#& the violation that facilitates that

[meteorstricken]

{Insert extensive grumbling noises here about half of my YouTube recs being for The Rising Tide playthroughs while I've opted to do a replay of the full game in order to fully grasp the implications of the DLC on the narrative as a whole.}

[souryogurt64]

[camcorderrevival]

the whole concept of mels & amy mommydaughtergirlbestfriends is sooooo wonderfully horrific...it's a shame that entire storyline sucks balls

[hargo-news]

Monitor Participants' Campaigns, Amran: Ensuring Implementation within Rule Corridors

#MonitorElectionCampaigns #ImplementationCompliance Monitor Participants' Campaigns, Amran: Ensuring Implementation within Rule Corridors

Hargo.co.id, GORONTALO – The Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) of Pohuwato Regency once again monitored election campaigns by participants in Taluduyunu Utara Village, Buntulia Subdistrict, on Thursday (14/12/2023). Amran Hulubangga, Coordinator of the Legal Division, Prevention, Community Participation, and Public Relations at Bawaslu Pohuwato, stated that the monitoring was carried out by a…

[sayruq]

Nicaragua has shut down its embassy in Germany after taking the West European country to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for facilitating Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Nicaragua announced the closure of its diplomatic mission in Berlin on Wednesday, noting that the Central American state’s consular tasks and official businesses in Germany will now be handled by the embassy in Austria. Managua recently announced the accreditation of its ambassador in Vienna, Sabra Amari Murillo Centeno, as a concurrent representative in Germany. Earlier this week, hearings opened in the ICJ, with Nicaragua saying Germany is violating the 1948 Genocide Convention by providing Israel with military and financial aid, as well as suspending funding to the main UN humanitarian agency in Gaza, UNRWA.

[heritageposts]

By Haidar Eid, associate Professor at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza.

Now that we have heard the interim judgement the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, we can confidently say a new world order is in the making. The World Court confirmed today that South Africa’s charge under the Genocide Convention that “Israel has engaged in, is engaging in and risks further engaging in genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza” is “plausible”. It has further ruled that Israel must “take all measures” to avoid acts of genocide in Gaza. The court has stopped short of calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, which has already been demanded by an absolute majority of world nations. Still, most of the “provisional measures” called for by the Republic of South Africa have been endorsed by the court. It is difficult to see how Israel can implement these measures and fulfil its obligations under the Genocide Convention, without agreeing to a ceasefire. There is no indication, of course, that Israel has any intention of heeding the Court’s provisions. In fact, since the ICJ heard South Africa’s case two weeks ago, Israel has doubled down on its genocidal acts in Gaza. In the past 24 hours alone, it carried out 21 mass killings, murdering 200 and injuring 370 civilians. So Israel’s message to the Court, and the world at large, is clear: It does not care for the opinion, demands or “measures” of any international institution – legal or political. It will do as it pleases. [...] Israel may not heed the court’s rulings and provisions, but South Africa’s historic stance will still have consequences. As stated by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa after the ICJ’s interim decision: “Third States are now on notice of the existence of a serious risk of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. They must, therefore, also act independently and immediately to prevent genocide by Israel and to ensure that they are not themselves in violation of the Genocide Convention, including by aiding or assisting in the commission of genocide. This necessarily imposes an obligation on all States to cease funding and facilitating Israel’s military actions, which are plausibly genocidal.” With this case, South Africa has put not only Israel, but the entirety of the global justice system on trial. This case is a major turning point for humanity, because it marks the first time in history when a Global South country bravely crossed a red line drawn by the colonial West and demanded its favourite settler colony, Israel, be held to account for the crimes it has long been committing against an Indigenous people. Today, thanks to South Africa, the entire colonial West, and its centuries-long history of theft, dispossession, and injustice is on trial at the World Court. Future generations will remember January 26, 2024, as the day on which the world has finally decided to hold a genocide state, and its powerful backers, accountable for repeated, longstanding violations of international law. Yes, a new world order is in the making.

. . . full article on al jazeera (26 Jan 2024)

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Y'all regularly send in questions wanting to know how to report concerns you've observed at zoos you've visited. I've been able to point people at the USDA (regulatory) option, but with regard to accrediting groups I haven't had a good answer. I spent the last six months or so really digging into why there hasn't been a good answer. What I've found is that the majority of zoological accrediting groups in the United States don't provide any way for the public to report issues they've observed at accredited facilities, and none of said organizations have a mechanism for truly supporting / protecting staff who might choose to report issues at their own facilities. Which is. not great.

I wrote a whole Substack post about it a few days ago, arguing that in order to remain credible institutions accrediting groups must facilitate public reporting, anonymous reporting, and commit to enforcing penalties for any retaliation against staff who choose to utilize the option. I'm linking it below for anyone who is interested in all the details. CW at the beginning for animal abuse mentions - I started the piece by discussing a truly egregious welfare situation that occurred last year at a Miami facility, which might have been prevented or at least caught earlier if the two groups that accredit the facility had had a reporting mechanism in place.

What I want to talk about here, though, is specifically why accrediting orgs need to not only have an anonymous reporting option for staff, but why they must ban retaliation and penalize any facility that does it anyway. Whenever something terrible happens at a zoo or sanctuary, people always ask "why didn't the staff say something?" And the answer is, basically, because taking that risk can get you not just fired, but blacklisted from the field. People literally end up having to choose between their careers and making noise about issues that aren't being resolved, and that's absolutely not freaking okay. But I want to explain for you the extent of the issue.

If you're not industry, something you might be surprised to learn is that most zoo staff don't have any special reporting options above and beyond what the public does. Most zookeepers and other low-level staff never interact with people from accrediting groups except during an actual inspection - so if there's a problem, it's not like they know someone they can back-channel a concern to if they don't feel safe reporting it publicly. And for the most part, reporting things your facility is doing to an accrediting group will always be considered inappropriate and probably get a keeper in trouble (even if it's a really valid issue).

The zoological industry runs on a strongly hierarchical system. Staff are expected to “stay within their lanes” and work within the established bureaucracy to resolve issues. Deviating from this, if staff feel like management are suppressing issues or something needs to be addressed urgently, is very heavily frowned upon. Basically, going around management to bring something to an accrediting group (or USDA, or the media) is seen as indicating that your facility has failed to address a problem, or that the individual making the report feels they know more than their superiors. At most places, no matter how extreme an issue may become, there's never a point at which it would be acceptable for a staff member to reveal a facility’s internal issues to their accrediting body. 

The thing is, attempting to resolve issues through the proper internal channels at a facility doesn't always work! It can result in an issue being covered up (especially if the company is kinda shady) or suppressed rather than addressed. If staff decide to push the issue, it can really backfire and jeopardize their job, because it's expected that if management says something is fine, staff need to acquiesce and go along with it.

There have been a couple high-profile examples of this in the last decade: the incident I mention in my Substack where new management at the Miami Seaquarium decided to starve dolphins to coerce them into participating in guest programs, and an issue at the Austin Zoo five-ish years ago where the director was perpetuating serious welfare issues and ignoring staff feedback. In both cases, there's always the questions of where the accrediting group was. We don't know anything about what happened with the Seaquarium (it's been over six months since the USDA report documenting the diet cuts was released and AMMPA and American Humane haven't said a thing), but I remember hearing that ZAA had no idea what was happening at Austin because nobody had reached out to them about it.

This is why I'm arguing that all zoological accrediting groups need to make visible reporting options and make sure staff feel safe enough to use them! If you've got a facility perpetuating or not dealing with major issues, it's pretty probable that they're going to be unhappy if their staff reports those issues to any oversight body. That's not a situation where it's currently safe to speak up right now - and four out of five zoological accrediting groups in the US don't have standards prohibiting retaliation against staff for bringing up issues like that! (Surprisingly, it's not AZA. It's the sanctuary accrediting group, GFAS). Without any option for internal reporting, issues may not get addressed - which hurts animal welfare - or people risk losing their job, possibly their entire career in the field (which is a huge part of people's identities!), and their financial stability to advocate for their animals.

Currently, the two accrediting groups that do have reporting options (AZA and GFAS) stay they'll attempt to keep reports anonymous, but acknowledge it may not be possible to do so. (Which tracks, because zoo jobs are highly specialized and only a few people may be exposed to an issue). However, only GFAS prohibits facilities from retaliating against people who make reports. On top of that, there's absolutely no transparency about what happens next: GFAS, ZAA, AMMPA and AH have no information about how the process transpires and if someone making a report will get any information back about what happened. AZA straight up says that all accreditation stuff is proprietary (read: confidential) so you just have to trust that they dealt with it appropriately. Just yeet your report into the void and hope the groups doing oversight handle it correctly when there's no accountability? That's... not a great look for animal welfare concerns.

I hope the industry chooses to fix this problem. I hope it chooses to invest in transparency and increased credibility. I don't know what I expect, but I'd like to see these accrediting groups do the right thing.

My full write-up on how accrediting groups in the US handle reporting and concerns (or don't) is linked below.

[newsfrom-theworld]

BRANDS TO BOYCOTT

1 Consumer boycott goals:

Let's start by boycotting these brands that are directly involved in Israeli apartheid

'' BIG THREE''

Mc Donald: gives free meals to Israeli soldiers

Disney ( sadly, Disney was my childhood): declared support for Israel by pledging $2 million

Starbucks: sued his union over its pro-Palestine positions

Siemens

Siemens (Germany) is the prime contractor of the Euro-Asia Interconnector, an Israel-EU undersea power cable that is expected to connect illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories to Europe. Siemens brand appliances are sold all over the world.

PUMA

PUMA (Germany) sponsors the Israel Football Federation, which governs teams in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Carrefour

Carrefour (France) is a facilitator of genocide. Carrefour-Israel supported Israeli soldiers who took part in the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza with gifts of personal parcels. In 2022 it entered into a partnership with the Israeli company Electra Consumer Products and its subsidiary Yenot Bitan, both of which were involved in serious violations against the Palestinian people.

AXA

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the insurance giant AXA (France) took targeted measures against it. Yet as Israel, a 75-year-old regime of colonialism and apartheid, wages a genocidal war on Gaza, AXA continues to invest in Israeli banks that finance war crimes and the theft of Palestinian land and natural resources.

Hewlett Packard Inc (HP Inc)

HP Inc (USA) provides services to the offices of the genocide leaders, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Finance Minister Smotrich.

SodaStream

SodaStream is actively complicit in Israel's policy of displacing Israel's indigenous Bedouin-Palestinian citizens in the Naqab (Negev) and has a long history of racial discrimination against Palestinian workers.

Ahava cosmetics

Ahava have their production site, visitor center and main store in an illegal Israeli settlement in the occupied Palestinian territories.

D/MAX

RE/MAX (USA) markets and sells property in illegal Israeli settlements built on stolen Palestinian land, thus enabling Israeli colonization of the occupied West Bank.

2 Divestment objectives:

Elbit Systems

Elbit Systems is the largest apartheid Israeli arms company. It “field tests” its weapons against the Palestinians, including in Israel's ongoing genocidal war against the Palestinians in Gaza. In addition to building killer drones, Elbit produces surveillance technology for the apartheid wall, checkpoints and fence in Gaza, enabling apartheid. The US and EU use Elbit technology to militarize their borders, violating the rights of refugees and indigenous peoples.

HD Hyundai/Volvo/CAT/JCB machinery

by HD Hyundai (South Korea), Volvo (Sweden/China), CAT (United States) and JCB (United Kingdom) have been used by Israel in the ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of Palestinians through the destruction of their homes, farms and commercial activities, as well as the construction of illegal settlements on stolen land, a war crime under international law.

Barclays

Barclays Bank (UK) holds more than £1 billion in shares and provides more than £3 billion in loans and subscriptions to nine companies whose weapons, components and military technology have been used in Israel's armed violence against Palestinians.

CAF

The Basque transport company CAF builds and provides maintenance services to the Jerusalem Light Rail (JLR), a tram line serving illegal Israeli settlements in Jerusalem. The CAF benefits from Israel's war crimes on stolen Palestinian lands.

Chevron

The US fossil fuel multinational Chevron is the main international company extracting gas claimed by Israeli apartheid in the eastern Mediterranean. Chevron generates billions in revenue, bolstering Israel's war chest and apartheid system and exacerbating the climate crisis.

HikVision

Amnesty International has documented high-resolution CCTV cameras made by Chinese company Hikvision installed in residential areas and mounted on Israeli military infrastructure for surveillance of Palestinians. Some of these models, according to Hikvision marketing, can connect to external facial recognition software.

TKH Security

Amnesty International has identified cameras from the Dutch company TKH Security used by Israel for surveillance of Palestinians. TKH supplies the Israeli police with surveillance technology used to enforce apartheid.

Other brands:

Zara

Zara's latest marketing campaign uses corpses in plastic wrapping, and warzone aesthetics, mocking the genocide by israel in Gaza. In a previous incident Joey Schwebel, a Canadian-Israeli dual national and chairman of israel's Zara franchisee Trimera, hosted the convicted terrorist Itamar Ben-Gvir at his home in the lead-up to the Israeli elections. Zara did not made a statement distancing themselves from this association and allowed this ad campaign to run.

Adidas

Adidas uses isr@eli manufacturer, Delta Galil, to manufacture its underwear range.

Prada:

Prada Beauty is a partnership with L'Oreal, which is a 'warm friend of Isr@el'.

Louis Vuitton:

The owner of Louis Vuitton's parent company, LVMH, Bernard Arnault invests hundreds of millions in Isr@eli companies

Dior:

The owner of Dior's parent company, LVMH, Bernard Arnault invests hundreds of millions in Isr@eli companies

Caterpillar:

Caterpillar bulldozers have been used in the demolition of Palestinian homes. The D9 bulldozer was specifically designed for the IOF.

American Eagle:

American Eagle posted an image of the Isr@eli Flag on their flagship billboard in Times Square showing their support for the apartheid state.

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna:

The owner of Fenty's parent company, LVMH, Bernard Arnault invests hundreds of millions in Isr@eli companies

Eurovision:

Eurovision is allowing israel to compete this year despite the genocide theyre comitting and they will use this opportunity to spread propaganda

Donna Italia

Sources:

BDS

this site

this specifical post on Twitter ( X )

if i discover news brands i will edit the post

And Always

Free Palestine, now and always.

[apas-95]

the fun thing about lancer is it does read so well as diagetic union propaganda, but depsite it all, that's not the reality - the reason why the authors keep writing in slavery, and people born into servitude on corporate-owned mining planets, and corporations being allowed to declare war on entire worlds while the state's military sits on the sidelines as a referee to make sure they're not violating laws of war while glassing planets, somehow isn't that it's a masterful satire, it's just the level of cognitive dissonance that manifests when social democrats try to articulate their utopia - it's the Imperium of Man but with hillary stickers on it, simultaneously declaring post-scarcity in the core, before going on to describe the harsh resource extraction that facilitates it. the supposed revolution against the tyrannical core government wasn't one carried out by the people they oppress, it was from the core itself - more than just socdem fantasy, the best they could imagine was a coup, one which replaced direct state oppression of the periphery with privatised, corporate oppression, one that lets them pretend that the inherent violence in the system is actually the result of the barbaric outlanders not all simply being enlightened enough to decide to become post-scarcity Democracies like them, even while their resources prop up the core worlds' "utopia in the making". it reads as propaganda for a repressive, neocolonial empire because it's written by people who do support a repressive, neocolonial empire, in their own world. they can't stop from contradicting themselves, because their ideas about the world are contradictory.

[iwriteaboutfeminism]

Please call and/or email your Congressperson now and ask them to join in the House Resolution to call for a de-escalation and ceasefire in Palestine.

(pdf of the Resolution)

This resolution was written by Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), and is co-led by Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Andre Carson (IN-07) Summer Lee (PA-12), and Delia Remirez (IL-03). (If these people are your Reps, call or email to thank them!!)

This is what I said in my voicemail:

My name is [name]. I live in [city], zip code [xxxxx]. I'm calling to ask the Congressman to join Representatives Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib in their House Resolution calling for a de-escalation and ceasefire in Palestine.

Find contact info for your Congressperson here:

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Or call the Capital Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to be connected to their office.

We must never be silent in the face of genocide, especially one carried out with our tax dollars!

Text of the Resolution:

RESOLUTION

Calling for an immediate de-escalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine.

Whereas all human life is precious, and the targeting of civilians, no matter their faith or ethnicity, is a violation of international humanitarian law;

Whereas, between October 7 and October 16, 2023, armed violence has claimed the lives of over 2,700 Palestinians and over 1,400 Israelis, including Americans, and wounded thousands more;

Whereas hundreds of thousands of lives are at imminent risk if a cease-fire is not achieved and humanitarian aid is not delivered without delay; and

Whereas the Federal Government holds immense diplomatic power to save Israeli and Palestinian lives: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) urges the Biden administration to immediately call for and facilitate deescalation and a cease-fire to urgently end the current violence; and

(2) calls upon the Biden administration to promptly send and facilitate the entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

[flokali]

I need a smidgen, a drip, a smudge of the feeling of getting fucked by Zhongli and he's pressing down on your lower stomach. He's pressing down on your womb, making it press harder against his cock. He can feel the way his cock just parts your walls, how deep it's going, he can feel his hardness. He takes your hand and places it there. He's fucking you nice and slow. "Feel that, dearest? That's how... Deep... I am in you." His half lidded eyes just hypnotizing you and he fucks you harder when you became too dazed. "I want you awake for this, my love. I want you to break for me, to look into my eyes while I mark you from the inside"

Warnings: afab reader, marking, dumbification/mind break-ish, sub! reader/dom! zhongli, mentions of cum, possessive behavior. ask to tag!

Moaning and s(creaming) at this….

18+ UTC!

The thing about Zhongli is that he’s both thick and long, so it’s really no surprise that he fills your hole so well.

The first time you both had sex he couldn’t really slide all of himself in, it took a lot of stretching and lube the first time he ever fully sheathed himself inside of you.

However, the feeling of overwhelming fullness that comes from the way Zhongli practically impales you on his cock is like no other; You’re always left feeling empty whenever he pulls out.

The extra pressure he applies with his large hands on your lower tummy really overwhelms you the first time, it’s like you become overly aware of every bump on his cock, every vein and slight curve of his dick.

And Zhongli? He adores the way your pussy feels even tighter than before. It’s intoxicating and it’s addicting.

The Archon always preferred slow, sensual love making over rougher, more aggressive fucking. Slowly pumping his cock in and out, using his cum from previous orgasms to facilitate his assault on your hole. He sets a rhythm, one that goes in tandem with your heart, that has your hips meeting his hungrily.

He loves seeing you like this.

One hand on your lower stomach, the other clutching your leg to spread you wide open for him. The pressure is light at first, he slowly works your tummy down until your walls are molded into the shape of his cock.

Taking your hand into his own, he presses your palm where his tip is laid inside of you.

“That’s how deep inside you I am…” He comments, his eyes glowed in the darkened room, capturing your attention.

The words aren’t vulgar but the notion has you tightening your grip around him, your legs instinctively closing against his body in an attempt to bring him closer, shove him even deeper inside your greedy hole. Your eyes involuntarily roll back inside your head as he hits the entrance to your womb.

He lets go of your leg, opting instead to tap at your cheek, demanding your attention be on him again.

“Look at me, beloved,” he grabs your chin and you try to focus on his face, however, the pleasure was becoming too much for you, “I’m going to mark you now, fill you up with my cum… you’re going to break so beautifully for me.”

It’s with that said that he finally picks up the pace, hand finally shoving against your womb, balls hitting your ass, his cock is being pumped inside you at such a pace you can feel your whole body rock in sync with the bed you laid on. His cock only grows harder inside of you, his head practically splitting your cervix open.

Your grip on reality loosens at every thrust, your thoughts focused solely on feeling good and cumming on the thick, fat cock that was violating your pussy.

You feel your tummy grow warm, and as you look down you notice a Geo symbol slowly glowing where Zhongli laid his hand. This had been his plan, to mark you both inside and out, so that whatever poor soul decided to lay eyes on you would know you belonged to him and him alone.

“Look at me, beloved,” he grabs your chin and you try to focus on his face, however, the pleasure was becoming too much for you, “I’m going to mark you now, fill you up with my cum… you’re going to break so beautifully for me.”

It’s with that said that he finally picks up the pace, hand finally shoving against your womb, balls hitting your ass, his cock is being pumped inside you at such a pace you can feel your whole body rock in sync with the bed you laid on. His cock only grows harder inside of you, his head practically splitting your cervix open.

Your grip on reality loosens at every thrust, your thoughts focused solely on feeling good and cumming on the thick, fat cock that was violating your pussy.

You feel your tummy grow warm, and as you look down you notice a Geo symbol slowly glowing where Zhongli laid his hand. This had been his plan, to mark you both inside and out, so that whatever poor soul decided to lay eyes on you would know you belonged to him and him alone.

[probablyasocialecologist]

The review even starts from a false premise. “We have no good evidence on the long-term outcomes of interventions to manage gender-related distress,” it proclaims in the introduction. But puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones are better at alleviating distress than Cass claims, not least because she has chosen to exclude the majority of potentially relevant studies from her review. But there is a greater underlying falsehood. Since 2019, the World Health Organisation has recognised that “trans-related and gender diverse identities are not conditions of mental ill-health, and that classifying them as such can cause enormous stigma.” Dr Hilary Cass, while noting this, opts to resurrect the framework of gender dysphoria, treating transition as a worthwhile endeavour only if it alleviates mental health issues.  But transition is not a mental health issue – it requires medical assistance, which medical practitioners facilitate (another being pregnancy in people who cannot conceive naturally). There will never be a scientific way of ensuring that a trans boy sitting before a clinical psychologist and asking them to let him take testosterone will not come to regret this decision as an adult, though studies suggest exceptionally low rates of regret among children who do have access to transition. The error is in suggesting that the boy should not access testosterone unless this can be definitively determined.  The Cass Review imagines that, with further study, the NHS will finally find the exact combination of sexual orientation, toy preferences in childhood, and pornography consumption habits in adolescence that will reliably predict whether that boy will become a trans man or a cis woman. To this end, Cass obsesses over growing the collection of data. After being ‘thwarted’ in her attempts to force adult gender clinics to hand over patient records, Cass is calling on the government to compel this same violation of patient privacy. Submitting to study will also be a prerequisite to receiving puberty blockers on the NHS.

[zvaigzdelasas]

President Joe Biden is showing no signs of trying to restrict or withhold the billions the U.S. spends each year in military aid to Israel, despite growing concerns that some of those weapons are being used in bombings that kill civilians.

The U.S. has sent more military and foreign aid to Israel than any other country, including a 10-year, $38 billion program that supplies some $3.3 billion in foreign military sales to Israel each year.

U.S. officials insist that most weapons transfers since the Israeli-Hamas war began were approved long before it started and would be legally challenging to stop.

But some experts say the U.S. has the power to reverse course if it wanted to.

"There are all kinds of ways to speed up or slow down arms transfers," said retired Col. Steve Ganyard, an ABC News contributor and former deputy assistant secretary at the State Department's Bureau for Military-Political Affairs, which oversees foreign weapons sales.

"You can slow the system down to a crawl," Ganyard added. "If the administration or the Congress wanted to shut things down, they could. But it's a matter of political will.".[...]

"The security relationship we have with Israel is not just about Gaza" and the Hamas attack in Israel on Oct. 7," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "It's also about the threats posed Israel, by Hezbollah, by Iran, by various other actors in the region -- each one of which has vowed one way or another, to try to destroy Israel."

The question of restricting military sales grew increasingly urgent this week after an Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers delivering food to Gaza amid a worsening humanitarian crisis. Israel said it was investigating the incident and calling it a grave mistake.

The Pentagon said it couldn't say if the weapons in the strike were American-made, but noted that Israel was expected to honor its promise to use weapons in accordance with international law.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the administration was "outraged" by the strike and insists that Israel be more careful in its operations against Hamas. At the same time, Kirby made clear the U.S. wouldn't use military aid as leverage and "hang some sort of condition" around Israel's "neck."[...]

"We have a situation where the Netanyahu government continues to rebuff the president of the United States time and time again, ignores reasonable requests," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, in an interview Sunday with ABC's "This Week."

"And what do we do? We say we're going to send more bombs," Van Hollen said.

Van Hollen and other Democrats have been investigating legislation on the matter, although it's not clear such a measure would gather enough support to pass or overcome a presidential veto.

Josh Paul, a former senior State Department official and outspoken critic of Biden's policy toward Israel, told ABC News that there was consensus among an internal working group before he resigned from the State Department that found Israel violated legal requirements to receive U.S. aid.

Under the law, the U.S. can't supply military aid or training to countries that violate human rights. Biden has also specified that aid shouldn't go to countries that "more likely than not" are used to commit or facilitate genocide or break international law.[...]

"at the same time we are having [allegedly tough] conversations we are authorizing billions of dollars in military aid and I'm not sure the message is coming across," he said.[...]

last November [...] Biden called the idea of conditions a "worthwhile thought."

Since then, Biden approved two emergency transfers of military aid totaling some $254 million – bypassing Congress to rush tank munitions and related equipment to Israel.

3 Apr 24

[sayruq]

FOREIGN Secretary David Cameron approved continuing arms exports to Israel just two days after the country’s military killed three British aid workers, court documents have revealed. The news comes after the High Court reversed a previous dismissal of a case against the exports brought by the UK-based Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and the Al-Haq human rights organisation, which is based in the Palestinian West Bank. At an appeal hearing on Tuesday, the two groups were granted a full judicial review hearing challenging the UK Government's failure to halt weapons exports to Israel, which is set for October. The groups say exported weapons and parts risk being used in violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.According to the UK Government’s export licencing criteria, Tory ministers must block arms sales if there is “a clear risk” that weapons might be used to commit or facilitate “internal repression” or “a serious violation of international humanitarian law”. At the High Court hearing on Tuesday, the Tory government’s lawyers did not argue that the case against arms exports is inarguable, instead saying that the court hasn’t seen all the relevant documents and that they can only be shared in closed, secret proceedings due to national security.

[oldgayjew]

(1) Any designation of a specific group or class of people as a "protected group" is a violation of Equal Protection under the Law and is Unconstitutional ...

(2) Dividing Law Enforcement between "regular crime" and "hate crime" is racist and sexist by nature and is Unconstitutional ...

(3) "Hate speech" and "trigger words" are protected speech under the 1st Amendment ...

(4) All "censorship" is prohibited under the 1st Amendment ...

(5) All gun laws are a violation of the 2nd Amendment ...

(6) The 2nd Amendment does not give the Government the Right to bear arms ...

(7) The Constitution is the Law and is not a "living document" that can mean whatever anybody wants it to mean ...

(8) The Bill of Rights was specifically written in order to restrict the role of the Government so as to prevent tyrannical rule ...

(9) The Separation of Powers is how one branch of Government is kept from taking the powers of the other branches in order to facilitate a dictatorship ...

These statements are from a 1st year Civics class and are still in effect ... now, more that ever, they must be taught and remembered as America's Founders intended them to be ... in order to assure that their sacrifices and the sacrifices of thousands who gave their lives for this Nation were not in vain ...

[lizzaneia-elizalde]

Please do yandere!delinquent with deaf!reader who's not so bothered by her condition and actually enjoys her alone time. She's also always up to something extrovert-activity like volunteering in orphanages and old age homes. Helping at exhibitions, something that always includes social interaction. She's people's person but not people pleaser (lmao). Yan delinquent works in 7/11 as well so add a cute interaction b/w them please

-🌼

Yandere! Male! Delinquent x Volunteer! Classmate! Fem! Reader

Welcome to the 2nd set of Lizzaneia's 16 yandere OCs! Your support has been so gracious, and I'm utterly surprised by how far we've come. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Let's start this off with 🌼 anons' request, one of my consistent supporters throughout the months (´；ω；｀)

I kind of struggled how to show the yan side, so forgive me.

Yan! Delinquent name: Liam

Liam has been sent to the guidance office again.

He sighed, leaning back to his chair and started to blow raspberries on his lips. Boredom soothing his brain as he tried to think of anything other than the fact that he'll be late to his job again. His manager will probably scold him again, and he has no choice but to swallow back insults he wishes to throw.

After all, it was his fault in the first place.

Who in their right mind brings cigarettes to Uni? He seriously just wants a stress reliever from being sandwiched between midterms and his job. But once he got to a quiet and remote place to smoke, who knew a professor would also be smoking there?

"Bitch." Liam whispered under his breath, remembering how the professor started pointing fingers that he shouldn't smoke, that it's bad for your health, that it violates school rules, bla bla bla he speaks so much for a person who also smokes.

Although, he's not gonna land in this office if he just shut up. But Liam's temper got to him, and he blurted:

"stop talking, tar bags for lungs. Why are you still alive, smoking a pack and looking like a skeleton about to steal my skin?"

Let's just say that the professor blew his top and dragged his ass here, by the ear and all.

Liam buried his face on the desk, contemplating about his life.

He's always been the troublemaker. His mouth, nonstop, started fights more than stop them. That meant that there's a high percent chance that he'll be in a physical altercation with a person he's talking with.

This made Liam quite the delinquent also. Since he can't really connect with people that well, he decided to double down and be a public enemy.

He also didn't grow up with parents. He's only living by himself in a small apartment with the money that his parents left him, and works part time in a 7/11 with an understandably pissed manager.

Liam sighed.

"I'm just gonna go to sleep..."

But, when Liam was about to go to sleep, the classroom door opened and his head snapped up.

And his eyebrow quirked up.

There you are. In the school uniform, bringing a stack of papers (probably midterm exams) to the professor who was facilitating detention.

But what caught his eyes were a small, almost a Bluetooth earphone looking mechanic attached to your left ear.

"ah, y/n. Thank you for delivering the papers." The professor signed while talking to you.

Filled with curiosity, Liam looked up to you and saw you smile. Your dainty fingers started signing back, but you were also mouthing the sentence you wish to say. Subtle muted syllables of the words sometimes coming out of your mouth.

"no problem, sir. I'm glad to be of help." You ended the conversation with a polite smile before you straightened up. Your eyes looked to him, and blinked in surprise.

In an almost shy gesture, you gave a small wave to him with a cute tilt on your head. Your smile, small yet comforting, refried Liam's brain.

A slow blink, and a sharp inhale of breath made Liam wave back.

He swore he saw pink roses around you.

"what the fuck, why are you so beautiful?"

The professor coughed loudly, choking on his own saliva.

Meanwhile, you only tilted your head. You're still not that good with lipreading, and Liam's expression didn't help either.

So, you thought he just said hi or something.

Getting awkward, you bowed before shuffling outside.

Liam felt frozen in his seat, but also heated up.

You're so fucking cute in his eyes.

He wants to see you more now.

Which class are you in?

God, he hopes you were on the same class. He does not remember the faces of his classmates anyways so there's a high chance you were with him.

And as Liam daydreamed about you, the professor only looked at Liam with the outmost dumbfounded face.

"So you're here."

"?"

You looked up and saw a familiar, frowning face.

With a wave, you smiled at him.

"Hi Liam." You signed out, your voice also sounding out his name.

Liam almost doubled over from the adorableness.

He can't believe he heard his name come out of your lips. Your lips!

On the outside, Liam frowned deeply and scratched his head.

"Hi." He replied back flatly. Absolutely not betraying his own mind.

You knew he just said hi, so you chuckled and took out your phone. With a quick type, you showed him the message you wish to convey.

"Why are you here in the orphanage?"

Liam flinched, not knowing what to reply.

What? Should he freak you out by saying he followed you here?

You were his classmate after all. So why is Liam here also?

It's just that, Liam wants to spend time with you more. Get to know you more.

Liam gulped, and grabbed his phone to type his reply and showed it to you.

"ah... Decided to volunteer too."

You smiled brightly, and Liam swore once more he was blinded momentarily.

Is this what heaven looks like?

You guided him inside the orphanage. And immediately, children looked up to Liam and he jumped from the sudden attention being placed to him.

One child hid behind the other, one looked away, one tilted their head. But one bravely went up to Liam and you, clumsily signing while saying the word.

"friend?" The child asked, a hopeful face sat on his visage. Liam nodded with a small, twitchy smile. It's been a while since he did.

As if on cue, the children grinned, ran up to Liam, and started pulling him to play with them.

A small giggle came out of your lips as you watched Liam getting dragged by the children, watching them with a warm-hearted chest.

All throughout the day, Liam got to know you better.

Despite being deaf, you didn't let it hinder your spirit. You love to volunteer left and right in different organizations, wanting to help the community.

Are you making Liam fall harder for you? He's almost like a melted puddle just watching you from afar.

Although, jealousy burns within him as he tried to ignore the way you gave attention to other people. Especially men.

You appreciated how the school delinquent is apparently just a big softie (it's because of you). He's actually nice and friendly, also generous and playful (once again, it's because of you). You didn't understand why people don't like him.

He's misunderstood.

You also misunderstood his intentions because of it.

Whenever Liam had the chance, he would get close to you. Asking you to teach him sign language, what's not to do when talking with a deaf person, etc.

He wishes to know more about his future wife, after all.

He, as wrong as it sounds, thank the gods sometimes for your deafness.

You won't be offended by the shit he spew out from his mouth by how loose it is.

You won't be hurt.

You won't accidentally take what he said the wrong way.

And because of it, Liam has a strong, strong desire to protect you.

He can't let the others' voices reach your vision.

He just can't.

The bell rang from having the doors open.

"Welcome to 7/11... Y/N." Liam paused, seeing you in the wild. And inside the store he's doing his part time in.

His lips twitched. What luck.

You jumped in surprise when you finally saw Liam.

"Liam!" You said as much as your voice could. And it was enough to make Liam shiver once more.

"Can I help you, Y/N?" Liam signed out while mouthing, a relaxed look on his face.

Liam's a fast learner, immediately learning how to sign. You were thoroughly amazed, showering him with praises. Liam was also sure it was his deathbed at that time, his heart pounding through his chest as warmness and desire course through him while you praised him.

All you need to do is call him good boy really.

"oh nothing." You shook your head. Your hands gently signing out words, a sign of fatigue. "I just want a pick me up."

Liam grinned, going out from his counter as he got to you and held your hand gently. He gave a head tilt and a boyish smile.

And that made your heart flutter.

This didn't go unnoticed by Liam.

"Come on, I have recommendations." Liam guided you to the corner isle, where refreshments and microwavable foods are.

With your choice of meal done, he microwaved it, payed for the food (much to your dismay, you want to pay it for yourself but Liam insisted on paying), and let you eat on the tables area on another corner.

When Liam is about to return to the counter, his manager appeared with a smirk on his face.

Here we go again.

"hah. Didn't know a troublemaker like you would get a girlfriend." The manager said, looking at you eat.

Liam didn't refute his allegation.

"So what? I love her, and she loves me." Liam huffed, suddenly getting protective. He doesn't like how his manager leered at you.

"hey! Little lady! Your boyfriend here is a fucking lazy bum!" The manager yelled, but you didn't react, only continued to look down and eat, lost in your own world. "Huh? Excuse me!"

Didn't help also that you were far from them.

"what the fuck?"

"she's deaf, you sackbag of useless meat."

The manager's eye twitched, hearing another insult pouring out of Liam's mouth.

"deaf you say? Well, at least she can't hear the colorful shit coming out of your mouth." The manager taunted, before his eyes glinted in cruelty. "Don't deaf people have weird voices? Like nasally sounding or something?"

Liam's smirking face slowly twitched to a frown, and a face filled with anger.

"so, if the both of you fuck, won't you get disgusted by how... Fucking weird she will sound?" The manager laughed loudly. "Agh~ Ahn!"

The manager moaned out, exaggeratedly mimicking a stereotyped and insulting voice.

Liam felt like boiling hot water courses through his veins as he grabbed the manager and pushed him violently to the staff room.

He was seeing red.

His eyes wide with anger as he started to beat the shit out of the manager.

Anger rose through him like a bursted pipe, spewing out thick, unbridled rage.

Blood pumping through his fast beating heart, his mind numbed out what he's doing.

The manager can't just insult you like that.

He's a piece of shit.

You're a lovely person.

You don't deserve to be insulted like that.

He deserves to...

Liam dazedly backed away, blood dripping from his fist as he watched the manager twitch and lay on the floor.

Crimson blood pooled from his mouth, gargling just one step away from death. His eyes, shot wide with fear, looked at him with a shaky consciousness.

Liam numbly went to the comfort room to wash away the blood, change uniform, and apply perfume to remove the ironic smell after dragging the manager to the furthest corner of the staff room.

He went outside the room, and saw you just scroll your phone with a smile.

He approached you gently, his rage subsiding.

"Liam!" You said.

The manager was lying, your voice is as sweet as the morning dewdrop dropping down to the ground.

"Hey, you finished?"

You nodded with a gentle smile once more.

"Yes. Then, I'll get going! I just waited for you to come back. It's kind of rude to suddenly just... Disappear." You signed out, now enthusiastically as you already replenished your energy.

Liam's face contorted to a sheepish smile. He wants to spend time with you more.

Maybe...

Liam huffed and grabbed your hand softly.

Gently mimicking the sign to the word date, before releasing.

"I've always liked you, Y/N. Your spirit, your kindness, goodness, and just... You." Liam slowly signed out, confessing to you. Your eyes were wide, a blush settling on your cheeks. "I've always admired you, and... I want to ask you out on a date. My treat, don't worry."

You gasped, tears settling your eyes before nodding with a big grin.

Liam's sheepish smile turned to a grin as he grabbed your waist and spun you around, both of your laughters filling the air.

Liam settled you down, helping you fix your clothes.

"Wednesday?" He asked once more, and you agreed before waving goodbye to Liam.

With you gone, Liam screamed.

"YES!" He jumped around, danced, and wriggled from the butterflies going haywire in his stomach.

When he settled down, he went back to the staffroom and saw that the manager finally died. Even if he was Liam's first kill, he didn't feel bad, just a coldhearted 'good riddance.'

Now, how to get rid of this fucker?

Meh. Liam somehow knew he would be alright.

Nobody insults you.

And if somebody does again,

He would gladly put them down.