#IL Senate News

[jennifermnhi]

Activist, former Illinois State Sen. Alice Palmer dies at 83 [Video]

[ms-boogie-man]

… and now, the News

You have to ask yourself why Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), this week, blocked release of the Epstein flight logs to the public while also moving to stock up our military forces with the tens of thousands of illegal aliens, males of military enlistment age, that have been flooding across our borders for the last several years

Too, a portable boat carrying 40+ of these illegals bum-rushed the beach in Malibu, Ca this week, unhampered (fact), so they are not any longer just coming in thru the Southern and Northern borders [they], the political establishment in the US, are building an army to protect themselves from and deal with American, gun-owning patriots. [they] want to turn an invading force of illegals into citizens/military personnel while making We the People into the invading force… so that the military can be turned against us

Have you been wondering why we are labeled insurrectionists? Have you been wondering why the Gadsden and Betsy Ross flags have been called extremist, bad for democracy, white supremacy and hate speech? Have you been wondering why the LGBTQ+whatever flag flies over our own American flag, and why they are letting Palestinian terrorists tear down our American flags and replace them with their own?

Btw, similar illegal migrants are bum-rushing beachheads all over Western Europe, and have been for years… and as we all know, most of Western Europe has been disarmed

*feeling sick yet?

*with me bringing this sort of news across, does it make any sense yet why Tumblr terminated my first blog, resplend3nt-rap4cious? … the one that had 20K followers —

*like I asked a second ago, feeling sick yet?

Angie/Maddie🦇❥🇺🇸

[maturemenoftvandfilms]

Top 10 Politicians 2024

DISCLAIMER: This list is for 'politicians I'd like to fuck' and is purely based on appearance, not politics. If you don't agree with my selection, either scroll onwards, post your own idea of a PILF, or try another blog. People are tired of hearing weak minded, mentally broken people wine about reality.

#10. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

An American politician serving as the senior United States senator from South Carolina, a seat he has held since 2003. Of course I’ve got my senate bottom bitch, Sen. Graham here. I kinda understand all the political hate, but I think he’s a mature southern gentleman from my state and I’d love to beat his ass like he stole something from me. And when I’m done with him, I’ll send him over to the next guy as I know I’m not the only one who’d fuck him.

#9. Rick Pate (R-AL)

An American politician serving as the 30th Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries in Alabama. He just looks like a guy I could spend a weekend with… fucking like rabbits.

#8. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)

An American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator for Texas since 2013. Honestly, Ted’s here and this high only to piss off liberal, super political fuckers who can’t separate looks from politics. Now that doesn’t mean I don’t want him naked in my bed with my jizz all over his face.

#7. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA 15th District) 

An American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania’s 15th congressional district since 2019. Nice and manly, he looks like he would be a champion in bed.

#6. Gov. J. B. Pritzker (D-IL)

An American businessman, philanthropist, attorney, venture capitalist, and politician serving as the 43rd governor of Illinois since 2019. J. B. seems like the type that could be had. Nothing to base that on other than he has a look of a guy that if you get him in the right situation, cock will be in that mouth and ass. Plus, he’s rich. I’m not saying that’s a reason to date him. Just a nice side benefit.

#5. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE 2nd District) 

An American politician and retired military officer serving as the U.S. representative for Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district since 2017. Handsome, nice tits and body. This man is husband material. Better yet, trophy husband material. The type of guy you can walk into a room with him on your arm, telling everyone “Yeah… I’m fucking this.”

#4. Michael G. Strain (R-LA)

Mike is a short chub with nice tits and a body that was made for bottoming. How could I not be in lust.

#3. Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe (R-MO)

An American politician serving as the 48th lieutenant governor of Missouri, having been in office since June 18, 2018. Mike embodies all-American masculinity and has many male fans here on tumblr who'd happily follow the Lt Gov. into any seedy roadside motel for oral service and a nice tight ass to breed.

#2. Rep. Michael (R-IL 12th District) 

An American politician. This man is almost perfect. The only thing wrong with him is that he isn’t in my bed. Nice build, nice dresser and a very handsome face.

#1. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)

An American politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Montana, in office since 2007. If you didn’t know that Jon would be my #1, you must be a new follower.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Michelangelo Signorile at The Signorile Report:

The New York Times reports on yet another treasonous flag flying on yet another home owned by Justice Samuel Alito and his wife. Last week, it was the Times report and a jaw-dropping photo of an upside-down flag—embraced by the “Stop the Steal’ movement—flown on the lawn of his Alexandra, Virginia, home in the days after January 6th. This week it’s an “Appeal to Heaven” flag, which, as the Times reports, ‘like the inverted U.S. flag, was carried by rioters at the Capitol in the days after Jan. 6, 2021.” It was flown at the Alito’s home on the Jersey shore on Long Beach Island in the summer of 2023. [...]

Tribe acknowledges that there is no way this MAGA-led House is going to impeach Alito but says that’s not an excuse for the Senate not to “at least initiate a serious investigation into whether impeachable offenses have been committed,” and, at the very least, “whether a meaningful, enforceable code of ethics” should be enacted. Tribe says the Senate should call for Alito to testify and subpoena him if he doesn't. He needs to explain under oath what the flags meant, not just release statements to the media blaming his wife. Two days ago, Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Dick Durbin, joining Democrats in the House and Senate, called on Alito to recuse himself from January 6th cases but said there’s “not much to be gained” by holding hearings. “No, we haven’t got anything planned,” he told NBC News. “I think he’s explained his situation. The American public understands what he did.”

Really? I think the American public is overwhelmingly horrified to see an upside-down flag on the lawn of a Supreme Court justice. Will Durbin continue with this weak argument even after the report of a second treasonous flag? His response is not only insufficient; it’s political malpractice as we’re headed into a critical election. There is an enormous amount to be gained. It’s all upside, no downside. The Supreme Court is very unpopular, having swung to the far right and stripping basic freedoms like the right to abortion. And after the corruption in the form of undisclosed gifts to Alito, Thomas and others, the American people want political leaders to stand up and demand justice. It doesn’t matter if Republicans fight against this. Let them be exposed as indifferent or supporting treason themselves.

This article from Michelangelo Signorile is spot-on 100% as to why Senate Judiciary Chair Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) to conduct hearings on SCOTUS Justice Samuel Alito's unethical behavior while serving on the court.

[skellymom]

thoughts on the new bad batch trailer?

(i saw it had come out thru @techs-goggles9902 and couldnt be bothered to watch it for hours and now i have im so excited)

~ Jamie <3

Heeeyyyy, @fionajames <3

I just posted a spoiler...looks like someone is back w/their brothers...*cough* Mosshair *cough*

Please take my analysis with a grain of salt as Disney can post flashback scenes, scenes that might look to be part of a whole sequence but are two separate/several ones to throw us off. Plus these is plenty that they AREN'T probably including in the trailer. Should be interesting if there will be a second trailer for S3.

I don't see too much serious evidence that outwardly points to Tech. HOWEVER, I do see two "maybe" possibilities in the trailer and they are both wearing helmets:

Timestamp 1:03, The "X" Clone Trooper shown in the second half of the trailer. Now I have seen one trooper who unalived himself in the last season w/Senator Chuchi and Rex, so we know there are clones still actively working for the Empire. And, if you look REALLY close, Timestamp 0:36, there are more X Clone Troopers in the trailer scene right before the one w/Omega getting scanned. It's a shot from the top of the room showing what looks like 3 X Clone Troopers and a droid. Could one of them be Tech? Don't know.

Timestamp 1:14, The scene with the Imperial armored soldier in the cockpit of his ship lifting his left arm up. Did Tech steal a stormtroopers armor to save his brothers? Remember Tech's "hand signal" callback to S1? Is he signaling to The Batch? Or, also in Tech fashion, is he flailing because of an explosion as Tech sometimes does? Or, is it just a random stormtrooper and not Tech?

Looks like we get Fennec, Rex, Echo, Phee, Howzer, Cad Bane, Ventress, Palpatine, and Scorch.

The scenes in the trailer that REALLY has me scratching my head:

Timestamp 0:28 shows an Imperial Transport ship crashed and smoldering on a large hill. Is it the same ship from Timestamp 1:07? Faraway shot of several figures walking away: The one at the top of the hill looks like Omega. There is a figure either rolling down the hill: Wrecker? Although, silly me who works with dogs...it almost looks like a dog running down the hill. And a figure at the bottom that I at first thought was Crosshair...but then it kinda looks like Rex with the shadowy person walking next to them on the other side. It looks like Phee's hair. Or did this ship only carry Omega as seen in Timestamp 1:23? Did she meet someone on the planet to help her hide? Someone with a dog (I just remember the wonderful scene with the space puppy licking Omega's face and how happy her laugh sounded)?

Timestamp 0:33 is that Crosshair in the left hand side of the screen walking calmly in the opposite direction (that everyone else is running)? Is he settling a score? Is that Clone Trooper "X" (possibly Tech?).

What does the "il" uniform patches on each side of Omega's shoulders mean. I checked the Aurebesh language keys online. Doesn't match up with anything.

Who is CX-1??? Timestamp 1:15. Boba Fett????

Timestamp 1:21, who is the dude in the white and grey armor??? Wait...OH SHIT...is THAT WOLFFE???

I DON'T trust Emerie. She's creepy. Sorry. Not all the clones are tight with one another. I worry she's in secretly with Hemlock.

Are Fennec and Cad Bane working with The Batch? Or against them? Is Ventress teaming up with The Batch against Palpatine? Or is she truly fighting them at the end? Or is that just two separate scenes meant to look like they go together?

And, something that makes me sad: Both Hunter and Wrecker look older, more aged. They are still so handsome. However, with the stress of what they have gone through, plus their advanced aging...well, how long do they have left? The still of Echo doesn't look like he aged at all. Could it be that he isn't as accelerated due to what the Techno Union did to him? Or were The Batch genetically altered to be so specialized...but live even shorter lives than the Regs?

[myhauntedsalem]

9 Terrifying American Murder Houses

From Amityville Horror to Jeffrey Dahmer’s one-bedroom, these murder houses are home to some truly brutal murders.

9. THE AMITYVILLE HORROR HOUSE 112 OCEAN AVE, AMITYVILLE, NY

When the deal is too good, start asking questions. In 1975, George and Kathy Lutz bought this sprawling Dutch Colonial on the south shore of Long Island at a bargain rate. The reason for the discounted price tag? Just 13 months earlier, previous resident Ronald “Butch” DeFeo slaughtered his parents and four younger siblings while they slept in their beds. It didn’t take long for the weirdness to begin. Demonic voices, oozing walls, cloven hoof prints in the snow. The Lutz family lasted just two months before fleeing 112 Ocean Avenue in the night.

8. THE HEX MURDER HOUSE REHMEYERS HOLLOW RD, SHREWSBURY, PA

In 1928, John Blymire was convinced a reclusive neighbor named Nelson Rehmeyer had put a hex upon him. Believing the only way to break the curse was to track down Rehmeyer’s spell book and set it ablaze, Blymire rallied two buddies for a late-night visit. While the gang never found the book, they did find Rehmeyer whom they murdered and mutilated before setting his body on fire. In 2007, an effort was made to open the Hex House to the public, but the plan was eventually scrapped.

7. MOORE FAMILY AXE MURDER HOUSE 508 E 2ND ST, VILLISCA, IA

On a cool summer night in 1912 someone broke into this peaceful Iowa homestead and bludgeoned all six family members plus two houseguests with an axe. The horrific scene was discovered the following morning by a concerned neighbor. Numerous suspects were named in the case including a traveling minister and State Senator Frank F. Jones. Nevertheless, the murder remains unsolved.

6. KREISCHER MANSION 4500 ARTHUR KILL RD, STATEN ISLAND, NY

German entrepreneur Balthasar Kreischer built this sprawling mansion in 1885 as a symbol of his success in the brick making business. The good times were short-lived. By 1894, his company had crumbled and his youngest son had shot himself in the head. The decaying mansion sat empty for years until its groundskeeper used the property for a mob hit in 2005. Joseph Young strangled and stabbed his target before finally drowning the man in a garden pool. Young then hacked up the body and burned it in the mansion’s incinerator.

5. LIZZIE BORDEN HOUSE 230 2ND ST, FALL RIVER, MA

On August 4, 1892 Andrew Borden was thrashed with a hatchet while he dozed on the couch of his parlor. Andrew’s second wife Abby met an equally grisly end in the upstairs bedroom. While everyone in Fall River suspected daughter Lizzie of the crime, the local judge remained unconvinced. She was tried and acquitted of the murder one year later. Oddly, the home is now a successful bed & breakfast.

4. MANSON FAMILY MURDER HOUSE 10050 CIELO DRIVE, LOS ANGELES, CA

In 1969, members of the Manson Family shocked the nation when they broke into this L.A. estate and slaughtered Sharon Tate along with four other victims. The murderers wrote pig in blood across the front door. Numerous residents have since called 10050 Cielo Drive home including musician Trent Reznor, who recorded THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL there. In 1994, the original structure was razed and replaced with a new mansion, currently occupied by the creator of FULL HOUSE.

3. JEFFREY DAHMER’S APARTMENT 924 NORTH 25TH ST, APT 213, MILWAUKEE, WI

Cannibal killer Jeffrey Dahmer lured numerous victims to his nondescript one-bedroom, where he drugged and dismembered them in a brutal campaign of murder. Severed limbs were packed in the freezer for future consumption; torsos were dumped in a vat of acid. Police finally arrested Dahmer in 1991 after one of his prisoners managed to escape. The entire apartment building was torn down shortly thereafter.

2. JOHN WAYNE GACY’S HOUSE 8213 SUMMERDALE AVE, CHICAGO, IL

It’s always good to know your neighbors especially if you suspect them of murder. John Wayne Gacy buried dozens of bodies in the basement and backyard of his suburban home while neighbors casually went about their day. When Gacy’s wife complained of a putrid smell, Gacy blamed it on dead mice. By the time police nabbed the infamous killer clown and excavated his 8213 Summerdale Ave property, they uncovered 29 bodies.

1. GARDETTE-LAPRETE HOUSE 1240 BURGUNDY ST, NEW ORLEANS, LA

In the late 1830s, plantation owner Jean LePrete leased his French Quarter Greek Revival to a mysterious man from Turkey. The renter, known only as The Sultan had more than a few roommates. He arrived with a massive entourage of eunuchs and concubines. The house quickly became known for its lavish parties, with music and revelry carrying on into the night. One morning, a passerby noticed 1240 Burgundy was eerily quiet. Then he spotted blood seeping out of the door. When authorities entered, they found everyone inside had been murdered and dismembered. As for The Sultan? He was buried alive in the courtyard. To this day, the case remains unsolved.

[korshrimpski]

F1 Drivers and their NHL team

Got bored so we’re adding my two fav things together (this is completely subjective)

FERRARI— Charles Leclerc

Montréal Canadiens (Les Canadiens de Montréal)

Reasoning: Being a Montréal Canadiens brings lots of pressure to perform and has a very large and intense fan base—like the Tifosi's. Furthermore Montréal players have nicknames from their fan base related to God (eg. Jesus Price). And Charles nickname from fans is "il Predestinato" (translation: The Predestined).

FERRARI— Carlos Sainz

Toronto Maple Leafs

Reasoning: He's a Ferrari driver, a team with a big market, like the Maple Leafs. And being on either team also brings a high amount of pressure.

WILLIAMS— Alex Albon

Buffalo Sabres

Reasoning: He's a good driver on a not so good team and people are screaming for him to be on a good team. Like how Buffalo isn't the best team and people want players (eg. Dahlin, Lukkonen) on better teams. (I just slanders both my F1 & NHL teams, forgive me)

WILLIAMS— Logan Sargeant

Florida Panthers

He's a Panthers fan, he even has an Aleksander Barkov and reverse retro jersey.

MCLAREN— Oscar Piastri

Chicago Blackhawks

Reasoning: Him and Connor Bedard are the same person

MCLAREN— Lando Norris

New Jersey Devils

Reasoning: Vibes (also his fans remind me of Jack Hughes fans)

MERCEDES— Lewis Hamilton

Pittsburgh Penguins

Reasoning: Sidney Crosby

MERCEDES— George Russell

Minnesota Wild

Reasoning: Good then bad, but with good player. Like how George is a good driver on an under delivering team.

RED BULL— Max Verstappen

Boston Bruins

Reasoning: vibes

RED BULL— Sergio Pérez

Carolina Hurricanes

Reasoning: How bored are you getting me of saying vibes?

RB— Yuki Tsunoda

San Jose Sharks

Reasoning: WE WILL BE GLORIOUS ONE DAY!!!! (and also vibes)

RB— Daniel Ricciardo

Dallas Stars

Reasoning: Texas loves Daniel and Daniel loves Texas

ALPINE— Pierre Gasly

Ottawa Senators (Sénateurs d'Ottawa)

Reasoning: vibes (Also they're not that successful after glimpse of success)

ALPINE— Esteban Ocon

Detroit Red Wings

Reasoning: i put the leftover teams into a spin wheel and hoped for the best (I feel like i should mention Ocon was the last person i did because i genuinely can't think of a team for him, sorry ocon fans)

ALFA ROMEO— Valtteri Bottas

Calgary Flames

Reasoning: Has success but was never quite good enough (this is from the flames 2000s records)

ALFA ROMEO— Zhou Guanyu

Los Angeles Kings

Reasoning: the vibes match

HAAS— Nico Hülkenberg

Washington Capitals

Reasoning: Can be good but can't quite get there in the end. AKA, Hülkenberg is a good driver but can't get a podium and Washington's 23-24 season was weird, they just got into the playoffs after a mid season, then got swept in the first round.

HAAS— Kevin Magnussen

New York Islanders

Reasoning: idk other than (say it with me) vibes

ASTON MARTIN— Fernando Alonso

New York Rangers

Reasoning: I actually have no reasoning, other than vibes

ASTON MARTIN— Lance Stroll

Winnipeg Jets

Reasoning: He's is barely noticeable until he does something (usually dumb) to put him in the spotlight (sorry jets fans). Also i wanted to put him on a Canadian team. (I know Lance is a habs fan but I tried not to overlap teams)

[posttexasstressdisorder]

As United States Postal Service letter carriers face increasing violence and assaults on the job, the police officers who could protect them have been sidelined by the government, a new Raw Story investigation revealed.

With letter carrier robberies skyrocketing by 543 percent between 2019 and 2022, the issue has spurred a bipartisan group of Congress members to introduce legislation aimed at providing more secure mailbox equipment and better protecting letter carriers.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who introduced the Protect our Letter Carriers Act last week, said Raw Story's investigation should urge Congress to turn the bill into law.

“The concerns highlighted in this story only increase the urgency needed in Congress to pass the bipartisan Protect our Letter Carriers Act," Fitzpatrick said in a statement to Raw Story. "The United States Postal Service must have the resources to update its outdated arrow keys and harden mailboxes. We must also increase the prosecution and lengthen sentences of individuals arrested for assaulting and robbing letter carriers. I will do whatever is necessary to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this crucial piece of legislation.”

A 2020 statute reinterpretation by the Postal Service curtailed uniformed postal police officers' ability to patrol the streets where mail crimes typically occur, restricting them to working on postal property such as post offices and distribution centers. Meanwhile, the number of postal police officers overall has shrunk from a high of more than 2,600 in the 1970s to about 450 officers today.

In a phone interview with Raw Story, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said mail theft is "rampant" in her district and is an issue she's heard about across the country from her colleagues. Postal police officers aren't currently "doing any good being confined to postal property," Norton said.

"The spike in mail crime only reinforces my notion that we need to have postal police go wherever the crime is," Norton said.

If postal police officers began patrolling the streets again, there would be "a better chance of restricting crimes for the Postal Service," said Norton, who is a co-sponsor of the House version of the Postal Police Reform Act alongside Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Ken Calvert (R-CA) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ).

Calvert himself lost nearly $10,000 in campaign cash last year because of mail theft, Raw Story first reported.

"I think the bill has a good chance of passing not only because of what we're experiencing in the district but because this issue is nationwide," Norton said.

There's a Senate version of the Postal Police Reform Act, as well, introduced by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Susan Collins (R-ME), along with 10 other co-sponsors, including Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD).

“Postal carriers routinely deliver lifelines to Marylanders and others across the country. They should not be left vulnerable to dangerous situations that leave them and mail recipients in potential danger – from theft and the lost items," Cardin told Raw Story in a statement. "This is a growing problem that Congress should address, preferably in partnership with the USPS.”

Read Raw Story's full investigation: Letter carriers face bullets and beatings while postal service sidelines police

[aedesluminis]

The origins of the Italian national flag dating back to the French revolution

Since a couple of days ago our Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, was caught unprepared on the meaning of the colours on the Italian flag by the Senior United States senator Chuck Schumer, I thought it could have been interesting to dive more into it, to see if there's something else beyond the three theological virtues, which the flag is attributed to nowadays. And surprisingly there is! Sources dating back to the last decade of the 18th century show a strong link between the Italian tricolour and the cockades used during the French revolution.

According to the archivist and historian Nicola Ferorelli (1877-1951), during the month of August 1789 is some Italian towns, people were spotted protesting against high food prices, wearing green leaves as cockades in an attempt to imitate the parisians who took the Bastille:

Si sa inoltre, con uguale certezza che, durante il mese di agosto 1789, a Fano ed a Velletri prima del giorno 16, a Roma fra il 16 e il 28, ed a Frascati non più tardi del 30, il popolo minuto commise atti vandalici e compì minacciose dimostrazioni, usando foglie di alberi per coccarda. A Roma si mossero circa ventimila transteverini muniti di armi, recando foglie di lauro al cappello, e chiedendo e ottenendo immediatamente il ribasso del prezzo dei generi di prima necessità col dire che avrebbero imitato i parigini se non fossero stati subito accontentati.

[Eng]:

Furthermore it is known, with equal certainty that, during August 1789 in Fano and Velletri before the 16th, in Rome between the 16th and the 28th, and in Frascati no later than the 30th, the people committed acts of vandalism and menacing demonstrations, using tree leaves as cockades. In Rome around twenty thousands Transteverians [people residing in Rome] marched with weapons, showing laurel leaves appointed to their hats, and demanding and immediately getting price reduction on goods of primary necessity, threatening they would have imitated the Parisians in case their requests hadn't been immediately fulfilled.

- N. Ferorelli, La vera origine del tricolore italiano, Rassegna storica del Risorgimento vol. XII (1925)

Moreover Ferorelli gives proof, cockades carrying green, white and red colours were worn by the citizen of Genua, mistakenly believed to be the colours used by the French revolutionaries. The reason behind the misunderstanding relies in the fragmented and sometimes incorrect news the Italian press received from France:

Si sa per giunta, anche con la massima certezza, che, nel 21 agosto dello stesso anno [1789], gli inquisitori della repubblica di Genova, riferivano in una loro relazione al governo, di essere state viste delle persone passeggiare per la città e con la nuova coccarda francese bianca, rossa e verde introdotta da poco tempo a Parigi.

[Eng]:

It is known, with the utmost certainty, that, on the 21th of August of the same year [1789], the inquisitors of the republic of Genua, wrote in a report to the government, that people wearing the new white, green and red French cockades shortly introduced in Paris were spotted walking through the city.

- N. Ferorelli, La vera origine del tricolore italiano, Rassegna storica del Risorgimento vol. XII (1925)

A military insigna carrying the green, white and red colours was adopted as official flag for the the newly formed Legione Lombarda (Lombard Legion) in 1796, whose members were Italian patriots and soldiers favourable to Napoleon Bonaparte, but it's with the establishment of the Cispadanian Republic (7th January 1797) that we have the first example of use of the tricolour as symbol for national union. As the intellectual and journalist Giuseppe Compagnoni stated in his proposal on the very same day of the Republic proclamation:

Si renda universale lo stendardo o bandiera cispadana di tre colori verde, bianco e rosso e questi tre colori si usino anche nella coccarda cispadana, la quale dovrà portarsi da tutti.

[Eng]:

An universal banner or flag with three colours green, white and red should be set and these colours should be used in the cispadanian cockade, that should be worn by everyone.

- L. Rossi, Origini della bandiera tricolore italiana

More or less significant variant of the cispadanian flag were used during the foundations of new states in the Italian peninsula, until March 1861, when on the 17th, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, whose official flag was the three vertical-striped tricolour belonged to the former Kingdom of Sardinia, the official prototype of the one currently used in Italy.

[empiredesimparte]

Napoléon V: Dear deputies, dear senators,

We French have the reputation of waiting for a great political upheaval to satisfy public opinion. Personally, I am deeply convinced that we must do Good in order to earn the country's trust. My Government will dedicate itself entirely to this task.

I must, in view of the many questions, answer them. Only well-defined causes create deep convictions, just as highly deployed flags inspire sincere devotion.

Is the Empire an enemy? Some of us see it as a retrograde policy, an enemy of the Enlightenment, eager to prevent world peace through its ambitions. The Empire would be the antithesis of the civilizing French Revolution.

No. See for yourself, the Third Empire has kept all these revolutionary principles at the head of its Constitution. That is exactly what the Empire is: it frankly adopts everything that can ennoble hearts and exalt minds for the Good. Against abstraction, the Emperor, who embodies the Constitution, must have a strong Power, because the march of any new power is a struggle.

The prerogatives of the Power of the Emperor are a decoy which serves as a pretext to the hostile parties. Many of you expect a crackdown on the rebels. How can the death of a man benefit a supposedly noble cause in the very country of the Rights of Man and Citizen?

One saw some men, during the tragic night of the death of my father the Emperor, agitating the country and confessing themselves highly enemies of the national institutions. They reject with disdain your votes. They use their political rights only to undermine our institutions.

Members of Parliament, you will not allow such violence to be repeated. Since the pacification of spirits must be the constant goal of our efforts, you will help me to seek the means to silence extreme opposition. I eagerly welcome all those who recognize the national will. To the others, let them know that their time is over.

⚜ Le Cabinet Noir | Palais des Tuileries, 1 Floréal An 230

Beginning ▬ Previous ▬ Next

Emperor Napoléon V makes a speech to the French Parliament. He calls for the union of parties for the protection of national institutions. He also called for the opening of parliamentary discussions on the repression of revolts. Finally, the coronation of Emperor Napoléon V will take place in autumn of the year 230.

Napoléon V : Chers députés, chers sénateurs,

Nous, Français, avons la réputation d'attendre un grand bouleversement politique pour satisfaire les opinions publiques. Personnellement, je suis intimement convaincu qu'il faut plutôt faire le Bien pour mériter la confiance du pays. L'action de mon Gouvernement s'y consacrera entièrement.

Je me dois, au-vu des nombreuses interrogations, d'y répondre. Il n'y a que les causes bien définies qui créent de convictions profondes, tout comme les drapeaux hautement déployés inspirent des dévouements sincères.

L'Empire est-il un ennemi ? Certains d'entre nous y voient une politique rétrograde, ennemi des Lumières, désireux d'empêcher la paix dans le monde par ses ambitions. L'Empire serait aux antipodes de la Révolution Française civilisatrice.

Non. Voyez par vous-même, le Troisième Empire a gardé tous ces principes révolutionnaires en tête de sa Constitution. C'est exactement cela, l'Empire : il adopte franchement tout ce qui peut ennoblir les cœurs et exalter les esprits pour le Bien. Contre l'abstraction, l'Empereur qui incarne la Constitution, doit avoir un pouvoir Fort, car la marche de tout nouveau pouvoir est une lutte.

Les prérogatives du Pouvoir de l'Empereur sont un leurre qui sert de prétexte aux partis hostiles. Beaucoup d'entre vous attendent une répression face aux révoltés. Comment la mort d'un homme peut-elle profiter à une cause prétendue noble au sein même du pays des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen ?

On a vu quelques hommes, durant la nuit tragique de la mort de mon père l'Empereur, agiter le pays et s'avouant hautement ennemis des institutions nationales. Ils rejettent avec dédain vos suffrages. Ils n'usent de leurs droits politiques que pour miner nos institutions.

Membres du Parlement, vous ne permettrez pas qu'une telle violence se renouvelle. La pacification des esprits devant être le but constant de nos efforts, vous m'aiderez à rechercher les moyens de réduire au silence les oppositions extrêmes. J'accueille avec empressement tous ceux qui reconnaissent la volonté nationale. Aux autres, qu'ils sachent que leur temps est révolu.

[jennifermnhi]

Chicago Perfectly Proves Why Privatization SUCKS For Consumers [Video]

[a-tale-never-told]

A Tale as old as time ( Start of arc)

August 31, 2043, Hinata- Nanami residence

?: Alright we are going live in 3, 2, 1! Roll it!.

Agent Murphy: So Hinata, I'm going to ask you a few questions, is that okay with you? You could take some time a bit before you answer.

Uh... No that's fine! Really. Just tell me what you want to tell me.

Agent Murphy: You're an easy guy to talk to, I like that. But anyway, let's get to the point. Hinata..., looking back on your activities during the early 2010s and looking at yourself now, what would you tell your son about what you did then?

Flashback sequence

*Soviet troops cross into Manchuria on August 9th. They reach the city of Harbin on August 21st. Crowds of liberated Chinese citizens cheer and congratulate their arrival in the city*.

*Representatives from both the United States and the Soviet Union sign the agreement on August 26, 1946. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur of the United States and Lieutenant General Kuzma Derevyanko of the Soviet Army signed the treaty along with the Japanese foreign minister Mamoru Shigemitsu. Macarthur and Emperor Hirohito take one for the cameras. The division areas are finalized*.

*Soviet T54 tanks march and open fire on student protesters and other rioters, first in Hungary in 1956 and in Prague in 1968. Several people were killed in both riots and thousands more were injured. A savage response, this would be a tactic that would be repeated again in the 1980s*.

"Those are not riots, but rebellions. People rebel because of oppression and conditions. Conditions that make it impossible to live, no matter if things get good or not. People are tired of this and when they get tired, they rebel. No rebellion is born out of violence, it's born out of the conditions" US Secretary of State Dean Rusk, December 1961.

*R12 MRBM missiles being shown at a red square parade. These missiles were used in the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962,, the closest humanity has come to extinction. An American P2 Neptune patrol airplane shadows a Soviet cargo freighter carrying il 28 beagle bombers. Sh 3 sea kings fly over Key West, Florida. The Soviet submarine B 59 is being observed by a Seabat ( Variant of the Choctaw helicopter) off the coast of Cuba*.

"Una Revolución!" Fidel Castro, 1960.

*Communist guerillas raise their guns as a show of strength against the Sandinista government in Grenada sponsored by the United States. Meanwhile, Dutch protesters in Amsterdam march to protest the installment of more Minuteman missiles in Europe. US President Ronald Reagan sits with Margaret Thatcher at Camp David, Maryland in December 1984. Reagan and Thatcher would be vocal opponents of Communism*

*President George H. W. Bush Meets with several of his advisors in 1992 to discuss the growing issues in the Middle East and Asia, more specifically Japan. President Bill Clinton signs a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, much to the ire of Egypt. US Ambassador George W. Bush meets with Soviet Ambassador to the United Nations Vladimir Putin in Shanghai*.

"I believe that Communism is the new vanguard of the world, a Spread of freedom. A new world with freedom away from the capitalist oppressors and the corrupt. A new Japan for all Japanese Citizens, be they old or very young, even if it has to be fought with the sword and spear" Yuki Tateyama, General Secretary of the Communist party of Japan, November 2009

tape recording stops*

Cuts to the US Senate building and President John Mcain takes the stand. Mcain stands in front of Congress, facing a crowd of Republicans and Democrats

John Mcain: Global Communism, Marxism, Leninism, and the rest are THE single greatest to not only our National Security but to the security of the Free world. Worse than the Ku Klux Klan, worse than any hurricane, even worse than the Narco drug dealers and Mafia!. They have almost half of the Third World underneath their Iron Curtain! And no nation, I believe is more to blame for the spread than North Japan! Because of their support, half of the developing nations are socialist in nature and are allied with the Russians. Democracy is at stake! So I ask you all here, Republicans and Democrats, to put aside the grudges and work together in times that truly try men's souls.

end of flashback

Well... Let's just say that it wasn't really easy. I don't really think anyone can claim the fact that they just ended an era of conflict that went on for a century.

I didn't really expect to be a hero or a legend in my home country. I was just a person who wanted to be special, to feel like I was someone, to have a talent in something. I'm sure many of us can relate to having that feeling. That's why I signed up for Hope's Peak, despite the issues going on.

But... I honestly let that judgment get to me a bit. I didn't know what I was getting into, what I was about to see, what I was about to face, I had no idea how exactly bad things were over there. I suppose that maybe... my son does have a right to know what his dad did during that time, so he can try to learn and not be like me, to live a good and special life that my younger self wished he had.

So I will tell you because this has to be told, to let those know that things like this can never happen again. I just hope that the rest of the world is more calmer now and more safe than it was back then. So buckle up, this is going to get wild. It all started a few months ago...

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Steve Brodner

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

May 17, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAY 18, 2024

Yesterday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose above 40,000 but then dropped back below it; today it closed above 40,000 for the first time in history, ending the day at 40,003.59. This extraordinary performance means investors have confidence the Federal Reserve will get inflation under control without throwing the country into a recession. It is a triumphant vindication of the financial policies advanced by President Joe Biden and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.

In comparison to the breathless coverage of the stock market during Trump’s administration, this milestone is getting very little coverage. Under Trump, the stock market had the highest annualized gain of any Republican president since Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s, but at 11.8%, that annualized gain was lower than the annualized return under Democratic presidents Barack Obama (12.1%) and Bill Clinton (15.9%). Biden’s annualized return passed Trump’s in April 2024, as well. 

The stock market’s performance is being ignored partly because Democrats tend to underplay the role of the stock market as an indication of economic health because they recognize it is not the only important way to think about the economy. But since he took office, Biden has also had to contend with the constant stream of outrageous news coming from the radical right. 

Today is no exception. Indeed, today’s news is among the most shocking that we’ve had since Biden took office.

Yesterday evening, Jodi Kantor of the New York Times reported that in the days before Biden’s inauguration, an upside-down American flag flew in front of Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito’s home. A U.S. flag flown upside down is a universal symbol of distress. In the days after the January 6, 2021, insurrection, Trump loyalists flew the upside-down flag as a symbol of “the impending death of the nation and a call to arms,” according to American studies professor Matthew Guterl.

Leading scholar of the American right Kathleen Belew explained on social media that the upside-down flag was “not just signifying that the election was ‘stolen.’ The inverted flag means the country has been overthrown (to many, if not most, on the right). This is a profound act of symbolism and appalling at the home of a Supreme Court Justice.”

For Alito to fly it was an indication that he was part of the insurrection. 

In September 2021, Trump loyalist lawyer Sidney Powell, who was part of the team trying to get the results of the 2020 presidential election overturned, told a right-wing talk show host that while rioters were attacking the Capitol, she and her team were trying to get an emergency injunction to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s victory. 

“We were filing a 12th Amendment constitutional challenge to the process that the Congress was about to use under the Electoral Act provisions that simply don’t jive [sic] with the 12th Amendment to the United States Constitution,” she said. “And Justice Alito was our circuit justice for that.” 

The plan was thwarted, she said, when then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reconvened Congress and certified Biden’s win that night. “[S]he really had to speed up reconvening Congress to get the vote going before Justice Alito might have issued an injunction to stop it all, which is what should have happened,” Powell said. 

Senate Judiciary Committee chair Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today that “Justice Alito should recuse himself immediately from cases related to the 2020 election and the January 6th insurrection, including the question of the former President's immunity in U.S. v. Donald Trump, which the Supreme Court is currently considering. The Court is in an ethical crisis of its own making, and Justice Alito and the rest of the Court should be doing everything in their power to regain public trust.”

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also called for Alito to recuse himself from cases involving the 2020 election and Trump. 

The potential for Alito to destroy our country in order to restore Trump to the presidency has continued. Along with Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, whose wife Ginni was in both sympathy and communication with the others trying to overturn the results of the election, as well as the three extremist justices Trump appointed, Alito has been part of a court that has delayed its decision about whether Trump can be tried on criminal charges for conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election for so long that Trump likely has won his gambit to avoid trial before the 2024 election.

When Trump claimed last October that he could not be prosecuted, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing his trial, rejected the argument in December. Trump appealed, and Special Counsel Jack Smith asked the Supreme Court to decide the case immediately. The Supreme Court refused. Then, after a three-judge panel of a federal appeals court unanimously affirmed Chutkan���s ruling in a February 2024 decision that legal observers praised as “thorough and compelling,” Trump appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court then accepted his appeal and scheduled oral arguments for late April, more than a month after the original trial date set by Judge Chutkan. 

The result of all this delay, former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardori wrote in Politico last month, is “that a question whose answer was obvious back in December is unlikely to get that answer from the Supreme Court until its session ends in June.” “If the Court hadn’t intervened, we would already have a verdict in the January 6 case,” political strategist Michael Podhorzer wrote, “and we don’t know whether the Court would have decided to intervene without Thomas and Alito.”

When the story of Alito’s misuse of the flag broke, the justice explained himself to Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream. He blamed his wife, Martha-Ann Alito, for flying the flag, saying she had hung it up in response to a “F*** Trump” sign that was “within 50 feet of where children await the school bus in Jan[uary] 21.” He said that the neighbors are “very political” and had had “words” with the Alitos that had upset Mrs. Alito. 

While Justice Alito blamed his wife for the flag, he could hardly have missed seeing it above his house. Former Chicago Tribune editor Mark Jacob wrote: “When I was an editor at the Chicago Tribune, I would’ve been in trouble if I’d let my wife put a political bumper sticker on our car. But a Supreme Court justice’s home can fly a flag of insurrection and he’s still allowed to rule on whether the head insurrectionist has immunity.”

The deputy chief of staff for Representative Don Beyer (D-VA), who represents the town in which the Alitos live, noted that the local schools were all remote in January 2021 because of the pandemic. “No children were waiting for buses,” he noted. Legal analyst Elie Mystal added: “Sam Alito running to Fox News to explain how…he’s not politically motivated at all…is an under-appreciated part of this ongoing ethical disaster.” 

It would be bad enough for a Supreme Court justice to announce a partisan preference. But, as David Kurtz wrote this morning at Talking Points Memo, Alito’s embrace of the insurrectionist flag “was a bold declaration of affinity for and alignment with the smoldering insurrection led by a president of the same party that had just been put down but which still loomed as a threat to civic order, the peaceful transfer of power (which at that point had still not yet happened), and the rule of law.”

The call is coming from inside the house.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Alanna Vagianos at HuffPost:

Three Senate Democrats are renewing their push to protect access to in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments in new legislation released Monday morning. The Right to IVF Act is a package of bills that Sens. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Patty Murray (Wash.) and Cory Booker (N.J.) have already introduced this session. The legislation would establish a statutory right to access IVF and protect providers from criminalization, as well as expand IVF insurance coverage and make the care more affordable for families. It also includes IVF protections and extended access for veterans and service members. The Democrats rolled four of their bills into one to revive the conversation around IVF and hopefully have a better shot at passing the legislation. Most of the bills were blocked by Republicans or did not make it out of committee. The new bill includes the Access to Family Building Act, the Veteran Families Health Services Act, the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act, and the Family Building FEHB Fairness Act.

“Struggling with infertility is painful enough — every American deserves the right to access the treatment and tools they need to build the family of their dreams without the fear of being prosecuted for murder or manslaughter,” Duckworth, who had her two children through IVF, said in a statement. “I’m proud to unveil this sweeping legislative package with my colleagues that would actually protect the freedom to receive or provide IVF nationwide,” she added, “while making these treatments more affordable and accessible for the millions of American families — including military families and Veterans — who are experiencing infertility across the country.” Both Duckworth and Murray have long championed access to fertility treatments and other assisted reproductive technologies, introducing bills in the last few years to protect reproductive health care as access dwindles in the wake of the Supreme Court decision that repealed Roe v. Wade. Senate Republicans have blocked every IVF bill Democrats have brought to the floor, including Duckworth’s Access to Family Building Act in February.

Access to IVF took center stage earlier this year when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos should be defined as children — forcing several clinics to pause treatments and threatening care throughout the state. Although many Republicans have supported abortion bans that would also criminalize IVF, the party floundered for weeks after the widely unpopular Alabama ruling.

The Senate Dems have renewed their push to protect IVF with a bill package called Right To IVF Act that features four bills sponsored by Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Illinois’ three-decade-old ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants is one step closer to being lifted. On March 30, following a bipartisan roll call, the Illinois Senate passed Senate Bill 76, which would finally end the state’s moratorium, which proponents say would create jobs, lower utility costs, and provide more reliable, clean energy. Thursday, the Illinois House approved the measure on a vote of 84-22. The bill now moves to the Governor's desk for his consideration.

Senate Bill 76 would delete the language that provides that no construction shall commence on any new nuclear power plant to be located within the state. Under the legislation, public utility and energy companies wouldn’t be forced to invest in nuclear energy but would merely be given the option to invest in new nuclear power construction projects. These projects could be either traditional nuclear reactors or new small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs are the latest and most advanced nuclear energy technology being developed which have the added benefit of being able to be placed in existing infrastructure such as factories or retired coal-fired power plants that are already connected to the electric grid.

Prior to the vote, State Representative Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) said while it’s may not be perfect, it is a great bill and he encouraged an aye vote.

[libertariantaoist]

News Roundup 11/6/2023 | The Libertarian Institute

Here is your daily roundup of today's news:

News Roundup 11/6/2023

by Kyle Anzalone

Ukraine 

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Gen. Valery Zaluzhny acknowledged in comments to The Economist that the war in Ukraine is a stalemate and that there will “most likely” be no Ukrainian breakthrough. AWC

A top Ukrainian official said Kiev is seeking to become one of the largest arms manufacturers in the world. The statement comes as the Biden administration has begun pushing Ukraine to engage in talks with Russia on ending the war. Ukraine developing a large weapons industry and selling those arms to the enemies of Russia will likely interfere with any deals to end the conflict. The Institute

The US rolled out its 50th weapons package for Ukraine. The arms shipment will include air defenses, artillery rounds, and anti-armor weapons. The Pentagon will purchase $300 million in arms on behalf of Kyiv, depleting all the funds in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). AWC

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a bill into law that formally withdrew Russia’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). AWC

Israel

During a trip to Israel, America’s top diplomat pushed Tel Aviv to agree to limited “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid into Gaza and facilitate negotiations for Hamas to release prisoners. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said there would not be a temporary pause in the fighting. AWC

Despite the massive bombing campaign and ground invasion in Gaza, a senior Pentagon official believes Israel has not come close to taking out Hamas’s leadership, The New York Times reported Saturday. AWC

The Pentagon has acknowledged that the US is flying drones over Gaza to help Israel locate hostages, demonstrating deep US involvement in the war. AWC

Israel’s Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu on Sunday said that dropping a nuclear bomb on the Gaza Strip was an option for Israel and claimed there are no innocent civilians in the enclave. AWC

The House on Thursday passed a bill to provide Israel with $14.3 billion in military aid, a strong show of support for the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which has killed over 9,000 people so far. AWC

Twenty-seven days into Israel’s brutal bombing campaign, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) became the first member of the US Senate to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. AWC

Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), a former member of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), dismissed the idea there are “innocent Palestinian civilians” in a debate on the House floor. AWC

Middle East

The House on Wednesday passed a resolution that suggested the US would use force against Iran in the future in the name of preventing the country from acquiring nuclear weapons. AWC

Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday amid a spate of attacks on US troops in the region over US support for Israel’s onslaught on Gaza. AWC

Read More