#is it clear that Wilson is not proposing to house?

[killjoy-prince]

House M.D. but it's when Wilson says House's name

[thatgenericwriter]

The Proposal || Gregory House

Paring: Gregory House x fem!reader

Summary: House is going to propose to you but your nail color is not what he was expecting

Warnings: swearing

Word Count: 0.5k

P.s. based off a request by anonymous

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

"Bright fucking green! Out of all the colors she could have chosen, she chooses bright green!" Wilson could only watch as his best friend loses his mind.

"Why would she choose now to venture out of her comfort zone! She's had some funky colors before, but BRIGHT FUCKING GREEN!?" House paces the room, as best he can, occasionally swinging his cane around wildly.

Wilson can only feel pity for his friend and a tad bit of guilt. He was the one who told House to make sure you got your nails done before he proposed to you. He was scolded by his ex about not warning her before and he just wanted his best friend to have a better proposal than he did.

He never thought this would be the outcome. "Why don't you just tell her to get them done again? This time something a little more tame.'" House stops mid-pace pondering the suggestion before shaking his head and collapsing onto Wilson's couch.

"I can't. She likes them too much and she was so proud of herself for going outside of her comfort zone. It would crush her if I told her to change to her normal color." Wilson shakes his head at his friend, glad that he actually is considering your feelings, but knowing House is going to find an elaborate way to make you change them. Most likely hurting your feelings even more than if he was to tell you.

Luckily, House did not have to create an elaborate plan as you walked in with a fresh new set of nails. "There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!" House sits up as you come bounding over to him holding up your hands to show your very natural looking nails. "What do ya think?"

House looks from your face to your nails before pulling you down onto his lap. You yelp in surprise and try to avoid his bad leg as you are manhandled into a straddling position on top of him.

"I love you so much." Another yelp leaves your mouth as House smashes his lips onto yours. You pull back slightly panting and questioning his actions.

"All I did was change my nail color." He pulls you back in for another kiss that continues until Wilson clears his throat. "As much as I love to watch you guys make out, I would rather get back to my work." Taking the hint you shimmy off of House's lap and start for the door.

"Why did you change the color?" You turn back to face House who hasn't moved from his spot on the couch.

You smirk at him, "I couldn't let you propose to me while I had bright green nails, duh." House lets out a little chuckle and you watch Wilson's jaw drop before opening the door and bidding them goodbye.

[soon-palestine]

The House of Representatives has voted to effectively conceal the death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza.

On Thursday, lawmakers voted 269-144 on an amendment to prohibit the State Department from citing statistics from the Gaza Health Ministry. The measure is part of the annual State Department appropriations bill. It was led by Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz, Fla., and Josh Gottheimer, N.J., and Republican Reps. Joe Wilson, S.C.; Mike Lawler, N.Y.; and Carol Miller, W.V.

In total, 62 Democrats joined 207 Republicans in supporting the amendment.Here are the 62 Democrats who joined 207 Republicans to ban giving funds to the State Department to cite the Gaza Health Ministry, undermining the organization’s death & injury figures. https://t.co/n7DveMQaPQ pic.twitter.com/Nas0Fgm4Ag

— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) June 27, 2024

While party leaders often push their members to vote “yes” or “no” on any range of proposals, Democratic leadership gave “no recommendation” to its members on how to vote on the amendment. After the House passes the full bill, it will head to the Senate for consideration.

Mohammed Khader, policy manager at the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, told The Intercept that the amendment is part of a trend of anti-Palestinian sentiment in Congress since the start of Israel’s atrocities in Gaza. “By preventing any recognition of the number of Palestinians killed since October, this amendment is a clear example of genocide denial and is no different from what was done towards victims of genocides in Rwanda and Armenia.”

On Wednesday, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestinian member of Congress, took to the floor to make a similar argument. “This is genocide denial,” she said.

After reciting the death toll and other statistics about casualties, Tlaib said she intended to introduce the list of Palestinians killed in Gaza to the congressional record. “It is important to note this to everyone here: The list is too long that I can’t even submit it because of the text limit,” she said. “That’s how many have been killed.”

The Ministry of Health is the only official entity tracking the death toll in Gaza; its figures have been cited broadly, including by the U.S. and Israeli governments. Over the last eight months, Israel has killed at least 37,765 people and injured another 86,429, according to the ministry’s latest figures. These numbers are likely an undercount due to the decimated medical infrastructure, killed medical workers, and thousands feared trapped under the rubble in Gaza.

“It’s despicable but not shocking that 62 Democrats joined Republicans to refute the Gaza death toll,” one Democratic staffer told The Intercept. “Democratic leadership should be ashamed for refusing to take a stand and call out the blatant anti-Palestinian racism and genocide denial in our party.”

Moskowitz and Gottheimer are among several Democrats who have repeatedly worked to undermine the movement for Palestinian rights and pro-Palestinian speech.

In April, the pair joined Republicans to lead a resolution condemning the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as antisemitic. In December, the duo joined Republican Reps. Elise Stefanik and Steve Scalise to lead a resolution condemning university presidents and calling for their resignations for allegedly tolerating antisemitism on campus. In November, the two Democrats joined 20 others in censuring Tlaib, for reasons that included posting a video calling for a ceasefire that contained the phrase “from the river to the sea.”

Gottheimer has gone even further, calling Democrats who don’t support Israel a “cancer” and suggesting that Muslims in America are “guilty” of Hamas’s attack on October 7. Along with Lawler, he headlined a call hosted by No Labels, in which he spoke with university trustees about how to push the FBI to take a bigger role in investigating campus protests. During that call, Lawler suggested that student protests for Palestine were the type of activity that inspired the TikTok ban.

The pair also joined 60 other Democrats in expressing their “disgust” at South Africa’s 84-page suit accusing Israel of genocide and praising White House spokesperson John Kirby for calling it “meritless, counterproductive, and completely without any basic in fact whatsoever.” Not long after, the International Court of Justice concluded that Israel is plausibly committing genocide.

[queerheadcanoncentral]

James Wilson sfw alphabet.

Prompts from @imagineimagineimagine (I just changed one)

—⁠☆—⁠☆—⁠☆—⁠☆—⁠☆—⁠☆—⁠☆—⁠☆—⁠☆—⁠☆—⁠☆—⁠☆—

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about their partner?)

Physically: Their neck, hands, eyes.

Mentally: Them being more confident than him.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

He definitely wants kids, but he is afraid that he would be an absent father because of his work and because House would constantly drag him away and criticise him for not spending more time with his kid/s.

C = Cuddle (How do they like to cuddle?)

He likes to be the big spoon, make you feel secure and warm, but after a hard day at work he’d like to be the little spoon.

D = Dreams (How do they picture their future with their S/O?)

After three failed marriages he isn’t sure that he wants to get married again. He would put it off for a long time until you finally get sick of waiting and propose to him.

E = Exception (Are they willing to cross their boundaries for you?)

Yes.

F = Feelings (When did they know they're in love?)

You and James have been dating for just a few months and in that time you have been spending at least half of the nights at his place. One night you were cooking dinner in his kitchen and you heard loud knocking on the door. When you looked through the peephole you saw a pair of bright blue eyes looking back at you. You opened the door unsure if it’s the right thing to do. 

“To be honest I expected a female hooker, but I guess Wilson likes some variety.”

 “Ah, you must be House, come on in.” He had a slightly bewildered look on his face but he followed you inside and into the kitchen.

“People usually don’t mention their  best friend to a one night stand.”

“I’m dating him, he’s in the shower right now, should be out soon.”

“Whatcha cookin?”

“Falafel, pita bread with some vegetables and hummus. Want some?”

“No, I don’t want to be eating your dinner.”

“It’s fine. Some of it was gonna be for his lunch tomorrow and from what James tells me you usually eat it anyway so might as well eat it warm.”

“I like you.” Just as he said it James walked into the living room in time to hear a part of your conversation.

“What did you say to them? What did he say to you? What did you say to him?” he said panicked. But who can blame him. It’s dangerous to leave House alone with someone you care about.

“I offered him to stay for dinner, I heard a lot about him and want to see what’s actually true.”

That night you talked for hours. You dogged every jab and rude joke that House threw your way. By the time that your plates were clear and wine glasses empty, you and House became quite good friends and James saw that there might be a long future with you.

G = Gratitude (How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their S/O does for them?)

There are times when he is just too exhausted all the time to notice you doing nice things for him and just responds with a half-hearted thank you. When he finally feels better and gets out of the rough patch, he realises that he wasn’t grateful enough, so for the next week or so when you do something nice for him, even as simple as passing a water bottle, he looks you in the eyes and with a smile says thank you. He will also randomly tell you how much he love you and how lucky he is to be dating you. 

H = Honesty (Do they have secrets they hide from their S/O?)

The biggest secret that he would have would be his feelings. He wouldn’t mention his depression or what annoys him about you. For the good of your relationship you would have to pry it out of him.

I = Injury (How would they react if you got hurt?)

He would absolutely freak out. Even if it wasn’t a complicated injury (like you broke an arm of something because you fell) he would still be overprotective and boss around any doctor that is taking care of you. He would insist on taking you to PPTH even if another hospital is closer.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous? How do they deal with it?)

Oh yes he does! Because he cheated on his wives he is “slightly” paranoid about you cheating. He usually bottles it up and doesn't want to talk about it so you have to bring it up and reassure him that you would never cheat on him.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss you? How do they like to be kissed?)

He likes slow and passionate. If you are trying to give him a quick peck on the lips he will pull you back in for a longer one.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

He does. I mean…have you seen him? He moves faster than U-haul lesbians.

M = Memory (What’s their favorite memory together?)

Getting drunk at night at some medical conference and sneaking away to an orchard to cuddle and have a makeout session(maybe more).

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

Absolutely yes. He never asks for anything back tho. Especially when he feels guilty about something (even if there is nothing to feel guilty about). But when you buy something expensive for him he’ll be like “No, you didn’t have to. Are you sure? Let me repay you with a nice dinner.”.

O = On Cloud Nine (What are they like when they're in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?)

It’s very obvious to everyone. He is immediately in a good mood and has a pep in his step. Before he confesses his feelings he's more cuddly, hangs out with you more and buys you gifts all the time. “I saw it and it reminded me of you so I bought it. You look good in it- I mean you always look good- I mean-”

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

Darling, Honey, Babie, Sweetheart.

Q = Questions (What are the questions they’re always asking?)

Are you okay? How was your day? How do I look? Wanna go grab dinner? Is it okay if House joins us?

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

Read, cook, cuddle, and watch movies together.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/S/O up?)

Cuddles, tea, words of reassurance, doing anything you want, stupid movies.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

We know from the show that he is a bit of a movie buff, so probably movies and anything film related.

U = Understanding (How well do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?)

He wants to know the whole you. Always listens and asks about your feelings. He’s afraid of making the same mistakes he made in his previous relationships and losing you.

V = Value (How important is the relationship to them? What is it worth in comparison to other things in their life?)

Absolutely. When James Evan Wilson loves, he loves with his entire heart. If you asked him to move to Alaska with you, he would.

W = Wedding (When, where, and how do they propose?)

If he is the one to propose, he proposes in a place that reminds him of the first time he met you.

X = XOXO (How affectionate are they? In public/in private)

He doesn’t really like PDA (except when he’s drunk). In private he can’t get his hand off of you.

Y = Yearning (How well do they cope when they're separated from their S/O?)

Depends. If he has nothing to do he is completely love sick and mopes a lot. If he is busy with work or with House, he mostly forgets that you exist.

Z = Zeal (Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship?)

Yes! (I don’t think I need to justify that. Just look at what he has done for House.)

[star-girl-05]

Together Forever??

James Wilson x Reader

~★~❤︎~✦~

“You think I would tell you, there's a code to these things Bros before hoes”

For the better part of a week you’ve noticed James has been acting suspiciously. At first you thought it was just your imagination, now though you're convinced that he’s cheating on you. It was small things at first, staying at work late, leaving the room to answer phone calls. You tried to ignore it but with his history you just couldn’t let it go. Though instead of confronting Wilson you’ve decided to question House. If Wilson’s cheating on you he would know. 

So with determined steps you make your way to House’s office. You find him bouncing his signature red ball against a wall seemingly deep in thought. Not that it, would stop you from questioning him.

He ignored you as you entered the room, his only acknowledgement is he stopped tossing his ball. “Tell me what's going on with Wilson”, House chuckles at your bluntness. Finally turning towards you. 

“Why-” you already know whatever he’s going to say is going to be complete bullshit. Just by that look on his face. 

“Don’t lie, just tell me what's going on with him.” you didn’t want to sound pathetic but you can’t help but ask him, “Is Wilson cheating on me?” you're scared to look him in the eye just waiting for whatever wisecrack he was bound to say, and he was about to but the look on your face made him stop. 

“Shouldn’t you ask him?” He of course knew what was up with Wilson, and he was definitely not cheating on you. 

“If he was cheating on me would he really admit to it?” 

“You think I would tell you, there's a code to these things Bros before hoes” He was trying to get you to leave but you were determined.

“House, tell me or... I’ll slash your motorbike tires”, yes that’s how desperate you are. House pondered your threat only for a second before finally telling you that Wilson was not cheating on you. Which in all honesty shouldn’t convince you that he wasn’t but you were so desperate for it to be true that you just believe him. Though you can’t help but ask him what other explanation there could be. Trying to eliminate any doubts you still had.

“Would you just go bother Wilson. Why he’s so infatuated with you is a mystery to me, you must be really good in bed to make up for you being so annoying.” You can't help but roll your eyes, if Wilsons so infatuated with you why is he acting so sneaky. Answering all those phone calls in another room, saying he's staying at work late only to find out he's left hours ago. All clear signs he's cheating on you. What other explanation could there be?

It all seems to click, “He’s proposing” you don’t even realize you’ve said it out loud till House responds back. 

“Wilsons going to be disappointed you figured it out, he’s been planning this for the longest time.” You can’t believe you thought he was cheating on you, when in reality he was planning on proposing. You felt like such an asshole, and now not only did you think he was a cheater but you ruined his proposal. 

There was still time you could salvage this. Wilson had no idea you knew so you could just pretend you didn't. House is sure to play along otherwise Wilson is bound to rip him apart.

Just like you predicted, House agreed to keep this a secret from Wilson. So all you had to do was act like you had no idea your sweet, perfect boyfriend was proposing. Which was harder than you anticipated since every time the two of you were together you thought he was proposing. It was honestly driving you a little insane waiting. After a week (which felt like an eternity) he popped the question, and of course you said yes.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

William J. Barber, II and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove at Our Moral Moment:

In the rotunda of the US Capitol yesterday, while praying in front of the monument that honors the founders of the women’s suffrage movement, we were arrested by Capitol police. We have been released from custody; thank you to everyone who has reached out to ask about us. We are OK, but all is not well. We were in Washington, DC, yesterday to launch Moral Mondays with fellow clergy, moral leaders, and scores of people who will be directly impacted by the disastrous budget that Congress has just come back into session to work on. Every illegal attempt to slash federal programs that Elon Musk tried to force through DOGE over the past 100 days is now being proposed as law by the leadership of this Congress. Though the mainstream media has not yet focused on the details of this budget, the facts are clear. Numbers do not lie. You cannot cut $1.5 trillion from the federal budget without slashing Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, Head Start, Section 8, and other life-saving and life-sustaining programs that millions of Americans rely on and the vast majority of people support. This is why 12 Republican members of Congress have already written to House Speaker Johnson to challenge the proposed cuts to Medicaid. This is not a Republican versus Democrat debate. It's a life or death decision. We are Christian preachers. When we made a vow to preach the good news to all people, in season and out of season, we committed to address life or death issues. This is often intimate and deeply work. We bless babies when they are born, we visit the sick, we welcome strangers to our dinner tables, and we pray with people when they are dying. But life and death work is also public work. As Christian preachers, we are also public theologians. When someone dies from poverty and a lack of healthcare, we cannot lie and say, “God called them home.” We have to tell the truth. They died because we live in a society that has chosen not to care for them.

[...] When our foremothers and forefathers gathered in Southern churches to cry out to God during the freedom movement, they prayed and sang and anchored themselves in faith. But they did not stay in the church house. They marched out into the streets and nonviolently confronted injustice. This is why we could not abdicate the obligations of our vocation when someone asked us to be quiet. We appreciate the Capitol police and have prayed with them and for them as they have dealt with the trauma of being assaulted during the insurrection on January 6th. We thank them for their service and have reassured them that our objection is not to them doing their job. Our insistence on prayer at this moment and in this space is about whether America’s elected representatives will do the job they swore to do when they put their hands on Bibles, the Quran, other sacred texts, and the US Constitution, promising to “establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, promote the general welfare, provide for the common defense, and secure the blessings of liberty.” We know legislators cannot do this work alone. They are representatives of the people, and the people must help them to do what is right.

We came to the Capitol rotunda to pray for representatives who currently support this immoral budget to see the danger of policy that kills and choose life. We came believing that God can take out a heart of stone and give anyone a heart of flesh. And we came knowing that, whatever their choice, we must nonviolently embody our prayer. As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said, we must “pray with our feet.” We must trust that, when we align ourselves with the truth at the heart of the universe, our action can unleash power beyond us, setting others free to act and respond in their own way to the moral urgency of this moment. Now is the time for each of us to stand up and speak up. We willingly and nonviolently submitted to arrest rather than cease our prayer not because we wanted to be arrested, but because we know that now is the time to arrest the attention of this nation. Now is not the time to shrink back in fear. Now is the time to courageously join our voices in a general lament for the cruelty we are witnessing in the hope that a new movement of love and justice and truth is already rising to overcome it. No one would be fighting this hard to pass a budget that is so extreme if they were not afraid. The extreme minority of elites promoting this disastrous budget understand the potential power of a coalition of people coming together across race and region, across faiths and family traditions, to build an America that works for all of us. In fact, they may understand better than many of us do how much power we have.

Rev. William Barber is saying what we’re thinking: the MAGA regime is an immoral insult to America and to Godly teachings.

[ichorai]

OK COMPUTER ; the series.

a series based on the album ok computer by radiohead for our 8k milestone! fandoms included ; marvel, succession, harry potter, the walking dead, arcane, dc, game of thrones, and bridgerton.

main masterlist. about.

TRACKLIST.

ONE. airbag ; steve rogers (4.3k) five time steve tries to propose to you, and one time he actually does.

TWO. paranoid android ; coriolanus snow. (27k+) when you laughed, airy and light and reminiscent to that of wind chimes, coryo wished he could bottle up the sound and keep it as his, only his.

THREE. subterranean homesick alien ; fred weasley. you were looking up at the stars, and fred was staring right at you, a dopey, lovesick sort of smile playing at the corner of his lips. “do you think there’s life out there?” you asked, but instead of getting an answer, fred surged forward, a hand curling over the back of your neck to pull you closer, freckled nose bumping against your cheek, his warm lips slotting over yours, extinguishing any and all lingering existential questions on the tip of your tongue. 

FOUR. exit music (for a film) ; rick grimes. blood all over your torn shirt, giving way to teeth marks. his horrified eyes met yours. you were bit, it was clear as day—and you had to make sure rick knew a couple things before you left for good.

FIVE. let down ; viktor (arcane). it was his fault, really. he knew better than to fall in love with his coworker, who was just recently engaged to someone else. someone better than him.

SIX. karma police ; dick grayson. he skimmed his fingers down your side—your waist, your hips, your thighs. your chest was rising and falling rhythmically, features mellowed with sleep. he couldn’t help but wonder if “no strings attached” was really a good idea.

SEVEN. fitter happier ; miguel o’hara. there was a dangerous red glint to miguel’s eyes as you stepped between him and the kid. a muttered curse, a clenched fist, a twitching jaw. you weren’t afraid of the man you loved—but maybe you should be.

EIGHT. electioneering ; siobhan roy. tom had said he wanted to watch the two of you—but he didn’t exactly want to, not really. shiv didn’t quite care. it was his loss, after all.

NINE. climbing up the walls ; sansa stark. sansa begins to pull away from you after her father’s death.

TEN. no surprises ; sam wilson. the two of you go off to look for wanda, supposedly in a quaint little town called westview. but in a blink of an eye—you’re a smiling housewife and sam is your loving husband, trapped in a house that didn’t quite feel like home. 

ELEVEN. lucky ; theon greyjoy.  he thinks you look so very pretty laying on the snow, frost clinging to your lashes.

TWELVE. the tourist ; benedict bridgerton. it was typical of him, of course. to fall in love with the traveling artist with keen eyes and calloused hands.

[mariacallous]

It was one thing to anticipate this prolonged political moment; it has been, these past weeks, quite another to live it. Each day is its own fresh hell, bringing ever more outrageous news from an autocrat who revels in his contempt for the government he leads, for the foreign allies who deserve our support, and for the Constitution he is sworn to uphold. Since beginning his second term, six weeks ago, Donald Trump has commandeered public attention to such an extent that it is hard to recall that there was ever a time when an American President went about his first weeks in office in a frenzy of activity characterized not by threat, chaos, and corruption but by discipline, competence, and compassion.

Yet there was such a time. On the overcast morning of March 4, 1933, Franklin Roosevelt arrived at the U.S. Capitol to deliver his first Inaugural Address. The country was in a general state of misery. Since the start of the Depression, in late 1929, one out of three American workers had lost his job. Countless schools were shuttered. Banks were collapsing. Edmund Wilson, reporting for The New Republic, wrote that “there is not a garbage-dump in Chicago which is not diligently haunted by the hungry.”

Roosevelt, having defeated Herbert Hoover in the popular vote by eighteen points, could honestly boast of a mandate and understood its meaning. As he said in his speech at the Capitol, the demands of the “stricken” electorate were clear: “This nation asks for action, and action now.” Before the notion of a President’s “first hundred days” was ever codified, he set off on a tear of executive orders and legislative initiatives. Roosevelt, with the support of enormous Democratic majorities in Congress, quickly saved the national banking system, took the U.S. off the gold standard, paid out significant relief to the poor, and created federal agencies that not only provided work to the jobless but helped revive the country’s economy and infrastructure for decades to come.

It has not taken Trump a hundred days to match Roosevelt’s New Deal for its speed, its “muzzle velocity,” as Steve Bannon, Trump’s formerly incarcerated court philosopher, has put it. But, while Roosevelt set a modern standard for the revitalization of a society, Trump seems determined to prove how quickly he can spark its undoing. In record time, he has brought shame and disorder to the country. Where F.D.R. set out to build and to comfort, Trump has set out to fire countless civil servants, punish his adversaries, and threaten the press. He has cast aside essential climate actions, humiliated undocumented immigrants and trans men and women, coddled dictators, and unnerved allies. F.D.R. appointed Cordell Hull, Harold Ickes, and other formidable advisers to his first Cabinet; Trump has empowered extremists distinguished principally by their conspiracy thinking, sycophancy, and incompetence.

F.D.R. created the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Tennessee Valley Authority; Trump has deputized Elon Musk, who has billions of dollars in contracts with multiple federal agencies, to freeze federal funding for programs that millions of Americans depend on and to fire thousands of workers in vital government agencies. “We will make mistakes,” Musk said in the White House, flashing a smile of privilege and malice. So far, these little goofs include, but are not limited to, momentarily laying off people who oversee the nuclear-weapons stockpile and cancelling Ebola-prevention measures.

Roosevelt, in his time, led the conquest of global fascism and the rescue of Europe. On matters of foreign policy, Trump has rapidly made common cause with autocrats from Budapest to Beijing and has made it clear to our European allies that when they come to Washington they had best flatter his ego and bear gifts, such as an invitation to visit King Charles. In the Oval Office on Friday, Trump nakedly sided with Russian aggression, berating the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, for failing to show him sufficient gratitude and respect and for “gambling with World War Three.” Zelensky is a hero of historic scale, brave beyond measure; Trump’s behavior was disgraceful. He and his Vice-President, J. D. Vance, deliberately tried to intimidate Zelensky with all the finesse of a couple of small-time hoods. The incident was both shocking and inevitable, all in line with the over-all temper of Trump’s Presidency—the threats, the firings, the multiple doge fiascoes, the proposal to cleanse the Gaza Strip of two million Palestinians.

Is this really what Trump’s supporters voted for? How does the decimation of American values, institutions, and commitments bring down the price of eggs? Writing in Foreign Affairs, Steven Levitsky and Lucan A. Way make a painstaking and convincing case that most autocracies that have emerged since the end of the Cold War retain certain democratic features, particularly elections, but weaponize the state, purging it of perceived enemies. This sort of “competitive” autocracy—like Erdoğan’s Turkey and Orbán’s Hungary—is, the authors argue, what is now taking shape in Washington. To minimize the unending fusillade of Trump’s first weeks in office, to choose to turn away, to shut off the news, is to indulge in self-soothing.

There is no guarantee that Trump’s perverse momentum will slow, or be derailed, of its own accord. He has the unwavering support of his MAGA base, the cowed compliance of his congressional caucus, and the backing of multibillionaires such as Jeff Bezos, who would rather diminish the vitality of his newspaper than risk the dinner invitations of the sovereign.

And yet the current torrent, fuelled by years of planning in right-wing circles and by Trump’s demagogic energies, is hardly unstoppable. Will working-class and middle-class Americans tolerate the self-indulgence and the corruptions of Trump’s favored billionaires while their own interests go unaddressed? Will Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is currently being tested by an outbreak of measles in Texas, have the public’s trust in the event of another pandemic? We have already seen how at least some courageous judges, governors, and law-enforcement officials have refused to bow down to the politicization of the law, or, as Levitsky and Way put it, the weaponization of the state.

Roosevelt, at the start of his Inaugural Address, said that there was no need “to shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today.” In our time, the crisis resides in the Oval Office. Whether there is a mandate for what is being practiced there will be made clear in the months to come––in Congress, in the courts, in the press, in the streets, and, eventually, at the ballot box. Fear itself was the singular enemy in Roosevelt’s time. It remains so today.

[beardedmrbean]

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill, which received bipartisan support, that seeks to make the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) handling of tax return errors more transparent.

Newsweek has contacted Iowa Republican Representative Randy Feenstra, who introduced the bill, out of normal working hours via email for comment.

Why It Matters

Taxpayers who receive an IRS notice of a math or clerical error face a process that critics describe as opaque and difficult to navigate. The IRS is allowed to adjust tax liabilities without initiating an audit, and can send automated letters that often lack detail and can result in unexpected bills or reductions in refunds.

Supporters of the proposed legislation say it addresses a long-standing gap in taxpayer communication, as the bill seeks to reduce confusion, prevent unnecessary financial strain, and give taxpayers the tools to understand and challenge changes made to their filings.

What To Know

In February, Feenstra introduced H.R. 998, the Internal Revenue Service Math and Taxpayer Help Act, which has cleared the lower chamber unanimously and awaits Senate consideration.

The legislation is designed to ensure that the IRS provides clearer explanations when it identifies math or clerical errors in tax filings.

The bill requires that each IRS notice include specific information about the error and what steps the taxpayer can take in response.

The notices must describe the type of error in "plain language" and identify the specific line on the tax return that was affected.

They must also include an itemized breakdown of how the IRS recalculated the return, giving taxpayers a transparent view of how any adjustments were made.

Notices will now feature a dedicated phone number for the IRS' automated transcript service and must state the deadline by which a taxpayer can request an abatement, essentially a reversal, of the tax changes.

The bill outlines that such abatement requests can be submitted by mail, electronically, over the phone or in person.

Additionally, if the IRS later makes changes that reduce the assessment tied to a previous error, it must send a follow-up notice that explains the abatement with the same level of detail as the original notice.

The bill received support from both parties in the House, with no recorded opposition in the floor vote or committee hearings.

What People Are Saying

Iowa Republican Representative Randy Feenstra said: "If the IRS finds a mistake on a tax return—for example, when a taxpayer accidentally adds a zero to their reported income—the agency should clearly communicate that error to the taxpayer and explain why a tax refund is different than expected(...)

"With this legislative fix, we can improve customer service by promoting open and transparent communication between the IRS and the taxpayer when a tax error is identified."

Missouri Republican Representative Jason Smith, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said: "This bill is a win for taxpayers that will deliver better protection for Americans and greater accountability to the IRS."

Ryan J. Wilson, professor of accounting at the Tippie College of Business in Iowa, told Newsweek: "This seems like a positive for taxpayers. Certainly, IRS communication can be vague and confusing. Taking steps to enhance clarity around clerical errors and recalculated returns is helpful. I also like the idea of providing a number for taxpayers to call."

What Happens Next

Having cleared the House, H.R. 998 now moves to the Senate. If passed, the bill would proceed to the president for his signature.

[shadyfestivalperfection]

The Forever You Forgot~5

Summery: A six year old girl named Nadia Barnes born with a condition called 65 roses uncovers the story on how her dad-Bucky Barnes met her missing mother by narrating her the story and nothing remains the same after Nadia finds out the truth about her mother.

Characters: Bucky Barnes x f!Reader

Note:This story is based on the movie ‘Hi papa’. This story is like what if Bucky Barnes was in this situation that the male and female lead faced in the movie ‘Hi papa’. To be honest I am absolutely obsessed with this movie and I could help but write a Bucky Barnes version of it. I would totally recommend everyone to watch this movie and get some tissues with you before you start watching.

||Master List||

Chapter 5: Trust Me, Love

(7 years ago)

(Bucky’s POV)

Louisiana had a different kind of peace. The air was thick with warmth, the scent of the bayou carried on the wind. Sarah Wilson’s house was alive with laughter and soft coos from the newest member of their family—AJ Wilson.

N/M/n was cradling the baby in her arms, her face glowing with affection. “You’re so handsome and cute, little baby,” she cooed, rocking him gently.

Baby AJ loved her. Every time she spoke, he kicked his tiny feet and giggled. I leaned against the kitchen counter, a beer in my hand, unable to take my eyes off her.

“What are you staring at?” Sam’s voice broke through my thoughts.

I took a sip of my drink and smirked. “The person holding your nephew.”

Sam glanced at N/M/n, then back at me. “You know, Bucky, one day you’ll make a great dad.”

I scoffed. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not? You’ve always wanted a family,” Sam said, nudging my shoulder. “Maybe it’s time to extend it.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Sam simply patted my shoulder and walked away, leaving the thought hanging in the air.

The next evening, we returned home to New York. The idea Sam had planted in my mind wouldn’t leave me. I wanted to talk to Bunny about it—about our future, about having a child.

At dinner, I kept turning the words over in my head, unsure of how to start.

“Baby? You okay?” N/M/n asked. “You’ve been quiet since we got back.”

I set down my fork, took a deep breath, and reached for her hand. “Doll, I want to talk to you about something important.”

She immediately gave me her full attention. “I’m listening.”

I squeezed her hand. “I’ve been thinking… about extending our family.”

She smiled and gestured toward the floor. “We already did. Alpine joined our family.”

Right on cue, Alpine meowed from under the table, rubbing against her leg.

I chuckled softly but shook my head. “No, I mean… starting to plan for a baby.”

The smile on her face faded. She pulled her hand away, picked up her plate, and walked to the sink. She placed it down and stood there, silent.

My heart sank. “Bunny? Are you okay?”

She turned around, her expression unreadable. “Bucky, I thought I was clear about kids. When you proposed to me, what did you say?”

I hesitated.

She crossed her arms. “You said that you and me—we are enough. That’s what you said, right?”

I stood up, walking toward her. “I did.”

“Then why are we having this conversation?” she asked.

I exhaled slowly. “Because having a child—it wouldn’t change us. It would be ours, Bunny. A child would be the product of our love.”

She let out a bitter laugh. “Wow, Bucky. You know I love you so much. But I agreed to marriage despite everything I grew up believing. I watched my parents’ relationship fall apart. I don’t want my children to go through that.”

I stepped closer, frustration creeping into my voice. “So you’re saying we won’t last? That one day we’ll leave each other?”

She shook her head. “How do I know that, Bucky? It’s only been three years since we got married. Can you promise me, right now, that we’ll be happy together forever? Are you scared to make that promise?”

I clenched my metal fist, trying to steady my emotions.

And then I failed.

“I’m not scared of making a promise,” I snapped. “I’m scared of your mindset. What couple doesn’t fight? I’m here thinking about our future, and you’re already thinking about it falling apart?”

“I’m thinking about what happens if it does!” she shot back. “If something happens to our happiness, our child will be the one to suffer. Not us—them.”

I let out a sharp breath, running a hand through my hair. The weight of the conversation pressed down on me like a vice.

I grabbed my coat from the chair. “You’ve gone crazy, Bunny. This is madness. Forget it.I shouldn’t have come back.”

I shoved my feet into my boots, my chest tight.

She crossed her arms, her voice laced with pain. “Then who’s stopping you? No one forced you to come back home. If you didn’t want to, you should’ve stayed in Louisiana.”

I turned to face her, anger flaring in my chest. “Do whatever you want. I don’t care.” The words spilled out before I could stop them. “I really made a mistake by marrying you.”

The second the words left my lips, I felt a cold wave of regret crash over me.

I slammed the door behind me.

And then I stood outside, heart pounding, realizing what I had just done.

My fingers curled into fists, and I turned back, flinging the door open again.

She was still there.

She had been coming after me.

Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, but she didn’t back away when I stepped toward her.

I pulled her into a tight embrace. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Her voice was small. “Do you really think marrying me was a mistake?”

I broke the hug, cupping her face in my hands. “No. Never. I didn’t mean it. We’ll do whatever you want. You don’t want kids? Then we won’t have kids.”

She searched my eyes for honesty. “I never believed in love, Bucky, but you proved me wrong. I never believed in marriage, but I’ve never been so happy. And I never wanted children… but I know you’ll prove me wrong again.”

I brushed a tear from her cheek. “Then trust me love.This will be the best decision of our lives. He or she will only bring us joy.”

Her fingers curled around my wrists. “Promise?”

I rested my forehead against hers. “I promise.”

A shaky smile broke across her lips. “Then let’s get pregnant.”

I exhaled, pressing my lips to hers.

It wasn’t just a kiss.

It was a promise.

(Present Day)

(Y/n’s POV)

Tears welled in my eyes as I listened to their love story. It was beautiful—heartfelt and raw. I had never heard anything like it before.

“Then what happened to me?” I asked Bucky.

He turned to look at me and said “You mean her?”

“Oh yes sorry, I mean what happened to N/M/n?”

Bucky took a deep breath, his hands tightening into fists. “Singing. She was always passionate about singing. She left to complete her dream.”

Something about that didn’t sit right with me. I frowned. “Wait a minute.This just doesn’t add up.The girl who never believed in love and marriage. She trusted you and got married to you and she left Nadia just for her career. I don’t believe it.”

Bucky’s jaw clenched. “Believe it or not, that’s the truth.”

“Still, it doesn’t make sense. You are hiding something. Tell the truth.”

Bucky sighed deeply and rubbed his face with his hands. Finally, after a long pause, he said

“Nadia you heard about your mom story, that’s what you wanted right, now let’s leave! Come on, grab Alpine.”

Bucky stood up and grabbed Nadia’s bag. Before he left I said “Are you leaving this story incomplete like you left your wife?”

Bucky turned to look up at me. Nadia came towards me and said to her father, “Dad did you leave mom?”

Bucky sat back down and leaned closer towards her.

“Nadia you heard about your mom’s story and now listen to mine.”

-to be continued

[housewifemd]

wait you’re literally so right abt bipolar wilson. begging you to talk about it more tbh bc yeah. Yeah.

oh absolutely, one of my favorite Wilson Subjects.

um wilson having bipolar 2 is something i think of as essentially canon. it would have been potentially problematic for him to be on mood stabilizers as a physician (medical licensure is.. really ableist...) which imo serves as an explanation for why he is on antidepressants- also makes depressive episodes objectively canon.

(hypo)mania leads him to make a lot of weird ass decisions! he's got impulsivity problems that would look a lot worse if he didn't have house around to make him look comparatively normal, with two great examples being in birthmarks- the broken mirror in new orleans and when house pisses him off at the funeral home.

he's got relationship habits that are pretty bipolar-typical; he gets in emotionally intense and often sexually-driven relationships (bonnie says as much) that burn out fast. this isn't like, bipolar diagnostic criteria or anything, but it's a common experience.

imo one of his most manic incidents in the show is his 2nd relationship with sam: he gets in this relationship on a whim and then KICKS HOUSE OUT about it. he PROPOSES TO HER AT SOMEONE ELSE'S WEDDING, a decision that just about anyone can recognize as a huge social faux pas! something HE would usually say is a stupid choice and a bad idea! this immediately explodes in his face.

also.. the paper he wrote about euthanasia! another vaguely manic decision. house kind of saved him from the fallout of that one.

oh, yeah and the fucking CHEMO DUDE FUCK!!!! severe black-and-white thinking moment from him that leads him to make a decision that is actually completely detached from reality. he is manic for this entire arc which would not on its own contribute to a bipolar dx due to clear and obvious stressor but as a character i already think of as having it... contributes. kyle, especially.

there are like. more examples. i cant think of more off the top of my head but there are. i am going to make a tag on my blog for this so that i can add to it as i think of them.

[moldsporr]

there is a house episode where, house and wilson have been roommates for some time but still havent furnished their apartment, and house turns it into some big challenge telling wilson he has to pick out atleast one (1) piece of furniture he likes or else accept that he is empty inside. because in the past wilson just let his ex-wives decorate, and according to house furnishing is a "window to the self" or something. wilson struggles with it all episode and ends up hiring a decorator, BUT. turns out he did pick out one thing, where he bought a piano for house. house is visibly happy and says "i like what this says about you, wilson". ok. me when im told to pick out furniture as a reflection of myself and i end up getting a piano for my best friend. this totally means and says nothing about me at all. and this sideplot conclusion was happening amidst all these romantic other-plot conclusions where a patients boyfriend proposed and a main character had lovingly sworn to his wife to try be a better husband. like. raises eyebrow. like such an interesting choice right right there is a clear themeing of love and romance in the conclusion of this episode and it includes house and wilsons ordeal as a part of it. also this whole thing of house insisting wilson pick out a piece of furniture he likes MIRRORS WILSONS PRIOR ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP TO A WOMAN where she insists on wilson buying a mattress he likes and choose for himself like THE PARALLELS????

GAY GAY GAY also woah I've never heard of house being so nice what the fuck he really is gay for wilson

[anthonycrowley]

yeah the fake proposal takes place after they kill off wilson's girlfriend who they make very clear is a house surrogate but before they literally ride off into the sunset together don't worry about it

[eddysocs]

Proposing Change (Gregory House x OC)

Summary: House finally pops the question to Anna, but is all really as it seems?

Word Count: 1,823

Warnings: Marriage proposal, angst, arguing, banter, sarcasm, making up

A/N: Gif made by @malice1329

House sat in his office, mulling over the conversation he had had with Wilson earlier that day. The words echoed in his mind. Wilson had suggested that Anna might be expecting him to propose. As House replayed their conversation, he realized that he couldn't ignore the possibility any longer.

He had always been reluctant to take that leap, but if there was even a chance that Anna wanted him, with all his faults, and that she longed for a deeper commitment, House couldn't risk losing her. With a mix of anxiety and determination, he made his decision.

Pawning off his case on his team, he spent the better part of the day choosing a suitable ring, a task he did not relish, but one he knew would be necessary. She deserved something nice. Nothing flashy. She wasn’t that kind of girl. Finally satisfied with his choice, it was time for the next step.

That evening, House stood outside Anna's apartment, the engagement ring clutched tightly in his hand. He was surprised to find himself a little nervous when he knocked on the door. What if Wilson had been wrong, and Anna was fine with where they were in their relationship? Simple. He’d have to kill him.

When Anna answered, surprise flickered across her face as she saw House standing there. He almost never showed up at her place. It was always her coming to his. Hell, by now she’d practically moved in.

"Greg, what's going on?" Anna asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"I’d get on my knee, but bad leg and all, so you’ll just have to bear with me," House began. "Anna, I've been thinking...about us. And I know I'm not great with words, or feelings, but I want you to know that you're important to me. You've changed my life in ways I never thought possible. Ways I’ve often actively avoided until now."

Anna's eyes widened, realization dawning on her. She felt her heart race, fairly certain of what House was about to say, but not quite sure she actually believed he was going to say it.

"Anna, will you marry me?"

Anna's breath caught in her throat as she processed House's words. Emotions surged within her. Joy, shock, and a not so insignificant amount of confusion, but it was small enough that it was pushed to the back of her mind as she focused on the moment at hand.

"Yes," she said before she’d even consciously decided to. It might have been unexpected, but she wanted this, she had no doubts about that. She just didn’t think the day would ever come that he’d ask.

When Anna showed up to work the next day, ring on her finger, it was no wonder she’d drawn attention to herself. Taub refused to believe it, convinced it was some sort of prank House was trying to pull on the team. Honestly, Anna couldn’t blame him. It’s exactly the sort of thing he would do.

When she finally got away from the buzz of excitement from her coworkers, Anna ran into Wilson in the hallway. "I’m sure you already know by now, but—" Anna began, letting the ring on her hand do the rest of the talking for her.

"Oh my god, he actually did it," Wilson exclaimed with a laugh. After a moment, he pulled his gaze away from the ring and met Anna's eyes. He was met with a puzzled look. Feeling the need to explain his reaction, he cleared his throat, and dropped the amused grin on his face. "I mean, I told him—"

"You told him what," Anna asked, cutting him off. Something about the amount of disbelief he displayed was raising a red flag. "Did you tell House to propose to me?"

"I’m simply suggested that you might be expecting him to. It has been nearly two years," he explained, but he felt his argument was already losing steam. "Anna, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I didn’t think he’d do it so soon. It was only meant to give him something to think about. I just thought...I thought it might be something you wanted, something that could make both of you happy."

Anna struggled to hold back her emotions, all but forcing her voice to remain even as she addressed him. "I appreciate your concern, but this is about more than just a proposal. It's about the authenticity of our relationship. I don’t know if House's feelings for me were truly his own or if he was just doing what was expected of him."

There was a heavy silence before Wilson spoke again. "Anna, I have every reason to believe that House's feelings for you are real. I may have inadvertently influenced him to act, but deep down, he cares about you more than he knows how to express. He genuinely loves you. I’ve seen it firsthand."

Anna closed her eyes, absorbing Wilson's words. Mixed emotions swirled within her, but she couldn’t find it in her heart to put the full blame on Wilson. He was a good man, and House was a loose canon even on his best days. Yet she couldn’t push away the doubt that had been planted in her mind.

When Anna got out of work, she went right over to House's apartment. Her hand shook as she put the key in the lock. She’d been avoiding him all day, and absolutely dreading this conversation.

She wasted no time though. Best to rip the bandaid off in one fell swoop. As soon as the door shut behind her, she got right into it. "You proposed to me because Wilson told you to?"

House flinched at her words. Guess it didn’t take her long to find out. He grabbed his cane and got up off the couch in order to try and justify what he’d done. Yet his usually guarded facade began to crack under the weight of her accusation. Although he had anticipated this confrontation would happen at some point, dealing with the consequences of his actions was still a bitter pill to swallow, no matter how many times he’d had to do that very thing since meeting her.

"I thought it was the right thing to do," House stated in his defense. A weak one, perhaps, but it was the only one he had. "I wanted to make you happy."

Anna's eyes welled up with tears, but she swore she wouldn’t let him see her cry. "Is that supposed to make it better? That you proposed because you thought it was the 'right thing to do'? It was supposed to be a declaration of love, House. It feels like a lie now. But everybody lies, right?" Her last words were like venom, repeating what she’d heard him say so often.

House was silent. Anna stood there waiting for an answer, waiting for him to fight for her or something. Just something. She finally cracked. "What, nothing? You can’t just dismiss this like you dismiss everything else. I want a life with you, Greg, and sometimes you make even the thought of that impossible!"

When he still didn’t say anything, Anna scoffed, her face red with anger. He wasn’t even fighting back. "I think it's best if I leave," she told him. "At least until you can figure out some clever response."

Anna turned to leave, her resolve unwavering. House stood rooted to the spot, leaning on his cane as his heart pounded in his chest. Her words stung and regret washed over him as he realized the depth of the hurt he had caused. He watched her go, the weight of his mistake settling upon his shoulders.

That was two weeks ago. Those had been her final words to him before she walked out of his apartment and hadn’t looked back. Why she thought she could wait him out, she didn’t know. House's stubbornness ran deep and her patience was wearing thin. If they stood any chance of moving past this, she was going to have to suck it up and make the first move.

Taking a deep breath, Anna finally decided to confront House directly. She made her way to his office where she saw him throwing a tennis ball against the wall at a steady rhythm. Anna cleared her throat, catching his attention.

"House, we need to talk," Anna said firmly.

House glanced up, his blue eyes meeting Anna's icy gaze. "What's the matter, Anna Banana," he quipped, a smirk playing on his lips.

Anna's heart sank at his flippant remark. He clearly wasn’t ready to be an adult about this, but she was determined to stand her ground. "Did you even mean it," she asked, her voice wavering slightly.

"Mean what?"

"Your proposal."

House furrowed his brow. He couldn’t understand why she was asking him this. "Of course I meant it."

"I know you're not a romantic, House, but Wilson literally had to tell you to pop the question. Forgive me if I’m a bit doubtful about your level of commitment here."

"What Wilson told me was that if I didn’t do something to show you I was serious, you’d eventually leave and I’d end up alone. I asked him what I should do and he said 'Marry her'. He didn’t tell me to propose. Besides, do you think I’d take orders from Wilson?"

At that, she had to laugh. It did sound a little ridiculous when he put it that way. House didn’t take orders from anyone. Anna cut her laughter short. The moment of levity didn’t erase her anger or hurt, but it felt nice to smile around him again. "I guess I blew things out of proportion," Anna said as House resumed his throwing and catching.

"Yeah, you did," House replied in a deadpan. The sarcasm was not appreciated, he realized as he glanced at Anna. "Okay, so maybe it wasn’t all your fault. I think the man that’s really to blame here is Wilson."

"Greg," Anna chastised. All she wanted was for him to take this seriously.

House sighed, setting the tennis ball aside and giving Anna his full attention. "Fine. I screwed up too. I should have explained everything when you brought up Wilson. I shouldn’t have let you walk away. I thought by not fighting that I was giving you an out."

"An out? I don’t want an out. I’m in this until the end, whatever that end might be. Are you?"

"I’m in. Does this mean I have to propose again?"

Anna tried to fight the smile that he so easily brought out in her. "I already said yes, didn’t I? Guess that means I’m stuck with you, for better or worse." She knew House's reputation and the challenges that came with coexisting alongside him, but she also believed in second chances and the potential for growth, even in a man like Gregory House.

Forever Tag: @arrthurpendragon, @baubeautyandthegeek, @foxesandmagic, @carmens-garden, @fawera, @themaradaniels, @that-demigirl, @iloveocs, @bossyladies, @b1rvt4, @getawaycardotmp3

Anna Home: @jkthighs, @unwrittenletter, @terezausername, @amandulie

[24worldnewsnet]

President Bill Clinton and best-selling author James Patterson sat down with the BBC to discuss how real life informed their new political thriller, The First Gentleman. What happens when the president's husband is put on trial for murder? That's the conundrum at the heart of former US President Bill Clinton and thriller maestro James Patterson's latest collaboration, The First Gentleman. It's a novel that only those two could conjure up, after the huge success of their earlier books, 2018's The President Is Missing (three million copies sold) and The President's Daughter (2021). Patterson is as big as they come in the thriller world (with more than 230 million books sold worldwide) but as Clinton, a long-time fan of the genre, tells the BBC: "it was just an adventure in my old age" when they first collaborated. And it's clear while speaking to them in person just how much fun they're still having together. Their gripping new novel centres on US President Madeline Wright and husband, Cole Wright, a former professional American football star. He still carries the scars of his career and is looking for a purpose in the White House, as he fights to clear his name in a trial for the murder of a cheerleader more than 20 years ago. It's a classic police procedural-meets-courtroom drama, as journalists, detectives and political operatives all work to uncover the truth behind who killed the cheerleader and to exonerate the First Gentleman – or to destroy him – and his wife's political agenda. And, of course, the role of First Gentleman is one that President Clinton might have found himself taking on in 2017 if his wife, Hillary Clinton, had won the 2016 election against US President Donald Trump. It's clear that Bill Clinton's presidency is still with him as he writes. "There were times in the White House, and not just when the Republicans were trying to impeach me, but when we were going through really controversial hard things, where I had the feeling that I was – in the minds of those covering me – more a storyline than a story. We tried to get all that in there." Rather than focussing the narrative on the First Couple, however, the book has a pair of journalists at its core. Independent investigative journalist and lawyer Brea Cooke and her partner, Garrett Wilson, are digging into the disappearance of Suzanne Bonanno, a cheerleader who the First Gentleman was seeing back when he was playing for the New England Patriots football team 17 years earlier. It looks like Wright might have killed her, as Cook and Wilson unravel what really happened and where her body might be. Inspired by an iconic pair like Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Patterson sees it as natural that journalists would be at the novel's centre, "journalists, sometimes they deserve what they get, but most journalists want to go after the truth… That's what we want journalists to do."  Clinton, who had his own tussles with conspiracy-minded journalists through the years, agrees that even in an era of fevered partisanship honourable journalists will succeed: "I still think being able to stand up as a standout person who will tell the truth even when it means, 'I was wrong, but here's what I think the truth is.'" And when the story makes its Hollywood debut (it has been sold and is being written by Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight), it's likely that Brea Cooke will be the central character – the journalist digging for the truth. But The First Gentleman is not just a courtroom drama. It's also likely the first thriller in history to have as a central part of the plot a grand bargain on the US debt and spending. Without spoiling the ending, let's just say President Wright lays out how to solve entitlement spending and balance the budget. This book is coming out at the same time as Donald Trump and the Republican Party are laying out their own plans. Could President Wright's proposal work? Patterson jokes: "We have a big, beautiful bill in our book." Sneaki

[friday-im-in-love-with-crowley]

House: Wilson, I need to talk to you.

Wilson: What is it, House? *irritated, he was working or something*

House: Do you know a girl named Dorothy?

Wilson: No. Should I?

House: Yes. She’s my best friend. How do you not know her?

Wilson: … *confused*

House: Wilson, for as long as I’ve known you, you’ve been the fruitiest pansy. Ever.

Wilson: Hey, wait-

House: I am also a faggot. I swing both ways so hard, I need a cane.

Wilson: What does that have to do with-

House: We’re both fairies. I have a proposal. Literally.

Wilson: What?

House: *gets down on one knee* *fails* *uses a stool to awkwardly do a hunch-lunge thing* I love you, Wilson. Marry me, you sodomite.

Wilson: …… *flabbergasted*

House: In the homosexual way. If that wasn’t clear. Like the we-should-have-butt-sex way.

Wilson: …..Is this a joke or-

House could legit propose to wilson and somehow make it homophobic