORD

Changbin has been convicted of murder using a baseball bat and is described to be aggressive and out of control. Please proceed with caution.

CRIMINAL #0004 — HWANG, HYUNJIN.

CRIMINAL RECORD

Hyunjin has been convicted of illegal possession of drugs and dangerous narcotics. If seen, report immediately. Please proceed with caution.

CRIMINAL #0005 — HAN, JISUNG.

CRIMINAL RECORD

Jisung has been convicted of seven counts of felony charges in burning one of Shinhan Bank’s additional buildings. His motivations remain unknown. Please proceed with caution.

CRIMINAL #0006 — LEE, FELIX.

CRIMINAL RECORD

Felix is under investigation for the usage of poison involved in The Senators recent congratulatory meal. The case is yet to be absolute. Please proceed with caution.

CRIMINAL #0007 — KIM, SEUNGMIN.

CRIMINAL RECORD

Seungmin is currently on the KCIA's radar, though the lack of evidence regarding his strategies keeps an investigation at bay. Please proceed with caution.

CRIMINAL #0008 — YANG, JEONGIN.

CRIMINAL RECORD

Jeongin has been convicted of five counts of fraud charges in identity theft along with money laundering. If spotted do inform police. Please proceed with caution.

sunboki, may 2022 ©

[covid-safer-hotties]

Key points you should know:

=Mainstream media coverage of mask bans has given space for politicians’ false claims that masks are associated with wrong-doing, like crime and antisemitism, while overlooking that bans are, in many ways, an effort to suppress the reality of COVID-19. =There are 21 states and numerous municipalities with laws against masks or disguises on the books. People who wear masks would benefit from knowing exactly how they are worded and any legal precedents, as police are often under-informed. =Both Republicans and Democrats are pushing more severe mask bans than ever before in history. Democrats are more likely to give lip service to health needs without offering meaningful protections. Masks can and will be criminalized by police regardless of the language of the law, as arrest trends follow social trends. Police are also permitted by the Supreme Court to make mistakes in enforcing laws.

On August 5, Nyss Fayrchyld traveled from New York City to Nassau County in Long Island with other organizers to testify against a local bill to ban masks. The next few hours were “traumatic” and “volatile,” they recalled, with supporters of the bill “yelling obscenities” at immunocompromised people who testified in masks, calling them ”pro-Hamas thugs and terrorists.”

Police also directed enforcement at people in masks. One masked attendee was arrested on several charges, including second-degree assault, a felony, facing up to nine years in prison. Fayrchyld insists that the person was de-escalating conflict, which seems corroborated by video evidence. Supporters of the ban were also given more time to speak.

Nassau County’s bill passed with a vote of twelve Republicans in favor and seven Democrats abstaining. The law includes a vague medical exemption but also gives police expansive powers to stop, unmask, and arrest people.

Fayrchyld witnessed the type of state-sanctioned hostility that has become increasingly common for people who wish to stay safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Nassau County is just the latest jurisdiction to pass a mask ban, after North Carolina and Washington, D.C. early this year.

New anti-mask bills were also recently introduced in Chicago, the New York State legislature, and the federal House of Representatives, which proposes a sentence of up to 15 years. Leaders in New York City and Los Angeles have discussed possible future bans, and other states are enforcing pre-existing anti-mask laws on the books. The University of Virginia has banned masks on campus, unless the person can show documentation of medical need.

While mainstream media stories about mask bans often mention that immunocompromised people might be harmed, these stories also give unskeptical space to politicians’ claims that increased mask-wearing has contributed to all kinds of wrong-doing, from crime to antisemitism. In reality, mask-wearing is increasingly rare compared to early in the pandemic. There are countries with far less violence than the U.S. where wearing a mask is normalized. One analysis found no correlation between mask bans and crime rates. Many pro-Palestine protestors are masking explicitly to prevent spreading COVID-19.

Most media coverage fails to connect the new wave of mask bans to the ongoing political efforts to minimize COVID-19. Overblown concerns about facial recognition and protestors are only possible with a concurrent effort to downplay the threat of COVID-19 and erase signs of it from public life — now a priority for most mainstream politicians.

While the conversation around mask bans has focused on new laws and bills, 21 states and many municipalities have laws banning masks and/or disguises in different settings, which is more than other organizations have reported. Even where these bans have apparent limitations or exemptions, the finer language of the laws leaves all COVID-conscious people vulnerable. And the historic practices of police endanger people even in states with no legal bans.

“We have come so far downhill when it comes to protecting one another that [supporting mask-wearing] is a controversial opinion to have these days,” said disability activist and author Imani Barbarin. The political climate, she said, “creates this perfect storm where it’s going to further criminalize Black and Brown people who need masks to survive.”

The politics and propaganda of mask bans Historically, mask bans tend to come in waves. This current wave has been led by Republicans, with Democrats following closely behind. While Democrats tend to pay slightly more lip service to health needs, their actions undermine their promises.

The Republican effort to ban masks started before the COVID-19 pandemic, with a series of bills aimed at antifascist protestors. In 2011, Occupy Wall Street protestors were arrested for wearing masks. Republican leaders reignited their efforts in early 2023, introducing bills that sought to end the COVID-19 era of masking altogether.

Republicans insist mask bans have been around for a long time. But their recent efforts go further in criminalizing masking than ever before. North Carolina’s new law requires members of the public to “remove the mask upon request by a law enforcement officer,” for any reason, for as long as police want. Previously, the state’s law limited this demand to traffic stops and when police believed someone was committing a crime.

The new provision “smacks of blatant authoritarianism,” said Corye Dunn, Director of Public Policy for Disability Rights North Carolina. North Carolina’s mask ban also adds a new provision requiring a person wearing a mask to “temporarily” remove it at the request of an “owner or occupant” of a “public or private property.”

“Occupant doesn’t mean anything” in state law, Dunn said. She’s concerned that this “dangerous” provision will “embolden bullies and set up people with disabilities to face hostility” from fellow citizens demanding mask removal.

Elaine Nell, who co-founded the group Advocates for Medically Fragile Kids NC, is “angry, sad, and scared” about how the law might be enforced when it takes effect in October, especially in public spaces: “You get jury duty [and you] may not be able to wear a mask.” Nell is also concerned about her medically vulnerable children, who already lead restricted lives. “This may just take away even more,” she said.

Meanwhile, the conservative Manhattan Institute for Policy Research recently proposed a mask ban template focused on protests that don’t include any health exemption. While the Institute doesn’t pretend that COVID-19 is over, the template outlines a grim scenario: “Someone who wears a mask for health reasons probably should not be congregating in large groups of people.”

This statement suggests that immunocompromised people shouldn’t have the right to protest, work, or exist in crowded spaces, harkening back to the “ugly laws” that once forbade disabled people from being in public.

Democrats in the New York legislature proposed a mask ban bill similar to the Manhattan Institute’s template, with a medical exemption that only applies during a “declared public health emergency.” On paper, the federal government ended the COVID-19 emergency in 2023.

Across the country, Democrats are proposing mask bans based on flimsy and inconsistent logic, often citing incidents in which the main aggressors weren’t even masked. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, might be the one Democratic leader willing to make the subtext clear. He has expressed the desire to “go back to the way it was pre-COVID” by banning masks on subways, in stores, and in “other areas where it is not health-related” — as if there are any locations where health is not an issue.

Adams articulated out loud the Biden administration’s consistent priority: to erase the signs of COVID-19, or, as the podcast Death Panel calls it, the “sociological production of the end of the pandemic.” This started in the spring of 2021 when the CDC proposed that vaccinated people no longer need masks. The administration has also steadily chipped away at COVID-19 data collection efforts.

Mask bans are the latest step towards that goal, further disincentivizing the public from wearing them for protection. Biden administration leaders have explicitly associated mask-wearing with unnecessary, humiliating, and “fringe” behavior. And Biden recently insisted that he “ended the pandemic,” just before he reportedly caught COVID-19. His administration has been able to erase almost all signs of COVID-19 besides the viral illness itself.

How police criminalize masking On August 22, Disability Rights New York filed a lawsuit challenging the Nassau County mask ban by invoking the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). But mask ban enforcement won’t rely on the determination of the courts alone. Political propaganda against masking is likely to influence how police criminalize masking, as arrest trends follow social trends more than laws.

Before COVID-19, mask bans were among the obscure laws rarely enforced by themselves, though police have long used face coverings, particularly ski masks, as a pretext to stop and search people. Elijah McClain was stopped by police in 2019 in large part for wearing a ski mask, or “looking suspicious,” and was killed while in custody. Yet Colorado has never had any kind of mask ban, giving police no justification for the stop.

Supreme Court decision Helen v. North Carolina (2014) allows police to be “reasonably mistaken” in their understanding of the laws they are hired to enforce. Police commonly arrest people for legal knives and other weapons due to poor training and bias. People may lose days, weeks, or months of income while in jail — and exposure to a deadly and disabling virus — before prosecutors or judges catch up to police mistakes.

It doesn’t help that anti-mask laws have always been ambiguously written, contributing to “reasonable” misunderstandings and decades of legal testing in the courts. New York’s proposed law would ban masking during “lawful or unlawful assembly or riot.” But “New York, unhelpfully, does not define a local assembly in law,” said Allie Bohm, Senior Policy Counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union of New York.

Bohm is concerned that D.C.’s new law — which outlaws masking while committing a crime or “threats to do bodily harm” — is “just giving police freedom to stop anyone in a mask,” even without justification. Similar laws exist in Arizona, California, Michigan, and many other states.

Bohm’s fears were confirmed by the D.C. law’s sponsor, Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who said the law was intended to give officers “a basis for a stop, for articulable suspicion.” D.C. police officers were sent a memo summarizing the new law without additional formal training, according to emails from the Metropolitan Police Department.

Bohm identified a fundamental legal problem with most mask bans: “We will always be in the position of law enforcement deciding whether the person in front of them is masking for a ‘legitimate’ reason.” Most anti-mask laws assume that police can properly judge “intent” and behavior despite studies showing that such judgment is colored by racial and other biases.

Dunn recalled one North Carolina legislator saying in a hearing, “Nobody is looking to go after ‘meemaw’ at the Walmart,” referring to an older woman. The statement explicitly identified the kinds of “selective enforcement” likely to happen around masking, Dunn said. She has coached the family of one North Carolina Black teenager, whose immune system is suppressed from leukemia treatments, on how to balance his health needs with staying safe during a police interaction — what she calls a “horrifying choice.”

What should people who wear masks do now? (Nadica suggests reading up on illegalism. sorry for interrupting.) Unfortunately, marginalized people might not be able to rely on all of the organizations that have historically fought for their rights. Both the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in New York and the National Urban League support New York’s proposed anti-mask law.

People who wear masks should consider learning the finer details of the laws and precedents in their states and cities, given that police may not be well informed. Does your state require “intent to disguise” your identity for masking to be illegal, as in D.C.? Then you can cite the law and try to assure police that your intention is health-related.

Bohm advises people who wear masks in New York, if confronted by police, to state that they are worried about COVID-19 and ask if they can leave, as there is no current mask ban in effect. Dunn recommends North Carolinians invoke their desire to “prevent the spread of contagious disease,” citing the language of the new law’s very narrow medical exemption. Disclosing a medical condition might seem like a good strategy, but it’s worth keeping in mind police bias: half of people killed by police are disabled.

More broadly, activists need to build solidarity among all of the groups affected by mask bans, including disabled people, pro-Palestine protesters, religious minorities, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people. Some of the laws that ban disguises have been used against trans people.

Barbarin even thinks it would be smart to “hop on personal liberty” as a way to associate masking with American freedom, which she acknowledges is not “in vogue” on the left. The Klan has long been a plaintiff in lawsuits to end mask bans, and Proud Boys, a right-wing extremist group, often cover their faces.

In order to further broaden support against mask bans, the public needs to understand that COVID-19 is still a serious risk. Beyond that, the media needs to communicate that stopping legal bans — or adding medical exemptions — won’t be enough to protect people from police. It will take changing the political discourse around masking altogether.

[palmetto-polls]

body count (killed most people) poll but with jeremy this time

*More in-depth explanations of US degrees of murder below the cut.

If enough people think Jeremy has killed someone(s), I will do the poll requested.

If you have any poll requests, please send them in my asks! Requests are always appreciated.

First-degree murder

Any intentional killing that is willful and premeditated with malice aforethought. Felony murder, a charge that may be filed against a defendant who is involved in a dangerous crime where a death results from the crime, is typically first-degree, but may also be second-degree.[17]

Second-degree murder

Any intentional killing that is not premeditated or planned. A situation in which the killer intends only to inflict serious bodily harm, knowing this could result in death but with no specific intent to kill, constitutes depraved-heart murder, which can be considered as second-degree murder.

Voluntary manslaughter

Sometimes called a crime of passion murder and informally called third–degree murder, this is any intentional killing that involves no prior intent to kill and which was committed under such circumstances that would "cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed". Both this and second-degree murder are committed on the spot under a spur-of-the-moment choice, but the two differ in the magnitude of the circumstances surrounding the crime. For example, a bar fight that results in death would ordinarily constitute second-degree murder. If that same bar fight stemmed from a discovery of infidelity, however, it may be voluntary manslaughter.[18]

Involuntary manslaughter

A killing that stems from a lack of intention to cause death but involving an intentional act of negligence, which may or may not be premeditated, leading to death. A drunk driving-related death is typically involuntary manslaughter (see also vehicular homicide, causing death by dangerous driving, gross negligence manslaughter, and causing death by criminal negligence for international equivalents). Note that the "unintentional" element here refers to the lack of intent to bring about the death. All three crimes above feature an intent to kill, whereas involuntary manslaughter is "unintentional", because the killer did not intend for a death to result from their intentional actions. If there is a presence of intention it relates only to the intent to cause a violent act which brings about the death, but not an intention to bring about the death itself.[19] However, there are exceptions, such as felony murder and depraved-heart murder, the latter of which can be considered as voluntary manslaughter or second-degree murder, instead of involuntary manslaughter, despite the lack of explicit intention to kill.

(From Wikipedia)

[anima-virtuosa]

MLP Season 8 Finale "School Raze" - Epilogue

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Glow,

I am writing on behalf of the School of Friendship to inform you that your daughter has, as of last night, officially been expelled from our institution. Tragically and contrary to our expectations, Cozy Glow was found to be breaking several school guidelines and Crown Laws, including the entirety of restrictions categorized under Regulations A8b 'Statewide Terrorism' and A8d 'Misuse of Magical Artifacts'. In accordance with her being classified as a Class A criminal with 17 felonies on record, Cozy Glow has been sentenced to an eternity in Tartarus for her misdoings.

We sincerely apologize for this incident and recognize our inadequacy as teachers of showing Cozy Glow the magic of friendship. We are pleased to note, however, that we have made a number of improvements to the school to prevent such incidents in the future; these include removing the "Demon Communion For Dummies: 101 Ways to Contract Beings of Tartarus Using Simple Household Materials" tome from our school library as well as securing our magical artifacts with childproof locks.

We are still estimating the total death toll from the incident, which has come to be colloquially referred to as "The Day It Rained Ponies" -- initial reports indicate at least 1,158 casualties from across Equestria, primarily consisting of Las Pegasus tourists who experienced sudden cessations of their cloudwalking enchantments. These are hard times for all of us, and we will appreciate your presumed understanding in this grave matter.

We have attached to this letter a photo of Cozy Glow in her new home, where her needs will now be safely provided for at all times. For her own safety, no visitors or outside correspondences will be permitted.

With love,

Princess Twilight Sparkle

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jessica Valenti at Abortion, Every Day:

Anti-Abortion Strategy

Well, they’re back at it! Texas Rep. Steve Toth introduced a bill this week that would ban pro-choice websites. Under the “Women and Child Safety Act,” internet service providers would be forced to block any site that contains information about how to obtain abortions or abortion medication. That means the websites of pro-choice organizations and abortion funds would be banned—even Abortion, Every Day would be illegal under the bill.

The bill even includes a list of specific websites that would be banned in the state, including: Aid Access, Hey Jane, Plan C Pills, Just the Pill, and Carafem. If passed, the law would allow citizens to bring civil suits against internet service providers that don’t block these websites. (Which is sort of Texas’ thing—they love to incentivize communities turning on each other over abortion.) But it doesn’t end there: Toth’s legislation would charge anyone who raises money for abortion care with a felony—with a particular eye towards targeting abortion funds. In fact, the legislation prompts the state Attorney General to investigate and charge abortion funds using the RICO Act, which is meant to go after organized crime. (If you’ve read my book, you know all about this; Republicans are eager to go after ‘the helpers.’)

If all of this sounds familiar, it’s because Toth introduced a near-identical bill last year. And he’s not alone. Iowa Republicans also tried to pass legislation to ban pro-choice websites last year; their legislation would have also allowed citizens to sue internet service providers and prosecute abortion funds under the RICO Act. The bills are part of a broader attack on free speech about abortion. Idaho and Tennessee, for example, both passed laws recently that make it illegal to help teens access abortion. Under these policies, even texting a teen the url to an out-of-state clinic would be considered criminal ‘abortion trafficking.’ (Both laws are currently blocked on First Amendment grounds.) The Republicans trying to pass this kind of legislation all say the same thing: that helping someone get an abortion isn’t protected speech. 

Red state censorship in action: Texas HB991 would censor pro-choice websites within the Lone Star State.

[firesnap]

would i be able to ask for a simplified explanation of the manatreed thing? even when i was actively in the dsmp fandom i struggled to follow that and i still don’t understand exactly what happened. it’s ok if not, take care of yourself

OKAY so it's been a hot minute but I'm sure someone else in the community can add or correct any mistakes I make.

Dream runs a contest about buying merch or something where the winner is supposed to get a feature in a Manhunt video. Around this time, a "faceless" twitter account named Manatreed appears that all of the Dteam and Karl and a few others follow. it's a guy wearing vaguely Dream shit or Dream merch or something. The guy keeps being all "hee hee I'm not Dream" and he and Dream have some weird exchanges hinting a connection.

Some time passes, Dream announces he wants to give more opportunities to small/unknown streamers and that the merch contest was the first step of that. He announces one of the first people he wants to spotlight is... you guessed it...Manatreed.

Now, something isn't sitting right here. Dream is INSISTING that he met this guy through his efforts to look for small cc's. Some unsavory parts of the community doxx the guy. The community is torn because that's horrible and reprehensible.

And then it comes to light that the guy lives on property owned by Dream and had a criminal record for assault and domestic violence. People are still torn because of where that information came from, but as more information is leaked, the more clear it is that it's true.

Manatreed does one HUGE stream on the dsmp and a massive thread is made detailing all of the unsavory things about the guy and his connections to Dream. Dream immediately releases comments saying people that believe that shit are gullible. More days pass and the thread keeps spreading out. Dream announces that Manatreed has decided he hates content creation because of the stress of being doxxed and having his business aired. He maintains, again, that he didn't know the guy until he started that Manhunt Merch contest and that the guy has been removed from the server. Manatreeds socials all go silent.

The video today drops and Dream admits what we all knew -- he knew the guy, they WERE friends and it was all a plot to get his childhood friend into streaming. He says he didn't know about the abuse shit until the stream but like.Your childhood friend gets a felony and lives with you and you don't know it? Okay.

[beardedmrbean]

A funeral home director has been charged after allegedly throwing out the bodies of thousands of pets and giving owners the ashes of other animals, collectively charging them over $650,000 in the process, prosecutors said.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Monday that Jacob Vereb -- owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- has been charged with improper disposal of “thousands of dogs and cats” for which owners paid for cremations, burials, returns of ashes, and other services, stealing over $650,000 from customers between 2021 and 2024," according to a statement from the Pennsylvania's Attorney General’s Office.

“Vereb took money in exchange for private cremation services, then disposed of many of the pets at a landfill and provided customers with ashes of other, unknown animals,” officials said.

The funeral home, which also worked with human remains, was only alleged by authorities to have defrauded customers who brought in their pets but the investigation identified more than 6,500 victims from Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington and Westmoreland counties, officials continued.

”This case is disturbing, and will cause devastation and heartache for many Pennsylvanians,” Attorney General Sunday said. “Our pets are members of our families, and this defendant betrayed and agonized pet owners who entrusted him to provide dignified services for their beloved cats and dogs. I commend our investigative team for a comprehensive review of voluminous records which uncovered this long-running pattern of theft and deception.”

Due to the vast numbers of people affected, the Office of Attorney General has launched a website to engage with victims where victims can provide their contact information, share victim impact statements, and receive updates on the criminal case. The website will also help concerned citizens to determine if they are victims in this case, officials said.

“Nearly a dozen veterinary practices and businesses worked with the Office of Attorney General to confirm that Vereb collected at least $657,517 in fees from pet owners who were promised a private cremation for their pet, but did not receive the actual ashes of their pet,” the Attorney General’s Office said. “Eternity Pet Memorial received the pets directly from consumers or through area veterinarians.”

Vereb, 70, was charged on Monday with felony counts of theft by deception, receiving stolen property, and deceptive business practices after surrendering Monday afternoon and was arraigned on the charges. He was released on his own recognizance, officials said.

The investigation is currently ongoing.