#sens week in review

[reasonsforhope]

Version that doesn't require sign-in.

"Hot Labor Summer just became a scorcher.

[On August 25, 2023], the National Labor Relations Board released its most important ruling in many decades. In a party-line decision in Cemex Construction Materials Pacific, LLC, the Board ruled that when a majority of a company’s employees file union affiliation cards, the employer can either voluntarily recognize their union or, if not, ask the Board to run a union recognition election. If, in the run-up to or during that election, the employer commits an unfair labor practice, such as illegally firing pro-union workers (which has become routine in nearly every such election over the past 40 years, as the penalties have been negligible), the Board will order the employer to recognize the union and enter forthwith [a.k.a. immediately] into bargaining.

The Cemex decision was preceded by another, one day earlier, in which the Board, also along party lines, set out rules for representation elections which required them to be held promptly after the Board had been asked to conduct them, curtailing employers’ ability to delay them, often indefinitely.

Taken together, this one-two punch effectively makes union organizing possible again, after decades in which unpunished employer illegality was the most decisive factor in reducing the nation’s rate of private-sector unionization from roughly 35 percent to the bare 6 percent at which it stands today...

“This is a sea change, a home run for workers,” said Brian Petruska, an attorney for the Laborers Union who authored a 2017 law review article on how to effectively restore to workers their right to collective bargaining enshrined in the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, which was all but nullified by the act’s weakening over the past half-century. Taken together, Petruska added, last week’s decisions recreate “a system with no tolerance for employers’ coercion of their employees” when their employees seek their legal right to collective bargaining...

Since the days of Lyndon Johnson, every time that the Democrats have controlled the White House and both houses of Congress, they’ve tried to put some teeth back into the steadily more toothless NLRA. But they’ve never managed to muster the 60 votes needed to get those measures through the Senate. The Cemex ruling actually goes beyond much of what was proposed in those never-enacted bills."

-via The American Prospect, August 28, 2023

--

Note: I didn't include it because the paragraphs about it went super into the weeds, but the reason all of this is happening is because of the NRLB's general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, who was appointed by Biden. In fact, according to this article, this "secures Abruzzo’s place as the most important public official to secure American workers’ rights since New York Sen. Robert Wagner, who authored the NLRA in 1935." Voting matters

[mariacallous]

Three days after Kamala Harris was sworn into the Senate in early January 2017, the U.S. intelligence community released a stunning declassified report that concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered an influence campaign meant to sway the previous year’s presidential election in favor of Donald Trump and undermine faith in U.S. democracy.

The revelations spurred three high-profile investigations into Russian election interference by lawmakers and special counsel Robert Mueller and would come to dominate headlines for much of the Trump presidency.

As a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which conducted a wide-ranging three-year investigation of Moscow’s interference efforts, Harris had a front-row seat to reams of highly classified material about Russian intelligence operations targeting the United States. The experience left a long-standing impression on the vice president, according to current and former aides who characterize it as a highly formative experience that left her with few illusions about Moscow’s intentions.

“I see those first few weeks as pivotal, because those were both her and Donald Trump’s first few weeks in Washington,” said Halie Soifer, who served as national security advisor to Harris in the Senate.

A Republican source familiar with Harris’s time on the committee said that during the Russia investigation, members were exposed to “borderline raw intelligence” on Moscow’s interference efforts, which they described as an eye-opening experience, even for long-standing members of the committee. “I think it was sobering for everyone,” said the source, who requested anonymity to share their insights.

The Senate’s final report, which spanned over 1,000 pages across five volumes, is generally regarded to be the most detailed look at aggressive Russian intelligence efforts to make inroads with the Trump campaign and to sway the election in favor of the former president.

The report did not reach a conclusion as to whether the Trump team had actively sought to collude with Moscow for its own advantage.

As part of its investigation, the committee reviewed over 1 million pages of documents and interviewed more than 200 witnesses.

While much of the day-to-day work of the probe was carried out by committee staffers, senators from both sides of the aisle have described Harris as a quick study whose advice on questioning witnesses was sought by seasoned committee staff, according to a 2019 BuzzFeed article.

In public hearings on both the Intelligence and Judiciary committees, on which she also sat, Harris developed a reputation for her prosecutorial style as she interrogated senior members of the Trump administration.

“Members get out of it what they put into it, and she put a lot of time and energy and effort into it,” said the Republican source.

Former aides to the vice president have spoken of how her background as a lawyer also informs her view on foreign policy, placing particular emphasis on the importance of international laws and norms. In a 2019 interview with the Council on Foreign Relations, Harris described the U.S. role in building a “community of international institutions, laws, and democratic nations” as America’s biggest foreign-policy achievement since World War II.

While the House Intelligence Committee Russia investigation was beset by political infighting, the Senate investigation remained bipartisan and largely free of public drama—something Harris has spoken fondly of.

“Every week, members of the Senate Intelligence Committee would walk into that wood-paneled room—no cameras, no public, no devices,” said Harris during a memorial service last year for the late California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who had been a long-standing member of the committee.

“Senators of both parties who would take off their jackets and literally roll up their sleeves, putting aside partisanship to discuss what was in the best interests of our national security,” she said.

Harris served on the Intelligence Committee, which, alongside the House panel, provides oversight of the sprawling U.S. intelligence community, throughout her four years in the Senate.

In 2018, Harris backed an amendment that would compel law enforcement to obtain a warrant before accessing the communications of American citizens inadvertently gathered under a controversial program that enabled intelligence agencies to conduct wide-ranging foreign electronic surveillance.

She also used the perch to stress the need for greater investments in election security in light of Russia’s attempt to sway the vote, co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation on election cybersecurity.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Andrew Perez at Rolling Stone:

EARLIER THIS WEEK, two Democratic senators announced they have requested a criminal investigation into Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas — regarding, in part, a loan for a luxury RV provided by a longtime executive at UnitedHealth Group, one of America’s largest health insurers. Thomas apparently recused himself in at least two cases involving UnitedHealth when the loan was active, according to a Rolling Stone review. Yet, he separately chose to participate in another health insurance case and authored the court’s unanimous opinion in 2004. The ruling broadly benefited the industry — shielding employer-sponsored health insurers from damages if they refuse to cover certain services and patients are harmed. Thomas’ advice to patients facing such denials? Pull out your checkbook.

While UnitedHealth was not a party to the case, the company belonged to two trade associations that filed a brief urging the Supreme Court to side with the insurers.  “As we saw so starkly this term, Supreme Court decisions can have sweeping collateral implications: If the court rules in favor of one insurance giant, for instance, it tends to be a boon for all the other insurance giants, too,” says Alex Aronson, executive director at the judicial reform group Court Accountability. “That was the case here, and it’s a perfect example of why justices shouldn’t accept gifts — especially secret ones — from industry titans whose interests are implicated, whether directly or indirectly, by their rulings.” The public had no way of knowing about Thomas’ RV loan at the time of the decision: The loan was only exposed by The New York Times last year. Senate Democrats investigating Thomas believe that much or all of the loan, for a $267,230 motor coach, was ultimately forgiven. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) recently requested the Justice Department investigate whether Thomas reported the forgiven portion of the loan on his tax filings, after he failed to disclose it in ethics forms.

Meanwhile, Thomas’ health insurance opinion has had wide-ranging, long-lasting ramifications, according to Mark DeBofsky, an employee benefits lawyer and former law professor.  “It hasn’t been rectified. The repercussions continue,” DeBofsky tells Rolling Stone. “People who are in dire need of specific medical care, and [their] insurance company turns around and says, ‘That care is not medically necessary,’ and there’s an adverse outcome as a result of the denial of the treatment, or hospitalization, or service — there’s no recompense for what could have been an unnecessary death or serious injury.” Since last year, the Supreme Court has faced an unprecedented ethics crisis, with much of the focus aimed squarely at Thomas. ProPublica reported that Thomas received and failed to disclose two decades worth of luxury gifts from a conservative billionaire, Harlan Crow, who allegedly provided free private jet and superyacht trips to Thomas and his wife; bought a house from Thomas and allowed the justice’s elderly mother to live there for free; and paid for at least two years of boarding school tuition for Thomas’ grandnephew.

[...] Federal law requires Supreme Court justices to recuse themselves in any case where their “impartiality might reasonably be questioned.” The justices decide for themselves when such a move is necessary — and when they do withdraw from a case, they rarely say why. Thomas does not appear to have explained his decision to withdraw from the two matters that directly involved UnitedHealth. Thomas did not take similar steps in Aetna Health Inc. v. Davila, a case that broadly affected the health insurance industry. He instead authored the court’s opinion, which expanded insurers’ favorite tool for limiting liability: ERISA. Congress passed the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, commonly known as ERISA, in 1974 to protect employee benefits. The law is relatively vague when it comes to “welfare benefits,” and contains a broad preemption clause. The courts have filled in the blanks — including in the Aetna Health case — with distressing results for patients. Half of Americans have employer-sponsored health insurance coverage; nearly all of these plans are governed by ERISA.

Rolling Stone exposes how SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas received a $267K RV from a health insurance executive.

[mochademic]

100 Days of Productivity [Day: 70] || 100 Jours de Productivitè [Jour: 70]

the warmth of the daylight, like the embrace of an old friend, is enough to bring me back home.

the beginning of this week is also the beginning of many new things. I feel both prepared, & not at the same time.

language proficiency tests scheduled & booked

critiques reviewed

bills managed

plants watered & fed

exam study notes started

currently listening // Be Afraid by DXXDLY

La chaleur de la lumière du jour, comme l'étreinte d'un vieil ami, suffit à me ramener à la maison.

Le début de cette semaine est aussi le début de beaucoup de choses nouvelles. Je me sens à la fois préparée et pas préparée du tout.

tests de compétence linguistique programmés et réservés

critiques examinées

factures gérées

plantes arrosées et nourries

notes d'étude pour l'examen commencées

chanson // Be Afraid par DXXDLY

[taralen]

Thoughts in Reflection

A prequel to an INBOX Story idea proposed by @clowny-rolls (Thanks for the idea!!!)

NOTE: This story won't make as much sense unless you read the stuff I wrote here for better context: Click Me.

The illustration is inspired by a drawing a friend of mine did of Spamton, but it's currently not uploaded anywhere. Sorry guys. ���

The year was 1994.

Spamton G. Spamton, a former Addison and a now esteemed entrepreneurial businessman who founded BIG SHOT AUTOS was one day asked, "Mr. Spamton, are you seeing anyone?"

Much to Spamton's chagrin, the one asking was his close friend Bant, a Blue Addison who was the only one of his former friends and coworkers with whom he stayed in contact. He leaned against the wall, waiting for any chance to talk to Spamton once he was off the phone.

Spamton rolled his eyes. "Why are you asking?"

"You haven't seen any ladies, have you? I figured with your newfound success, the women would be flocking to you." Bant chuckled.

Spamton raised his hand and dismissed this with a gesture. "I'm too busy."

"Not too busy for me, though." Bant smirked.

Spamton froze and his cheeks flushed pink.

Bant tilted his head, flashing that iconic closed-eye Addison grin. "Hey, if you're interested, one of the restaurants Sen's been running fliers for is setting up blind dates. I've been the one coordinating things to bring people together. The restaurant has had a nice uptick in business since! The campaign is running for another week. It might be kind of fun to try it out. I can set you up with a cute girl, exactly your type!"

Spamton narrowed his eyes at the mention of Sen, or Yahoosen, the Yellow Addison he once worked so closely with but did not believe in his vision. Hearing Bant's involvement softened his expression but not his demeanor. "That sounds stupid. How will this benefit me at all?"

"If you have a good time, you could leave them a good review, and then I can convince the owner to vouch for your shop whenever they need a new car or some fixing. What do you think?" Bant's smile widened.

Spamton raised a brow. "Uh, give me a moment. Step out of my office for a bit."

Bant sighed. "What for?"

"I need to make a call, obviously!" Spamton said as he sat down at his desk with his finger already on the dial.

Bant huffed and pushed off the wall. "Fine. Let me know when you're done." He slipped out, closed the door behind him, and paced the hall. Although he was just outside the office, he could not hear what Spamton was talking about. Thankfully, the call was brief, and only a few moments later, Spamton opened the door, looking up at Bant. "OKAY. I will do it!" He adjusted his collar and flashed a handsome, toothy smile.

Bant blinked. "Huh? Really? Did whoever you were talking to on the phone tell you it was a good idea?" He laughed a little awkwardly.

"Huh?! Why would I ask my esteemed business partner about something so silly?" Spamton laughed, dismissively waving his hand. "Go on! Set me up with this blind date! I trust you know my tastes in women well."

Bant furrowed his brows. Having known Spamton for years, he knew when he wasn't totally genuine, and this seemed to be one of those moments, but he smiled anyway. "Okay, I will. I'm sure not to disappoint you!" ☎️☎️☎️

Waiting in a hallway near the restrooms was a small lady, a White Addison. She wore a silken pink dress far too expensive for her salary and tied her hair up in a matching pink bow. People passing by stared at her, whispering words she did not want to hear.

Bant approached her. "Ah, Ms. Thetalan, you look quite lovely. That dress Orvar loaned you fits you nicely!"

Orvar, short for Orvarstok, was an Orange Addison who worked with Bant. He advertised clothing curated by Queen herself, ranging from everyday wear to fine garments. Through their established trust, Bant easily convinced him to loan a dress on the promise he'd foot the dry-cleaning bills afterward.

She turned to the Blue Addison and smiled meekly. "You think so? I hope he likes it, too."

"He definitely will. You are exactly his type." Bant winked. "He is an esteemed businessman, so he has fine tastes. He should be here within the next five to ten minutes. Just wait here for now."

"Fine tastes?" She blushed. "Okay. I will wait right here," she answered meekly. She watched him disappear down the corner. She was certain this guy was the same Blue Addison she saw with that man she fell in love with a year ago—a man who appeared to be a White Addison like her but with black hair. She etched his name into her heart: Spamton G. Spamton.

Despite her suspicions, Thetalan didn't dare pry too much about the Blue Addison's possible relations. He approached her directly while she was walking down the street and asked if she would like to participate in a blind date with all the expenses paid to support a local restaurant. Usually, she'd be wary of such things, but because of his familiarity, her intuition told her to trust him and take on this offer. She told him about the kind of man she wanted to meet, and he said, "Ah, perfect. I know just the guy for you! He is a handsome businessman and not too unlike an Addison." He raised his head and pointed at his own nose. "What, with one of these just like us!"

Few Darkners chose to court Addisons outside of work-related reasons, but this Blue Addison described someone so specific that she could only think of one person, and it was him. To have this opportunity of seeing Spamton again... It made her tremble with excitement.

With bated breath, she gazed into the nearby mirror, trying to collect herself. Though she was excited, anxiety swarmed her entire being. She hadn't seen this man since last year and wondered if he remembered her. He occupied her mind constantly, and as she stared into her beautified reflection, her hands wringing restlessly, she thought, "He has no idea how much I wish he could see me."

(To be continued...)

[midwestbramble]

Book Reviews and Recommendations

This will be a running list of books I’ve reviewed and which ones I recommend according to topic. This way when people ask I have an easy place to point them.

Right now I’m posting one review a week of a book that’s already on my shelf. Eventually all the books I’ve recommended will have a review linked as well; for now if you have questions about one feel free to ask. This post will continue to be updated.

��₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Content:

Book Reviews

Book Recommendations

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Book Reviews

America Bewitched

American Brujeria

Aradia

Astral Dynamics

Backwoods Witchcraft

Besom, Stang, and Sword

Betwixt and Between

Black Dog Folklore

The Black Toad

The Book of Celtic Magic (coming soon)

Mastering Witchcraft

Thirteen Pathways of Occult Herbalism

Under the Witching Tree

Witches Among Us

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Book Recommendations

For Beginners:

Natural Magic by Doreen Valiente

Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn

Weave the Liminal by Laura Tempest Zakroff

The Witch’s Path by Thorn Mooney

Ancestor Work:

Honoring Your Ancestors by Mallorie Vaudoise

Animal Spirits:

Black Dog Folklore by Mark Norman

Fang and Fur, Blood and Bone by Lupa

Skin Spirits by Lupa

Astrology:

The Essential Guide to Practical Astrology by April Elliott Kent

Crafts:

The Green Witch’s Grimoire by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Potions, Elixirs, and Brews by Anaïs Alexandre

Cultural Literacy in Modern Witchcraft:

Aradia by Charles Godfrey Leland

Doreen Valiente: Witch by Philip Heselton

Power of the Witch by Laurie Cabot

The Rebirth of Witchcraft by Doreen Valiente

Spiral Dance by Starhawk

Transcendental Magic by Éliphas Lévi

Death Work:

Morbid Magic by Tomás Prower

Druidry:

The Book of Celtic Magic by Kristoffer Hughes

Elements:

The Four Elements of the Wise by Ivo Dominguez Jr.

The Little Work by Durgadas Allon Duriel

Faeries:

Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk by Morgan Daimler

Feri (not to be confused with faeries):

Betwixt and Between by Storm Faerywolf

Forbidden Mysteries of Faery Witchcraft by Storm Faerywolf

Folklore:

Black Dog Folklore by Mark Norman

The Devils Plantation by Nigel Pearson

Folk Magic:

American Brujeria by J. Allen Cross

Backwoods Witchcraft by Jake Richards

Doctoring the Devil by Jake Richards

Ozark Folk Magic by Brandon Weston

Ozark Mountain Spell Book by Brandon Weston

The Powwow Grimoire by Robert Phoenix

Trolldom by Johannes Björn Gårdbäck

Working Conjure by Hoodoo Sen Moise

Green Witchcraft:

The Green Witch’s Garden by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Plants of the Devil by Corrine Boyer

The Poison Path Herbal by Coby Michael

Under the Bramble Arch by Corrine Boyer

Under the Witching Tree by Corrine Boyer

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer

Wortcunning by Nigel Pearson

Hearth Witchcraft:

The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin

The House Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Hedge Riding/Spirit Flight:

Astral Dynamics by Robert Bruce

A Broom at Midnight by Roger J. Horne

History:

America Bewitched by Owen Davies

Demons and Spirits of the Land by Claude Lecouteux

Harry Potter and History by Nancy Reagin <- unaffiliated with JK Rowling

A History of Magic and Witchcraft by Frances Timbers

The Return of the Dead by Claude Lecouteux

The Tradition of Household Spirits by Claude Lecouteux

The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton

The Witch by Ronald Hutton

Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies by Claude Lecouteux

Holidays:

The Hearth Witch’s Year by Anna Franklin

Samhain by Diana Rajchel

Yule by Susan Pesznecker

Protection:

By Rust of Nail and Prick of Thorn by Althaea Sebastiani

Hex Twisting by Diana Rajchel

The Reclaiming Tradition:

The Spiral Dance by Starhawk

Scientific Studies on Magic:

Real Magic by Dean Radin, PhD

Spirit Work:

Honoring Your Ancestors by Mallorie Vaudoise

A Witch’s Guide to the Paranormal by J. Allen Cross

Traditional Witchcraft:

Besom, Stang, and Sword by Christopher Orapello and Tara-Love Maguire

The Black Toad by Gemma Gary

A Broom at Midnight by Roger J. Horne

The Crooked Path by Kelden <- great for beginners

The Devils Dozen by Gemma Gary

Folkloric American Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience by Via Hedera

New World Witchery by Corey Hutcheson

Plants of the Devil by Corrine Boyer

The Poison Path Herbal by Coby Michael

Southern Cunning by Aaron Oberon

Traditional Witchcraft by Gemma Gary

Treading the Mill by Nigel G Pearson

Tubelos Green Fire by Shani Oates

Under the Bramble Arch by Corrine Boyer

Under the Witching Tree by Corrine Boyer

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer

The Witch Compass by Ian Chambers

The Witches’ Devil by Roger J Horne

The Witches’ Sabbath by Kelden

Wortcunning by Nigel Pearson

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[comeonamericawakeup]

Russia’s info-war machine has breached the Capitol building, said Chris Brennan in USA Today. “That’s not just me talking.” In recent weeks, GOP House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Rep. Michael McCaul has warned that much of his party’s base has been “infected” by Kremlin propaganda, while Rep. Michael Turner has said fellow Republicans are repeating anti-Ukrainian talking points “on the House floor.” The two “didn’t name names. They didn’t have to.” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who’s threatened to boot House Speaker Mike Johnson if he advances an aid bill for Ukraine, has spouted lies about the Ukrainian government “executing priests” and “attacking Christians.” Putin’s useful idiots are also in the Senate, said Noah Rothman in National Review. In a New York Times op-ed last week, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance implied that Ukrainian soldiers want “nothing more than to surrender” to the Russian invaders, and that the U.S. doesn’t have the “bandwidth” to arm Kyiv. None of that is true.

THE WEEK April 26, 2024

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

In January, President Biden's personal physician met with Walter Reed's Parkinson's disease specialist, Dr Cannard and cardiologist, Dr Atwood.

Top Washington D.C. neurologist had a meeting with President Biden’s personal doctor at the White House earlier this year, visitor logs reviewed by The Post show.

Dr. Kevin Cannard, a Parkinson’s disease expert at Walter Reed Medical Center, met with Dr. Kevin O’Connor, and two others at the White House residence clinic on Jan. 17, according to the records, which emerge as questions continue to swirl about the 81-year-old president’s mental health in the wake of his debate debacle last week with former President Trump.

Dr. John E. Atwood, a cardiologist at Walter Reed, was also in the 5 P.M. meeting, the White House visitor logs show.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), who is a physician, said “many” in the medical community have “suspected for several years that the president might be suffering from Parkinson’s disease.”

“Sadly, over 500,000 Americans are afflicted by this progressive neurological condition. If the president of the United States is among them, the American people deserve to know before voting in November,” he told The Post.

Dr. Rob Howard, a professor of old age psychiatry at University College London, said that President Biden displayed many symptoms indicative of Parkinson’s disease.

The president’s “fluctuation in attentional function, his facial appearance, and his gait,” were all signs that something is amiss, said Howard, who has never examined Biden and added he was not offering a formal diagnosis.

“I am not saying its Parkinson’s disease, I am just pointing out that there are features to him that are consistent with Parkinson’s disease.”

Cannard is an authority on Parkinson’s who has worked at Walter Reed for nearly 20 years.

Since 2012, he has served as the “neurology specialist supporting the White House Medical Unit,” according to his LinkedIn.

His most recent paper was published in August 2023 in the journal Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, and focuses on the “early-stage” of the crippling disease.

Tragic that this Kevin O'Connor would risk his medical license to coverup for the Biden family and jeopardize our national security.

[slimesam]

Hiiiii. Gun and goo planning/going on a trip together HC WHEN [politely asking]

Yeeehhhh! Got another Ask!

Please don’t be shy about sending more requests!

Gun and Goo planning a trip together head cannon here we go!

Also sorry for answering late. Got caught up by first week of assignments lol

Goo planning the trip together with Gun:

Never let him plan the trip

He will just make the whole trip more inconvenient even if it is work-related

Ho going for a 50-kilometer trip that takes only take 3 hours? He will make 5 hour trip.

He doesn’t even plan it at all

Booking hotel? Nah he gonna do it at the last minute of the booking hotel when it's about nighttime

What about lunch and dinner? That lil shit wouldn’t book any reservation in any 5 stars to a normal restaurant so Gun and he ends up eating drive-through of McDonald’s somehow also packed.

All Gun thinks ‘The calories in this and the fats are unhealthy’ as he looks at his McCrispy Classic Burger Set order while Goo just eating his favorite hamburger 1955 Burger Meal.

The night is rising and Sun is falling, Goo forgot to book the hotel again but it looks like he is doing it intentionally doing it.

So Goo and Gun end up booking into a haunted-looking hotel

The hotel room is “clean” with no messes, and a clean blanket, the bathroom is functional, and service of the counter is an old man that looks like a corpse. Gun would just stare at him and pray that the trip would just end or just end Goo as he can’t bear this mess up the trip that Goo’s unplanned trip.

Night came Gun is got himself relaxed as he took a surprisingly working heater hot shower while Goo already in pajamas and cover himself with the blanket and his eye mask in a yearning sleeping position

Gun lay down on his bed and closed the light that is beside his bed.

Kakakkaakakakakakaaka

Goo stirs as he can hear the uncomfortable whisper, he also can feel someone groping him.

Goo flip around until he had enough.

He sat up and remove his sleeping mask and look around.

Nothing, He sees Gun in a deep sleep of a stargazing position.

So Goo lay back down and tried to go back to sleep.

As he tries to go back to sleep, he can feel a sharp nail trailing his back

He took a small peek as he want to see whom the heck is groping him

And he sees the cursed like juju*su ka*sen that he has been reading

WTF that fucking too cool!

Goo thought he want to raise his body and touch the curse but was unable to as it look like he is in sleep paralyzed state

The next day Gun and Goo now booking out, seeing in Goo in that state like he have been drained by a succubus or didn’t sleep at all, Gun just shoved Goo in the passenger seat thinking that Goo would just drive the car out of the road barrier as they would travel to the mountain road.

“Gun what did yah think about that hotel? Cool right?” Goo states his face looking in a blissed/drugged-like state.

“Did you even sleep at all dumbass?” vein pop on Gun's face as he hates driving on the mountain road

“Nah, I didn’t sleep at all LOL. I think I just experience the peak of the juju*su ka*sen see curse! Lemme put a review on that hotel!” Goo laughs and searches up the hotel name online

….Silence ensures “Gun what was the hotel name again?”

“Hotel De luna, if I am not mistaken” Gun answers him while driving a full speed on the highway

“Hotel de luna” Goo types on the search engine while drinking his milk tea bottle that he just bought from the store

Goo spit his drink which resulted in Gun pressing the break as he was splattered by Goo's spat-out drinks.

Gun couldn’t help but whacked Goo’s head and demand the reason why he spits the drinks

“Gun, the hotel…. it says here that it burned down for almost a decade.” Goo shows his phone to the gun and it says on the website that the Hotel de luna was once a popular hotel but it have been burned down by someone and 5 staff members are being trapped inside the hotel during that time

The atmosphere turned cold

Gun being a Shinto religion just said “let's just agree not to mention this trip again”

After all, going in and being able to get out of the spirit world is considerably lucky

Both of them just agree to never mention this spirit world trip again

Gun planning the trip together with Goo:

Being a perfectionist, he is and he books a trip to Japan with Goo since he has been bugging Gun for a long time He wants to Japan while Gun just wants to visit his hometown to see how the yakuza doing.

He doesn’t want to be bombarded by Goo when he gets back to Korea

Gun made a booking for a 5-star hotel and restaurant

Being an adrenaline maniac and Fighting Junkie, it’s no surprise to Goo that they end up being in a gym and a swimming pool may be a beach that tolerates tattoos.

It's already on the third day in Japan, they have traveled around they visit popular onsens, pubs, host clubs, restaurants, and Akihabara which is the first day they visit since Goo bugged Gun about it.

Goo thinks it got so boring as he doing a small dumbbell until he saw one of the milfest women he ever sees in his life other than at those cosplay conventions or gym she is like Minamoto Raikou of FGO in person. Like the degenerate he is, he tries to use his broken Japanese to flirt with her. (he needs to learn basic Japanese as Gun doesn’t want to bring him on the trip unless he learns basics LOL)

Meanwhile, Gun doing heavy weight lifting he sees Goo approaching the lady, He can’t help but think that woman looks familiar.

Then it clicked to him that woman is one of the Yamazaki allies’ wife and his probably mother in law

When Gun is about to drop the Weight lift. Goo approached with a smiling face.

“Guess who got a lady's number~” Goo grinned widely

Gun just looks at him unimpressed as it looks like the planned trip will be interrupted.

He notices her wave at him with her mouthing

“Visit the tournament Yuzuru-kun~ If not your small vacation trip will be interrupted~”

Gun couldn’t help but nod at the woman

“Gun, she even gave me two a cruise ship ticket! Let’s ditch the plan and go there!”

Gun can’t help but feel the headache coming to him, so he just agrees to Goo's idea as he knows he is going complain to him on the way to the hotel after they are finished reps and showering.

That night they visit the docking area of the cruise ship

There are a lot of bodyguards, businessmen, and mercenaries let’s not forget yakuza.

“Woooooo, what is this place Gun! Also, look at those yakuza that like the” Goo goes sparkling.

“Shut it, Goo” Gun snapped at him as he is getting irritated from the chatter of Goo

Both Gun and Goo enter the cruise ship and was directed by their host on the way to the entertainment arena

“Ladies and Gen-“

“Gun what the heck is this place” Goo look around the arena

Gun put his cigarette and lit it.

“ffuu, Goo that lady you been flirting with is an ane-san to one of the Yamazaki allies” Gun puffs out the smokes

Goo looks at him in shock and say “damn, is this place like the Keng*n Ash*ra manga??”

“You can say, enjoy it while we here.” Gun answers him while raising his hand to call the waitress to serve them limited alcohol and snacks

“Yamazaki-sama~” a familiar face from the gym approach the two

“Kiryu-sama, Its been long time.” Gun stood up and bow 45 degrees to show respect to the older woman

“it been so long since you have visited the arena Yamzaki-sama, hopefully, you can enjoy this evening battle~ And when will you tie the knot with one of your candidates.” The Kiryu smiles teasingly at Gun.

“Kiryu-sama, You should know not to butt in about the candidates as there are none that can appease me.” Gun puffs out another smoke

“Gun, you know her? And what this about candidate.” Goo whisper to him

“Let me give a short introduction to this lady. This is Miss Kiryu she is one of the yamazaki ally’s wives she manages this underground arena.” Gun gave a short explanation to Goo not looking at him as he is busy pouring his bottle of sake and focusing announcer's introduction to the fighters

Kiryu smiled and approaches Goo full of tea to spill to him “Let me sit beside you and explain the whole history of this place and about Gun’s candidates hehe.” Gun doesn’t hear the last part as he is absorbed by the tournament battle going on.

Two days later, Goo and Gun enjoy the luxury of alcohol, gambling, and entertainment in a battle arena. There is even an artificial mixed onsen which Goo enjoys and Gun is just impressed by some changes of the cruise that he visited a few years ago.

They are also surrounded by soap girls during that time, you can say Goo go a shocked mood as he just discovers there is this type of service hidden in Japan.

The morning of dawn all the elites member of society have departed from them as they don’t want to be seen by reporters.

Gun and Goo also departed from the cruise and goes back to their hotel to grab their suitcase to travel back to Korea.

Both of them sit in the first-class seat, Minding their own business.

Goo is watching some anime on his TV screen and Gun reading a newspaper of Japan while drinking his coffee

“So I heard that you have 5 fiancées Gun.” Goo said out of blue

“Goo if you value your life as this plane is still in the air. Don’t say any word of it” Gun said in a monotone as his forehead vine pops

“But seriously damn those 5 fiancees are so damn hot yah saying you didn’t bang them at all??” Goo smiles widely.

A verbal fight ensures the plain

Both of them have a time-out when the flight attendant smiles like Charles Choi that will give them hell if they don’t break it.

You can just say that Gun and Goo just got blacklisted from that airline. LOL

No matter what Gun plans for his trip with Goo it will go in the opposite direction or go off the rail to a disaster event.

[gnostichymns]

It's November! We know you're all excited for the event, and so are we, but we have a few things to go over before it to make sure everyone's inventories are ready to go!

For characters with multiple kits, we have added new clauses to our treatment of them. The following has been updated on our rules:

- At any given time, one muse may only have access to 3 kits total. If your character uses different weapons across those kits, they may claim a weapon of the new kit’s type corresponding to their Normal Attack level. While they have this kit active, you may also claim a weapon of any accessed type from events. - If your character has more than 3 kits, once you have reached the cap in GH, you may exchange one for another (granted that you have met the requirements to access it) once a month. You will not lose your weapons, but you will not be able to use the ones you do not have the corresponding kit for until you have access to it again.

If your muse has multiple weapon types available to them already and their Normal Attack is at level 5, please make sure to submit a claim including what level 5 weapon you wish to add to their inventory for any types they do not already have.

Now, what you've all been waiting for: Artifacts! You can submit your claim and review the requirements here. Don't procrastinate, this form is only open for one week. After it closes, you will not be able to claim any artifacts from October activity.

And that should be the bulk of it! Please do let us know if you have any questions.

Celebrating their 1 year anniversaries this month are:

Muns: Sen (11/5), Rai (11/14), Mel (11/17), Sara (11/18) Muses: Albedo (11/5), Furina (11/14), Kaveh (11/18)

Don't forget that there is no new commission board this month, as Swirl will be extended throughout the duration of the event!

And lastly, don't forget about our feedback form! Please take note of your event-specific feedback throughout the month, however, as we ask that it be saved for our December form.

-Mod Alina

[norashelley]

15 People, 15 Questions

I was tagged by @oftwodarkmoons, thanks so much! This is long and I don't want to make people read it if they don't feel like it so I'll tag people first and put the rest under a read more! So if you feel like doing this I will tag - @murderballadeer @grusinskayas @chantalstacys @maudeboggins @jwclapton @emmybrown @nitrateglow @filminghere @oldhollywoodholla @joanleslies @valancystirling48 @ritahayworrth @patdevilles @gayworths @audreytotter

1. Are you named after anyone?

Although it's my grandma's middle name I was actually just named after a flower as were my other sisters.

2. When was the last time you cried? with physical tears? it's been a few years. my eye's are no longer capable of making tears. I cry internally at least once a week though.

3. Do you have kids?

No~

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

Never had any opportunities to play any but I always pretended to play sports, I won so many gold medals in various sports, figure and speed skating, gymnastics, track, and hockey, and the baseball world series, it was great! All the imagined glory, none of the stress!

5. Do you use sarcasm?

With my family, we all use sarcasm very heavily. I had to train myself to hold back with other people when I realized it was upsetting some of my friends who didn't get/like sarcasm. Now I wont use it at all unless I am sure we have a mutual understanding and enjoyment of it.

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

In person I will notice hair first, that's usually the thing I focus on with people most since I have hard time looking into faces.

7. What’s your eye color?

Green

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Between the 2, happy endings. I'm scared enough in real life I don't need to add to it, though half the time scary movies I've sen aren't scary and just bore me. Although some movies I've liked are in the scary movie genre but they have good characters and plots and story development and are just kind of spooky, not scary.

9. Any talents?

Not really. I can do some pretty fancy whistling but that's a pretty pointless talent.

10. Where were you born?

In a tiny back room in my grandma's house.

11. What are your hobbies?

consuming media I suppose, movies and music mostly. I also enjoy spending time in nature and taking photos when I can.

12. Do you have any pets?

I have 3 cats now, only had 2 until recently when my neighbors moved and left their cat behind, had to save him from starving to death and dying of an infected wound he had so now he just lives with me.

13. How tall are you?

5'4, most average height ever.

14. Favorite subject in school?

History/literature, basically I just loved to read anything historical but I didn't like having to write about it. I'm only good at intake not output.

15. Dream job?

I don't even have one anymore... in a different life I would have liked to do cartoon voice acting or a food reviewer or something involving driving but those aren't things I could do now so I need to create some new dreams I suppose!

[mariacallous]

Twitter blocked a Democrat’s campaign video from being promoted on its platform because it expressed support for abortion rights, according to email conversations obtained by HuffPost.

The video, created by North Carolina state Sen. Rachel Hunt (D) for her campaign for lieutenant governor, centers on abortion rights in North Carolina and the fall of Roe v. Wade. Hunt says in the video that she’s running for lieutenant governor to combat anti-choice Republicans who recently passed a 12-week abortion ban in the state.

“When Roe v. Wade came to rural America, women woke up to a different world. A world with a bit more time. Little girls were little girls a little longer. Young women had the freedom to stay or go. The word ‘liberty’ was finally being used to talk about our lives,” Hunt says in the campaign video. “The important decisions didn’t get easier, but they were hers. A move to the city for college, for a career, for life ― those dreams didn’t have to end with an unplanned pregnancy.”

“I’m running for lieutenant governor because the Republican plan isn’t this year’s 12-week abortion ban ― it’s next year’s total abortion ban,” she continues. “We’re talking about 50 years of precedent. Not just legal precedent, but how three generations of women have lived their lives.”

The video is still available on Twitter, but the Hunt campaign cannot currently advertise or promote the video on the platform.

It’s common for companies and political candidates to pay Twitter to advertise content, whether it’s campaign videos or promotional material for certain products. Hunt’s campaign told HuffPost that they had set up a budget with Twitter to advertise certain videos, but then they noticed the money hadn’t been spent and the ad hadn’t been boosted by the platform.

When the Hunt campaign reached out to Twitter to inquire about the holdup, an employee said the video was blocked from promotion because of “the mention of abortion advocacy.”

“Ah yes, the mention of abortion advocacy is the issue here,” a Twitter employee told Hunt’s campaign Wednesday in an email reviewed by HuffPost. The employee said the company may have “some good news to share on that front” in the next week or so, seemingly suggesting it may change its standards and practices on content discussing abortion rights.

“For now, though, you still won’t be able to message around that topic,” the employee added.

HuffPost reached out to Twitter for comment and received an automated response with a poop emoji, as is now standard.

Hunt said she’s deeply concerned that Twitter believes content regarding abortion rights should be prohibited.

“This campaign is about representing the issues most important to North Carolinians ― including ensuring that all women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies,” she told HuffPost.

“I find it deeply concerning that Twitter considers the topic of protecting our fundamental freedoms as prohibited content,” Hunt continued. “Regardless, I will continue to focus on sharing my message with voters in every community in every part of the state.”

Since business mogul Elon Musk bought Twitter last year, the social media platform has shifted conspicuously to the right. When Musk took over, he immediately invited several right-wing extremists who had been kicked off Twitter back to the platform, including former President Donald Trump. Musk gutted the company from 7,500 employees to now closer to 2,000, laying off people in critical roles and curtailing employees’ ability to moderate hate speech and misinformation.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Trump loyalist Russ Vought pushes fascistic ‘post-Constitutional’ vision for second Trump term

Beth Reinhard at WaPo:

A battle-tested D.C. bureaucrat and self-described Christian nationalist is drawing up detailed plans for a sweeping expansion of presidential power in a second Trump administration. Russ Vought, who served as the former president’s budget chief, calls his political strategy for razing long-standing guardrails “radical constitutionalism.” He has helped craft proposals for Donald Trump to deploy the military to quash civil unrest, seize more control over the Justice Department and assert the power to withhold congressional appropriations — and that’s just on Trump’s first day back in office. Vought, 48, is poised to steer this agenda from an influential perch in the White House, potentially as Trump’s chief of staff, according to some people involved in discussions about a second term who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Since Trump left office, Vought has led the Center for Renewing America, part of a network of conservative advocacy groups staffed by former and potentially future Trump administration officials. Vought’s rise is a reminder that if Trump is reelected, he has said he will surround himself with loyalists eager to carry out his wishes, even if they violate traditional norms against executive overreach.

“We are living in a post-Constitutional time,” Vought wrote in a seminal 2022 essay, which argued that the left has corrupted the nation’s laws and institutions. Last week, after a jury convicted Trump of falsifying business records, Vought tweeted: “Do not tell me that we are living under the Constitution.” Vought aims to harness what he calls the “woke and weaponized” bureaucracy that stymied the former president by stocking federal agencies with hardcore disciples who would wage culture wars on abortion and immigration. The proposals championed by Vought and other Trump allies to fundamentally reset the balance of power would represent a historic shift — one they see as a needed corrective. “The president has to be able to drive the bureaucracy instead of being trapped by it,” said Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker who led the GOP’s 1994 takeover of Congress. Vought did not respond to interview requests and a detailed list of questions from The Washington Post. This account of his plans for Trump’s potential first day back in office and the rest of a second term comes from interviews with people involved in the planning, a review of Vought’s public remarks and writings, and Center for Renewing America correspondence obtained by The Post.

[...] Vought’s long careera s a staffer in Congress and at federal agencies has made him an asset to Project 2025, an initiative led by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, to lay the groundwork for a second Trump term. Vought wrote the chapter on the executive office of the president in Project 2025’s 920-page blueprint, and he is developing its playbook for the first 180 days, according to the people involved in the effort. “We’re going to plant the flags now,” Vought told Trump’s former strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, on his far-right podcast. “It becomes a new governing consensus of the Republican Party.”

[...]

From fiscal hawk to MAGA warrior

Vought was raised in Trumbull, Conn., the son of an electrician and a teacher and the youngest of seven children. Brought up in what he has characterized as a “very strong, Bible-preaching, Bible-teaching church,” he attended Christian camps every summer. He received a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College, an evangelical Christian school in Illinois, and headed to Capitol Hill near the end of the Clinton administration. Vought mastered the federal budget working for fiscal conservatives, including Sen. Phil Gramm and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, both Texas Republicans, while getting his law degree from George Washington University.

Years before the Freedom Caucus enforced right-wing ideology on Capitol Hill, Vought was the bomb-throwing executive director of the conservative House Republican Study Committee. His prime targets: big government and entitlement spending. He worked under Pence, then a congressman, who called him “one of the strongest advocates for the principles that guide us” in 2010. That year, as the populist tea party movement was surging, Vought joined the Heritage Foundation’s new lobbying arm. From a Capitol Hill townhouse dubbed the “frat house,” Vought and his other brash, young male colleagues tormented Republican leaders by grading their fealty to fiscal conservatism. “Russ was determined to make our scorecard tougher than others out there,” said Republican strategist Tim Chapman, who worked closely with Vought at Heritage Action. “He wanted to separate the wheat from the chaff.”

Joining the Trump transition allowed Vought to put his principles to paper. Later, Pence cast the tiebreaking vote for his confirmation in 2018 as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought ascended to the top post in 2019. But instead of slashing spending as Vought and other budget officials recommended, Trump resisted significant reductions to domestic programs and backed trillions in emergency pandemic assistance. The national debt ballooned by more than $8 trillion. Vought blamed Congress. And he stood by Trump throughout his tumultuous presidency, as a procession of other Cabinet officials balked at breaching what they viewed as ethical and legal boundaries. “A bunch of people around him who were constantly sitting on eggs and saying, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s getting me to violate the law,’” was how Vought later described the mat a Heritage Foundation event. By contrast, Vought found workarounds to fulfill the president’s ambitions that tested legal limits and his own record opposing executive overreach and deficit spending.

When Congress blocked additional funding for Trump’s border wall, the budget office in early 2020 redirected billions of dollars from the Pentagon to what became one of the most expensive federal infrastructure projects in U.S. history. And it was Vought’s office that held up military aid to Ukraine as Trump pressed the government to dig up dirt on Joe Biden, prompting the president’s first impeachment. Vought defied a congressional subpoena during the impeachment inquiry, which he mocked as a “#shamprocess.” The Government Accountability Office concluded that his office broke the law, a claim Vought disputed.

Near the end of Trump’s presidency, Vought helped launch his biggest broadside at the “deep state” — an order to strip the civil service protections of up to tens of thousands of federal employees. The administration did not have time to fully implement the order.

After the 2020 election, as Trump refused to concede, Biden officials complained that Vought was impeding the transition. Vought rejected that accusation — but wrote that his office would not “dismantle this Administration’s work.” He was already planning ahead; bylaws for what would become the Center for Renewing America were adopted on the day of Biden’s inauguration, records show. “There’s a marriage of convenience between Russ and Trump,” said Chapman, senior adviser at Pence’s group, Advancing American Freedom. “Russ has been pursuing an ideological agenda for a long time and views Trump’s second term as the best way to achieve it, while Trump needs people in his second term who are loyal and committed and adept at using the tools of the federal government.”

Radical constitutionalism

Since Biden took office, Vought has turned the Center for Renewing America into a hub of Trump loyalists, including Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department lawyer later charged in Georgia with trying to overturn Biden’s victory in 2020. Vought called Clark, who has pleaded not guilty, “a patriot who risked his career to help expose voter fraud.” “I think the election was stolen,” Vought said in a 2022 interview with Trump activists Diamond and Silk. He is no longer in touch with Pence, his longtime patron, who has said Trump’s efforts to overturn the vote disqualified him from serving as president again, according to people familiar with the relationship who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a sensitive topic. The Center for Renewing America is among several pro-Trump groups incubated by the Conservative Partnership Institute, founded in 2017 by former senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). The center, a tax-exempt group that is not required to publicly disclose its donors, raised $4.75 million in 2023, according to its annual report.

As Vought and other Trump allies work on blueprints for a second term, he is pushing a strategy he calls “radical constitutionalism.” The left has discarded the Constitution, Vought argues, so conservatives need to rise up, wrest power from the federal bureaucracy and centralize authority in the Oval Office. “Our need is not just to win congressional majorities that blame the other side or fill seats on court benches to meddle at the margins,” he wrote in the 2022 essay. “It is to cast ourselves as dissidents of the current regime and to put on our shoulders the full weight of envisioning, articulating, and defending what a Radical Constitutionalism requires in the late hour that our country finds itself in, and then to do it.”

In practice, that could mean reinterpreting parts of the Constitution to achieve policy goals — such as by defining illegal immigration as an “invasion,” which would allow states to use wartime powers to stop it. “We showed that millions of illegal aliens coming across, and Mexican cartels holding operational control of the border, constitute an invasion,” Vought wrote. “This is where we need to be radical in discarding or rethinking the legal paradigms that have confined our ability to return to the original Constitution.”

Vought also embraces Christian nationalism, a hard-right movement that seeks to infuse Christianity into all aspects of society, including government. He penned a 2021 Newsweek essay that disputed allegations of bias and asked, “Is There Anything Actually Wrong With ‘Christian Nationalism?’” He argued for “an institutional separation between church and state, but not the separation of Christianity from its influence on government and society.” Looking at immigration through that lens, Vought has called for “mass deportation” of illegal immigrants and a “Christian immigration ethic” that would strictly limit the types of people allowed entry into the United States. At a 2023 conference organized by Christian and right-wing groups, he questioned whether legal immigration is “healthy” because, in a politically polarized climate, “immigration only increases and exasperates the divisions that we face in the country.”

WaPo reports that Trump loyalist Russ Vought is set to push for a fascistic "post-Constitutional" vision for second Trump term should Donald Trump get elected.

[beardedmrbean]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jury deliberations resumed Monday in the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez in New York City.

A jury that began deliberations on Friday with three hours of work resumed its discussions in the morning in Manhattan federal court. The corruption trial for the New Jersey Democrat is in its 10th week.

Menendez, 70, has denied charges that he engaged in a bribery scheme from 2018 to 2023 to benefit three New Jersey businessman, including by serving as a foreign agent for the government of Egypt.

He and two businessmen who allegedly paid him bribes of gold and cash have pleaded not guilty.

As he left the courthouse on Friday, Menendez told reporters, “I have faith in God and in the jury.”

Last week, lawyers spent more than 15 hours delivering closing arguments as they encouraged the jury to carefully review hundreds of exhibits and hours of testimony.

Prosecutors put a heavy emphasis in their closing arguments on nearly $150,000 of gold bars and over $480,000 in cash seized from the Menendez home during a 2022 FBI raid. They say the valuables were bribe proceeds, along with a Mercedes-Benz convertible found in the couple's garage.

They also insisted there were multiple ways in which Menendez seemed to serve as an agent of Egypt.

Lawyers for Menendez insisted the three-term senator never accepted bribes and actions he took to benefit the businessmen were the kinds of tasks expected of a public official.

They said his actions helped speed $99 million in military shipments of helicopter ammunition to Egypt, while other communications he carried out with Egyptian officials were also part of his job as a senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a position he was forced to relinquish after charges were announced last fall.

Menendez announced several weeks ago that he plans to run for reelection this year as an independent.

[ridenwithbiden]

 The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.

The proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.

The agency's move, confirmed to the AP on Tuesday by five people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive regulatory review, clears the last significant regulatory hurdle before the agency’s biggest policy change in more than 50 years can take effect.

Once OMB signs off, the DEA will take public comment on the plan to move marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. It moves pot to Schedule III, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids, following a recommendation from the federal Health and Human Services Department. After the public comment period and a review by an administrative judge, the agency would eventually publish the final rule.

The proposal will be formally signed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, whose agency has ultimate oversight of the DEA, according to another person familiar with the process who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Garland's signature throws the full weight of the Justice Department behind the move and appears to signal its importance to the Biden administration.

It comes after President Joe Biden called for a review of federal marijuana law in October 2022 and moved to pardon thousands of Americans convicted federally of simple possession of the drug. He has also called on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to erase marijuana convictions.

“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in December. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”

The election year announcement could help Biden, a Democrat, boost flagging support, particularly among younger voters.

Biden and a growing number of lawmakers from both major political parties have been pushing for the DEA decision as marijuana has become increasingly decriminalized and accepted, particularly by younger people. A Gallup poll last fall found 70% of adults support legalization, the highest level yet recorded by the polling firm and more than double the roughly 30% who backed it in 2000.

The DEA didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.

Schedule III drugs are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic in them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution.

Some critics argue the DEA shouldn’t change course on marijuana, saying rescheduling isn’t necessary and could lead to harmful side effects.

Jack Riley, a former deputy administrator of the DEA, said he had concerns about the proposed change because he thinks marijuana remains a possible “gateway drug," one that may lead to the use of other drugs.

“But in terms of us getting clear to use our resources to combat other major drugs, that’s a positive,” Riley said, noting that fentanyl alone accounts for more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. a year.

On the other end of the spectrum, others argue marijuana should be treated the way alcohol is.

Last week, 21 Democrats led by Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York sent a letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram and Attorney General Merrick Garland arguing marijuana should be dropped from the controlled-substances list and instead regulated like alcohol.

“It is time for the DEA to act,” the lawmakers wrote. “Right now, the Administration has the opportunity to resolve more than 50 years of failed, racially discriminatory marijuana policy.”

Federal drug policy has lagged behind many states in recent years, with 38 having already legalized medical marijuana and 24 legalizing its recreational use.

That’s helped fuel fast growth in the marijuana industry, with an estimated worth of nearly $30 billion. Easing federal regulations could reduce the tax burden that can be 70% or more for businesses, according to industry groups. It could also make it easier to research marijuana, since it’s very difficult to conduct authorized clinical studies on Schedule I substances.

The immediate effect of rescheduling on the nation’s criminal justice system would likely be more muted, since federal prosecutions for simple possession have been fairly rare in recent years.

But loosening restrictions could carry a host of unintended consequences in the drug war and beyond.

Critics point out that as a Schedule III drug, marijuana would remain regulated by the DEA. That means the roughly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries in the U.S. would have to register with the DEA like regular pharmacies and fulfill strict reporting requirements, something that they are loath to do and that the DEA is ill equipped to handle.

Then there’s the United States' international treaty obligations, chief among them the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which requires the criminalization of cannabis. In 2016, during the Obama administration, the DEA cited the U.S.’ international obligations and the findings of a federal court of appeals in Washington in denying a similar request to reschedule marijuana.

[chanoyu-to-wa]

An Update (4/7).

Dear Followers and Readers,

And so the first ever complete translation and commentary on the Nampō Roku has come to its end. There still remain the two books of secret teachings that were compiled by the Enkaku-ji scholars to translate, but the relevant portions of those collections have already been discussed in the footnotes, or included as appendices, during the translation of the Nampō Roku itself. As a result, I feel a little justified in taking a break from this work...in the interests of publishing a revised version of a text that I wrote in 2010, looking at the verses known as the Hundred Poems -- because I feel that it would be good to make this information available to the readers of this Blog (which goes far beyond the skeletal versions of the poems that were published as the first topic of this Blog, back in 2012).

I finished the indices that were published just before this update on Saturday morning, and immediately started work on creating the array of drafts for the next series of posts, which will be a comparative study of the different extant collections of the poems that are popularly (but inaccurately) known as the Rikyū hyaku-shu [利休百首]. A number of these have been commercially published -- though several are still circulating privately (as handwritten compendiums) -- with the result that, while Jōō's original collection consisted of 88 poems (Jōō's original manuscript survived, at least into the early 20th century, in the archives of the Matsuya family; and this version of the Hundred Poems was reviewed and preserved by Suzuki Keiichi in his Sen no Rikyū zen-shū [千利休全集]), an analysis of the current versions yields a total of 121 distinct verses (many of the additional verses seem to have been created by Rikyū, mostly by changing the wording of Jōō's originals; Rikyū was also the principal disseminator of the poems, since he seems to have produced copies, from memory, for many of his disciples, and this is why his name is associated with them today). Two of the blank drafts were published erroneously (and deleted immediately), for which I want to apologize in case they showed up in the RSS feed for this blog.

The next series will consist of a total of 123 posts, with one post dedicated to each poem (plus an index and conclusion). I am not able to confirm the number of posts per week until I actually begin work, but am hoping to make at least three posts every week (I am thinking of publishing each installment as it is finished, rather than adhering to a fixed publishing schedule as heretofore). It will probably take me a week or so to figure out how best to format these posts (because the original word processor files on which the work was created are on the "MyBook" hard drive that I have not yet been able to access, I will have to work from the set of .jpg scans that I made from a printed version of the document: perhaps I can crop some of the charts from these files, but the text and formatting of the posts will have to be created anew), so I ask for your patience.

Since I will be revising the contents of this series in light of the whole collection of translations that have been published in this blog, it will not be a simple case of typing practice, so, again, I hope I will be able to rely on your patience if the posts come at irregular intervals, especially at first. At the same time, I am also intending to read through all of those earlier translations -- the Three Hundred Lines (Chanoyu san-byak'ka jō [茶湯三百箇條]), Rikyū densho [利休傳書], etc. -- and make whatever changes seem appropriate to bring the translations in line with the thrust of this cycle of teachings. As will always be the case with every individual who attempts to produce a translation of works such as these, I have had to approach each translation armed only with the information available to me, primarily based on my own past experiences (since most of these documents have come into my hands either with little or no commentary -- and what there is has usually been manipulated by one of the modern schools in order to align the classical document with their preferred interpretation). As my body of experience has continued to evolve, as a direct result of delving deeply into the language of the different collections of teachings, I have come to feel that it is more and more important -- indeed, necessary, in the interests of accuracy -- that I go back and fine-tune the earlier translations in light of the rest. When I find that changes or edits are necessary (most importantly, in the Nambō-ate no densho [南坊宛の傳書], where I will have to ignore Suzuki's format and divide the document into the three separate densho from which it was made, and the Sōga-ate no roji-hairi no densho [宗瓦宗露地入りの傳書], where the drawings will all have to be redone in light of later evidence that the "inner roji" was a small, fully enclosed space that lead into the chaseki through a pair of shōji via a small veranda-bench of some sort), I will mention these things in future updates (along with the URLs of the modified posts).

Once these things are done, I will return to the books of secret teachings, and other supporting documents, that were created by the Enkaku-ji scholars in the decades after Tachibana Jitsuzan's death -- and which generally reflect contemporaneous (mid-to-late Edo period) developments in the interpretation of the Nampō Roku (mostly according to the perspective of the Sen family; these modified interpretations are what eventually precipitated the publication of Tanaka's genpon [原本] edition, which frequently deviates significantly from Jitsuzan's original, almost always in the direction that the Sen family schools were taking at that time). This is another reason why I felt it might be better to temporally separate the translation of the secret books from the Nampō Roku itself, since the deviation is in line with what we saw in the last entries in Book Seven -- meaning that many of the arguments and lines of speculation diverge farther and farther from Rikyū and his chanoyu. As I said, most of the sections that are supportive or interpretative (in a useful way) of entries in the Nampō Roku have already been translated in, or incorporated into my commentary on, the Nampō Roku itself.

As I prepared the just-published indices, it was necessary for me to scroll through the entire translation of the Nampō Roku, and I was surprised and (frankly) amazed at the amount of information contained therein. I hope you will all treasure it. But as for myself, my surprise was probably occasioned by the fact that, having protected and preserved these teachings in my heart for so many decades, now that they have been written down, I find that I am rapidly forgetting; that i am coming to realize the meaning behind Lord Kujō's poem (and the interpretation of what it means given in entry 82 of Book Seven of the Nampō Roku) --

omowaji to omou mo mono wo omou nari, omowaji to da ni omowaji ya kimi [思わじと思ふも物を思ふなり、 思わじとだに思わじや君].

There is much work that yet needs to be done. If you find this helpful and important, please consider contributing to the financial support of this Blog. Because it is only with your support that I will be able to continue.

Thank you all for your time, and for your interest in this Blog. Please have a good week....

Sincerely yours,

Daniel M. Burkus daniel_burkus@yahoo.com

Donations: https://paypal.me/chanoyutowa