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aspitefulwriter · 1 year

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OUT OF TOUCH [Ch. 4]

(Poe Dameron x AFAB!reader)

warnings: a shove that can be considered physical abuse? i try to clear up that it’s not okay though. won’t happen again 🫡 light mention of SA because people listen to rumors

author’s note: i usually post on ao3 first!! also, so sorry about this wait. i started my first week of classes and i’m a stem senior….it’s rough out there y’all lol

word count: ~5.3k (i’m apparently incapable of writing less)

Series Masterlist

Something must be rooting for you.

Ordinary humans don’t escape a locked-down militia base with one of the most powerful force users on board and live, yet all you have are nonlethal injuries and a ship to carry you across the galaxy.

Ordinary humans don’t sell that stolen Order-affiliated cargo ship and easily let it go after landing on Eriadu.

But of course, something….or maybe someone…had to be rooting for you. Therefore, you were happy to ignore the coincidences and happy endings that the pair of you faced. There wasn’t much you could care about with a healing hole in your arm and internal injuries.

However, the blankets and clothes lining the black market you were walking down served as red flags, waving in the breeze as you and Denel follow a sketchy lead to a secret Resistance rendezvous. The intel you got after landing stated that this…person…you study their back and the brown, dirtied clothes hanging off of their body–brought new recruits to a transport headed for their base. Your alert started to hang high when the two of you were hardly asked questions to verify your intentions before being told to follow him, landing you in the black market. From that point, the alert allowed you to catch the occasional nervous glances sent your way as he fidgeted with a pocket watch. They became more frequent when you and other groups boarded the jet meant to take you to the Resistance.

Suspicion grates at your nerves, and you’re just about to start kicking yourself before the doors to the carrier jet open to the familiar colors of the growing Resistance waiting for you at the end of the walkway.

Relief floods through your body and you make eye contact with Denel, clapping him on his back, which he returns with a smile. The two of you stand up and make your way down, but are intercepted by a small group of people led by Leia Organa herself. That’s when it all starts to make sense.

“So it was you?” Denel looks between the two of you questioningly.

She gives a sly smile, one side of her lips going higher than the other, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

You breathe out a laugh, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” You hold out a hand for her to shake, introducing yourself, even though you know it wasn’t necessary. She knew who you were.

“Good to properly meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.” The smile remains on her face, joined now by a twinkle in her eye as she shakes your hand. You nod once and let go before motioning over to your partner.

“This is Denel, another one of the First Order’s fugitives.” You joke and he shakes her hand too before dropping it back to his side and side-eyeing you.

“Welcome to the club, you two.” She grins, then silently motioned to the crowd gathered behind her before she has a more solemn look on her face. You and Denel share a look as they step up.

“Don’t be concerned, this is just a temporary measure to ensure the two of you won’t report the location or…inner workings of the Resistance.” A slight scowl curves at your features, but you couldn’t say you didn’t understand.

“This is Tantin and Venon. They’ll be your guards.” She points at each one, signaling their respective name. You drag your eyes back to them and study them, noticing they didn’t look amused about being the monitors either. Tantin looks less than happy to be there— you’d say even bordering on disgust; on the other hand, Venon stands closed off and emotionless beside him. Both hold a change of clothes beneath their arms that resemble the same shade of beige on their own bodies.

“Before room placement, I’ll need you two to change under supervision and go through a quick search.”

Denel scoffs, and when he does Leia’s eyes stick to him, “There’s no such thing as too safe and we have many lives to protect. You understand, yes?”

He doesn't respond, and at his silence, you elbow him in the side, causing him to wince before slowly nodding in agreeance.

“It’s like you said, there are too many lives at stake. We understand.” You say, glancing back at Denel whose nostrils flared in disdain as he keeps his gaze from yours.

“I’m glad. I’ll see the two of you again when you get settled. We’re happy to have you here.” Giving a single nod with a smile, she walks from the zone that now lays empty, spare your duo and the guards. Tantin releases a displeased hum and motions for you to follow, then leads you to a bland room that only holds a table.

“One at a time, we don’t need any conspiring,” Venon says in an accusatory tone, and at that, Denel stalks forward to go first. Tantin holds the clothes he had out, which must be meant for Denel and he snags them, muttering under his breath that there was nowhere else to go. He’s followed by Tantin, whose person is to check that there’s nothing hidden beneath the clothes he wears.

As you wait for your turn, you lean on the wall and set your attention on Venon, who stiffly stands a few feet from you with her arms crossed. You snort out a laugh and shake your head. You understood the reason behind the two of them being timid. You came from an organization that puts trillions of dollars into burning them into the ground, but you are fugitives. There’s no return to the First Order, not with all that you’ve done.

Venon doesn’t acknowledge your stifled laugh, choosing to allow the silence to fill the empty hallways again as she waits for her partner to finish checking Denel.

The slam of the door against the wall startles you, and you snap your head to look at a scowling Denel and a flushed Tantin.

“What happened?” You ask Denel in a hushed tone.

“A lack of privacy,” He snaps. You sigh out, not wanting to go through your turn, but you’d do whatever you could to get the Resistance to trust you.

Grabbing your clothes that are outstretched from Venon’s single hand, you enter where Denel and Tantin just left, your guard following close behind. Biting back your anger fueled by discomfort, Venon checks that you are free of bugs or other paraphernalia strapped to you, allowing you to get changed into the new clothes. You note a glazed look that Venon gives your arm before she notices you looking, making her turn from you.

Once both of you are cleared, you follow your guards down the hallway to what must be the residence hall since more people are starting to fill the previously empty space. You take the emptiness in conversation to look to Denel, who’s combing his eyes across the people in the hall, some that aren’t human, “You alright?”

He snaps his eyes to you with a pursed smile, “Being looked over like I was about to be put in a high-security prison wasn’t all that great, but I guess I can get over it. It beats being locked to a table.”

“Or having the air squeezed from your lungs,” You add, laughing, which causes your guards to look at you with slight alarm. The looks make you and Denel chuckle amongst each other more. The humor falls from you as you continue walking, but each step starts to feel lighter.

Soon, you land in front of a door that looks like the others, and Venon points to Denel with her index finger, “You,” She pauses, pointing back at the room with her thumb, “This’ll be your room. Do whatever you want, but just know that Tantin’s following your every move.”

Denel gives you a single see you later nod before he walks into his room, Tantin following closely behind him.

When the door shuts, Venon motions for you to follow her, “Let’s go.”

You silently walk beside her, and compared to you, each of her steps looks as if her spine is tugging itself higher and higher–-her shoulders tense and mouth set in a straight line. When she abruptly stops and glares at you before slamming a panel next to her to open your room, it doesn’t come as a surprise that she hurtles a: “I don’t know why we have to waste our resources on you,” followed by an “I don’t know what they see in you.”

A blink before a response, “Are you saying I should care what you think?” You ask, moving to lean against the doorway with your arms crossed.

Her nose crinkles in a sneer. “Considering my word determines whether you’re deemed safe or not–yeah. I’d say you should care what I have to think.”

You look her up and down, actually studying her now and how well you might be able to either diffuse the situation (or make it worse).

“Is that what you’re going with? A threat?”

“If it lets you see where you stand on this base, I guess so.” She retaliates.

You don’t hold the laugh back this time, “Okay, well earlier you said you don’t know what they see in me,” You finger quote the ‘they,’ “So that leads me to believe someone else’s words carry a lot more weight than yours do.” She looks at you in surprise at your rebuttal before pulling into a scowl.

“So I’m not going to be concerned what my guard…Vee something…thinks about me. Much less if she has to fall into childish threats because she doesn’t agree with her superior’s decisions.” You uncross your arms and push off the wall, making your way into your new room.

“I’m going to relax now,” You pause in the doorway, keeping eye contact, “Since being one of the most wanted First Order fugitives doesn’t get much time for rest.” You try to emphasize that you’re no longer Order-affiliated before you go through the door the rest of the way and walk to the bed, falling down with a big sigh.

You watch the open door, half expecting to see Venon walk through, but she never does.

_____

Later that day, you’re sat at a table with Denel and the guards in the cafeteria, one of them being the replacement for Venon after she had stepped down from her post following your conversation. From the time he introduced himself, you knew you’d like him a little better than the last one. He seemed to keep his comments to himself.

As you pick at your food in disinterest, tuned out from Denel loosely chatting with the guards, you feel eyes on you and look up to find none other than Poe Dameron absentmindedly staring as the people at his table start following his line of sight due to his silence. You let your face drop into a scowl, not wanting to have any more attention on you than there already is.

Against your better judgment, you can’t help but look back at him, knowing in the back of your mind that there was some sort of solace in having people here who don’t mind you being here. You didn’t mean anything personal by the scowl and want to play it off, but just as you did, he looks away blinking as his eyes refocus on the group he sits with. He says something with a grin to play off his silence, and his table loudly laughs, seemingly forgetting he was ever quiet. It's that moment you realize something, and the thought does everything but make you comforted.

Something similar happened in the club–where he had all kinds of people vying for his attention, hanging on his every word. Someone leaning close to him on either side, hardly even giving him space to move. A scowl forms on your face naturally this time, unnerved that you easily fell for the charm too, even if it did take a shot of electricity at first. Taking a sip from your cup, appetite now completely lost, you look between the group you sit with.

This likely wouldn’t have been possible if not for him–he likely said something to the General to get her on your side, thus allowing you to be here and even have this dilemma. You start to circle the caf in your cup to redistribute the concentration, still deep in your thoughts, not seeing Poe called away from his table and taking a last lingering glance your way.

Focusing back on the group, you notice that Denel and the other two look at you with slight concern at your absentmindedness.

“Yeah?” You respond, confused at the attention.

“I’ve been trying to ask you if you wanted to check out the hangars and see what they have here?”

You clear your throat, taking a look at Poe’s table to find him gone, “Sure, yeah. I was done anyways,” You pick up the barely touched plate as you stand up, Denel and the others mirroring you as you get ready to leave.

______

“You wanted to see me, General?” Poe stood at parade rest in front of Leia’s desk, watching her stand contemplatively surrounded by the blue hue of holograms. Her eyes shifted from the images to him.

“Ever since our new arrivals this morning, we’ve started to get varying unrest around the base.” She clicked her datapad, popping up reports of change-of-room requests, where he could guess came from the hall that housed you and Denel. His eyebrows pulled together at her words.

“We expected that everyone on base wouldn’t be open to them being on D’Qar. That was the point of the guards.” Poe stated.

She nodded appreciatively, “Which is why I called you in here, Poe.” The use of his first name rather than his rank caused his posture to relax, but he stood confused.

“Oh? How do I fit into this?”

Leia looked at him with amusement as she continued, “Your…friend’s…guard just stepped down after what she says was an altercation that got out of control.” He snorted out a laugh. Sounds about right.

“I’ve set up a temporary replacement, but I’d like you to be the more permanent solution to this problem.” He felt his eyes bulge out of his head. She couldn’t be serious.

“Me? I’ve barely got the time to sleep, must less stand guard 24/7.” And it was true. Just going to lunch today was something he was rarely able to do, whether it be because he had to train, do maintenance on the ships, or had other Resistance-related business to attend to. Though, he supposed guarding counted as Resistance-related business.

“You’re both pilots and she’s familiar with you. Do you not think it’s a good idea?” She asked, smiling at him.

“No!” He responded quickly, much faster than he intended, “I–I mean no. It’s a good idea.” His face burned in embarrassment, especially when Leia gave him a knowing look.

“I’m glad to hear you think the same,” Picking up the datapad, she did a series of clicks, “You can start tomorrow night after training, I’ve set the schedule to properly accommodate you.”

Turning her back to him and setting her attention on the holograms, effectively ending the conversation, he gave her a single nod and dismissed himself.

As he walked to the hangar, his thoughts wrapped around you and he felt nervous. Poe saw the scowl you gave him in the caf, and admittedly it did sting. He thought you were on each other’s good side, especially now that you guys were actually on the same side. But now? He didn’t know where you stood and how you’d react to him being your new guard.

He sighed, catching the attention of a passing person, who he acknowledged with a nod and pursed lips.

This was stressing him out.

_____

Whispers.

All you can hear are the whispers, joined by blurry images and lights darting past in a way that makes your stomach twist and turn. Then nothing, just a black void with a silence that permeates thick air.

Hide. A soft, feminine voice murmurs. Terror grips your body.

Suddenly, the silence is sharply cut by the sound of jets and beams of green light before the void returns. You're able to open your eyes now, and when they do, you look down to see that you stand in ankle-deep water tainted a brilliant red. A sheer gray dress flows down into the water, causing the red to soak upward into the fabric. You grasped the fabric at your hip lightly in your hands in confusion.

“What?” You mumble to yourself.

Silence is the only thing that responds to you, and you look around at the room that seems to never end. Your muscles choose to move of their own volition, walking you forward, but the distance never changes. Adrenaline starts to pump. What were you doing here? What did any of this mean?

Panting, you begin to run to try and seek some way out, feeling as if you're trapped. You don’t get far, a few paces perhaps, before a piercing scream causes you to crumble to the ground, the pain making you grip your head. You’re unaware you’re screaming too until you’re pulled awake by it, sweat drenching your body as you heave, looking to your guard who scrambles awake from his sleep on the chair across the room.

He throws you a panicked look as he grips the arms of the chair, “Wha– Are you okay?”

Releasing a shaky breath, you nod, “Nightmare.” But you felt everything but okay. The terror from the dream still settles deep within you, feeling as if it wrapped itself through your bones and around every vein.

He nods, not quite believing you based on the concern you can still see on his face, but he chooses to settle back into the chair. In return, you fall back into your pillows, turning your head to glance at the clock. It was still a few hours until you were meant to get up, but you highly doubt you’ll be able to fall asleep. The screams still echo in your ears as you gaze at the wall of your quarters.

The dream dumbfounds you; never in your life had you ever had one like that. Typically, sleep was dreamless–where closing your eyes at night seemed like a blink before you opened them again. But that? A shiver runs down your spine as it replays in your mind once more.

The following hours you lay like that, replaying the dream over and over, trying to find meaning.

It exhausted you. Your alarm rings, taking you out of your thoughts, and you look up to find your guard absent. He must’ve run to get ready. Tossing in bed, you throw your sheets off of yourself, dreading getting up for the day. With a sigh, you push yourself up and do it anyway.

When your guard returns and you finally make your way to the caf, the walk over lacks conversation, neither of you mentioning the nightmare. Settling at the table you frequent after grabbing rations, you glance around, noticing Poe wasn’t there. However, you do catch Denel’s eye, and he looks at you in question, presumably seeing the bags under your eyes. You dismiss him with a shake of your head, digging into your food even though your appetite isn’t particularly present at the moment.

You don’t want to admit it, but not seeing Poe around further kicks your mood down. His presence comforts you a little, even if you are unsettled you fell for his charm.

As the day continues, you wish you could turn back time to where you sat in the caf, thinking Poe’s presence was comforting, and throttle yourself. Maybe you were exaggerating due to the exhaustion, but who knew the Resistance crew could be so rude? Or maybe you were just naive to the concept.

The first time you heard it, you were tuned out and walking back to your room after breakfast, your guard a few paces behind you. At the time, you didn’t think it was necessary he joined you since you were hoping to catch some sleep before a minor assessment you had to do as part of training, but you soon appreciated there was someone around to see the treatment.

“I heard General Organa turned a blind eye because Dameron has a real close relationship with her,” a girl says–not loud, but loud enough it was clear.

Truth be told, you likely wouldn’t have paid attention to it in the first place had you not heard the names of two out of the handful of people you knew on base, but when it registered, heat bleeds onto your face. They might not have even been talking about you. Looking in the direction you heard it from, you see two girls leaning their weight on the wall of the hallway, staring at you. Ah…so they were. You stop in your tracks.

“Who knew the clones were so easy?” The other girl says, which you figure based on the pitch of her voice. The two look you up and down before realizing you stopped and are staring back at them.

“You wanna repeat that back to me?” You ask with a harshness that is unlike the ‘new’ you. At least, the you that has been trying to not let the anger get the better of her. The pair’s eyes widen as one girl grabs her friend’s elbow, backing the two of them away.

“I–We–,” They stumble on their words in unison, “it was just a rumor, it’s probably not true.”

Your eyebrows pull together, “Rumor?” Before you can ask more about where they heard it from, they're nearly to the corner of the hallway. You have half the mind to follow them and are just about to, but your guard grabs your shoulder and shakes his head. You roll your eyes and continue walking, muttering “I was only curious.”

It wasn’t the worst interaction you’d had. In fact, you’d considered it tame compared to some of the gossip about you that Jazkrin had set out after your demotion. However, the next incident shook you a little harder to your core.

It was later in the day, following the (attempted) nap, where you sat at your assessment tinkering with some droid part. You went into it thinking they wanted to see your mechanical skills, but with the droid grading you hovering over your shoulder, you started to think that it was more a humiliation tactic. On any other day, you might not have cared that it loudly buzzes when you make a correction that it deems either wrong or unnecessary, but with it starting the way it had, you aren’t amused. It doesn’t help that for the past 34 minutes (yes, you have been counting), you've been a heavy topic between a pair of mechanics slotted underneath an X-wing.

It had started with them ridiculing you about how you were messing up on fixing the easiest assessment on base. At the time you just rolled your eyes at them like you did at the girls earlier. It’s not like you're particularly skilled at droid repair. Back at the Order, other teams were meant for droid repair, but typically the damaged ones were scrapped and completely replaced. There wasn’t a reason you had to learn any of this–not that you don’t mind. It was when the conversation took a turn when you felt you couldn’t just roll your eyes anymore.

“And Fara said that they had sex. I mean–we all know how he is, but with the First Order girl?” You glance up at them at her grunt, seeing she struggles to remove a part before she continues, “Honestly I think that he should be suspended for it.”

You tsk when her friend snorts out a laugh, turning your attention back to the droid, “Leia’s golden boy? No way.” You hear the clatter of metal as they get the part off, “Plus, you can’t fault him–there’s no telling what happened on that planet. She probably took advantage of him!”

You stop, the muscles of your back tensed like pulled strings. You? Taking advantage of him? That wasn’t the kind of person you were. At the idea, they let out noises that you can only describe as nonworded pity, like they believed that’s what happened and their hearts broke for Poe’s experience.

The small wrench you're holding clatters against the metal table as you storm out of the hangar, droid and guard yelling after you. You don’t want to be around anyone after that kind of insinuation. What had even given that indication in the first place? Tears of frustration brim your eyes. Is that what people thought you were? Someone who defiled their precious ‘golden boy’? You and Poe hardly talked, only setting your eyes on him once since stepping off of the jet that took you here. How is any of that fair?

Willing the tears away, you step onto the tarmac and search for the nearest hill you can hide away at, but in your search, you see an entire squadron of pilots appraising you with malice, snickering amongst themselves. That’s when every bad event of the day crashes into you. What was with everyone? You were a runaway just like everyone else. Blind anger replaces your frustration and you immediately turn to the one of the hangars you saw yesterday: the one that houses the Black Squadron.

Staring down the one other person who had been on the planet and could have started those rumors (in your twisted brain), you make a beeline for the pilot climbing down the ladder of his X-wing. He's talking about something you couldn’t care less about, and when he realizes he has none of his squadron’s attention given they were all curiously staring at you, he turns. It wasn’t timed well, your harsh shove making his balance thrown off as an alarmed “Woah!” escapes from his mouth, stumbling to right himself.

“What are you telling people?!” You yell, your voice echoing off of the walls as several other peoples' attention draws to you. Poe, who gathered his balance, whips around to face you, exasperation etched onto his face.

“What are you even talking about?!” He yells back, throwing his hands in the air in bewilderment. You start your rant before you can think and filter it:

“Since I woke up this morning, I’ve been subjected to nothing but hatred and petty gossip– most jarring being that I took advantage of you.” You briefly pause, watching his expression turn to concern, “It’s frustrating to have left the Order just to come here and get the same treatment from the Resistance. It seemed like you guys boasted fair treatment, and…” You cover your face with your hands, the tears from earlier resurfacing as your voice cracks, “I can’t believe I was so stup–”

Poe’s hands hold your shoulders softly, “Hey hey hey,” he cuts you off, “I’m so sorry that’s happening to you, I have no idea where it came from.” You take a deep breath at his words, trying to stabilize yourself from the manic rant you started rapidly falling into. You wipe your eyes with the lower part of your palm before they fall to your sides. Now you feel ridiculous.

“Listen, I’ll ask around and try to clear it up, okay? Does that sound good?” You nod slowly and Poe removes his hands from your shoulders. You find yourself missing the heat from them and you're brought back to reality, seeing and feeling all the pairs of eyes on you. Adjusting the clothes on your body, the fabric feeling suffocating, you fidget. Probably was a good idea to apologize.

Shifting your eyes from his, your cheeks burn. “Sorry...about the push, that was incredibly out of line. Plus, it definitely wasn’t fair of me to assume you started the gossip. My anger just gets out of control sometimes, and it makes it hard for me to see logic, and…” The edge of his mouth tilts in an amused smirk, causing you to stop, “Sorry, I’m rambling.” You feel the embarrassment fill the rest of your face as it crawls up your neck.

He cocks his hip when he steps a foot out, moving a hand to rest on his waist. With the same smirk on his lips, he jokes: “I’m glad you see the forceful shove was out of line,” he lets out a light laugh, “The rambling was fine though. Probably one of the longest times you’ve spoken to me.”

You start to back away slowly, wanting to get yourself out of the grave you quickly dug yourself, “Right–and I am super sorry, I promise it won’t happen again.” You do an ‘X’ over your heart, “Promise.” He’s about to open his mouth and joke that he hopes you’re not talking about never speaking to him again, but you sharply turn around and race to make your way to your guard that stands a few paces from the entrance of the hangar.

Poe watches as you leave, the temp guard saying a few choice words that you ignore before you both disappear around the corner. He sighs as he rights his position and turns to continue where he left off. When he does, his squadron and the other onlookers snap into action, an awkward cough escaping a few of them as they pretend they didn’t stop everything to listen in. Snap lets out a whistle before he starts to shed his gear and Poe glances at him impassively.

“You’ve got a lot to handle there, Dameron.”

Poe chuckles lightly. “Pftt, I learned that lesson on Coruscant,” he says, pulling off the rest of the gear while Snap returns a laugh.

Truth be told, he figured that out on the planet you crashed on. Coruscant only further solidified the idea, adding to it that you were an enigma–someone that he didn’t think would ever be fully understood. However, today was the first time he’d ever seen you rattled. The experience with the carnivorous beast hadn’t even gotten you like this. Poe knew he would have to get whatever was happening straightened out.

That night, Poe replaced your temp guard. Before leaving, he patted Poe’s shoulders sympathetically, which he returned with a perplexed look. Was this about what happened earlier that day?

It really didn’t offend him–it wasn’t like you hadn’t apologized about a million times. To be fair, you’ve both held blasters to each other's heads and BB-8 did electrocute you that one time. He laughs at the memory. It seemed so far away.

Entering the room, he studies your form lying unmoving in your bed. He wondered what you thought about it all. Today gave him a little insight about how you felt, but he craves more. Because she defected from the First Order, he tries to convince himself.

His eyes catch the clean bandage wrapped around your arm and his eyebrows furrow. Was that new? Did someone on D’Qar do that to you? A new type of monster grabs at his throat and he feels a simmering anger at seeing the wrapped wound. What was he doing? He reasons with himself that it likely happened during your escape, trying to get the feeling out of him.

Poe sighs, settling down into the chair. Oh man, this was going to be harder than he expected.

a/n:

they are reunited <3

also side note, i was writing between classes one day and an acquaintance sat next to me and started talking to me. totally forgot to spam click out of everything and i’m pretty sure they saw my star wars research 😃👍🏻 (ha ha i hope they don’t perceive me)

#poe dameron #enemies to friends to lovers #enemies to lovers #poe dameron smut #poe dameron x female reader #poe dameron x reader #poe dameron x you #poe dameron/reader #poe dameron x reader smut

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mariacallous · 2 years

Text

Spread of Catholic hospitals limits reproductive care across the U.S.

Religious doctrine restricts access to abortion and birth control and limits treatment options for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies

The Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion is revealing the growing influence of Catholic health systems and their restrictions on reproductive services including birth control and abortion— even in the diminishing number of states where the procedure remains legal.

Catholic systems now control about 1 in 7 U.S. hospital beds, requiring religious doctrine to guide treatment, often to the surprise of patients. Their ascendancy has broad implications for the evolving national battle over reproductive rights beyond abortion, as bans against it take hold in more than a dozen Republican-led states.

The Catholic health-care facilities follow directives from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that prohibit treatment it deems “immoral”: sterilization including vasectomies, postpartum tubal ligations and contraception,as well as abortion. Those policies can limit treatment options for obstetric care during miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies, particularly in the presence of a fetal heartbeat.

“The directives are not just a collection of dos and don’ts,” said John F. Brehany, executive vice president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center and a longtime consultant to the conference of bishops. “They are a distillation of the moral teachings of the Catholic church as they apply to modern health care.” As such, he said, any facility that identifies as Catholic must abide by them.

The role of Catholic doctrine in U.S. health care has expanded during a years-long push to acquire smaller institutions — a reflection of consolidation in the hospital industry, as financially challenged community hospitals and independent physicians join bigger systems to gain access to electronic health records and other economies of scale. Acquisition by a Catholic health system has, at times, kept a town’s only hospital from closing.

Four of the nation’s 10 largest health systems are now Catholic, according to a 2020 report by the liberal health advocacy organization Community Catalyst. The 10 largest Catholic health systems control 394 short-term, acute-care hospitals, a 50 percent increase over the past two decades. In Alaska, Iowa, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin, 40 percent or more of hospital beds are in Catholic facilities.

“It’s all about market share,” said Lois Uttley, a senior adviser to the hospital equity and accountability project at Community Catalyst. Uttley, who has been tracking hospital mergers and acquisitions since the 1990s, said that with fewer choices, patients today face more difficulty obtaining reproductive services.

In Schenectady, N.Y., Ellis Medicine is in talks with the multistate Catholic giant Trinity Health. Last month, in Quad Cities, Iowa, Genesis Health System signed a letter of intent to enter a partnership with MercyOne, also part of Trinity Health. And this semester, Oberlin College had to find a new provider to prescribe contraceptives after outsourcing student health services to a Catholic system that would not provide them.

In rural northeast Connecticut, residents are protesting the prospect of their 128-year-old hospital becoming part of a Catholic system and thepotential impact on reproductive services.

“It would be very troubling to see cutbacks in a state like Connecticut,” said Ian McDonald, a stonemason who opposes the proposed deal between Day Kimball Healthcare in Putnam and Massachusetts-based Covenant Health.

Kyle Kramer, chief executive of Day Kimball Healthcare, said the proposed affiliation with Covenant Health wouldrescue the financially challenged 104-bed hospital.

“Obviously it has connotations,” Kramer said of the proposed move to faith-based ownership. The Catholic directives would “provide guidance,” he said in an interview, while insisting that “theservices that we have provided in the past are the same services that we will continue to provide in the future.”

Kramer did not answer questions in a follow-up email about how contraception and elective sterilizations could continue to be provided under Catholic doctrine if their primary purpose is for birth control. Nor did he specify how emergency obstetric care that could result in terminating a pregnancy might be affected.

Covenant Health spokeswoman Karen Sullivan said in an email that as part of the regulatory process, the Catholic health system is drafting a public response to questions by the state’s Oct. 23 deadline. The system, she said, is committed to “ensuring that the Ethical and Religious Directives are applied thoughtfully and with empathy, compassion and respect for every person we serve.”

Catholic hospitals and providers are accredited and held to the same standards as their secular equivalents, according to the Catholic Health Association of the United States, which lobbies on behalf of Catholic hospitals.

But reproductive rights advocates say there has been a steady erosion of services in both Republican- and Democratic-led states because of the growing dominance of Catholic hospitals.

Many patients are unaware of the restrictions because hospital administrators typically don’toutline the services they do not offer, saidSister Simone Campbell, a lawyer who until recently led the liberal-leaning NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice.

“Many hospitals have dealt with this by being pretty quiet. Dobbs has made it more of a question,” Campbell said, referring to the case that led to the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Catholic facilities may not “promote or condone” contraception, according to the directives — a stance that is not widely shared by the public. Just 4 percent of U.S. adults think contraception is immoral, according to a 2016 Pew Research Center poll. Among Catholics who attend weekly Mass, only 13 percent say contraception is morally wrong, and 45 percent find it acceptable.

The directives,developed in the late 1940s by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, were updated in 2018, largely to ensure that Catholic doctrine prevails after mergers and acquisitions, according to Amy Chen, a lawyer with the National Health Law Program. They limit options for referring patients to secular facilities, saying employees must not “manage, carry out, assist in carrying out, make its facilities available for, make referrals for, or benefit from the revenue generated by immoral procedures.”

Interpretation of the directives varies among hospital ethics committees. But decisions ultimately rest with the local bishop, who is to be kept informed, the directives say, if “a Catholic health care institution might be wrongly cooperating with immoral procedures.”

“Bishops have a great deal of authority in their dioceses,” Brehany said. “A bishop should ensure that a Catholic organization is abiding by the directives.”

A 2018 survey published in the journal Contraception found that more than one-third of women who go to Catholic hospitals for reproductive care are not aware of the facilities’ religious affiliation. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of California at San Francisco, called for increased transparency among hospitals to raise awareness that patients’ options may be limited at institutions with religious ties.

“Even people who had a very wanted pregnancy are at the mercy of policies not driven by their personal values or by the best interests of their health,” said Debra Stulberg, the chair of family medicine at the University of Chicago and one of the researchers in the 2018 survey.

April King, 40, said she wanted to have her tubes tied immediately after giving birth to her second child in December 2020. The Los Angeles talent agent had suffered three miscarriages and knew her family was complete.

Then she learned she could not get a tubal ligationat Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, where she planned to deliver.

“I was just surprised that [the hospital] could decide that for us,” said King, who ultimately elected to go ahead with her delivery at Providence Saint John’s because of the care she had received there in the past.

Doctors,too, face surprises — and can even be reported to hospital ethics committees for following standards of care.

In Washington state, where 41 percent of beds are Catholic-run, legislators passed a law last year to prevent hospitals from interfering with a doctor’s ability to provide medically necessary care to a pregnant patient whose health or life is at risk.

Annie Iriye, a retired OB/GYN who used to work for a Catholic hospital in Olympia, Wash., testified in support of the bill. In a recent interview, Iriye described wanting to administer medication to hasten a woman’s delivery to stave off infection after her water broke at 18 weeks, before fetal viability. Even though the woman was in active labor, Iriye said other staffers refused to follow her direction as the attending physician because a heartbeat had been detected.

By the time the woman delivered, she had a fever and needed antibiotics. Staffers reported Iriye to the hospital ethics committee.

“I was flabbergasted,” Iriye said. “It’s like, ‘Oh, come on guys. Can’t we just practice medicine and give good care?’ ”

Patients say there appears to be little consistency in how hospital staffers interpret religious directives, with doctors sometimes having to make decisions on the fly.

Whitney Marshall, 29, learned only after waking up from exploratory surgery for endometriosis in 2019 at Ascension Crittenton in Rochester Hills, Mich., that her IUD had not been replaced. Marshall, who uses the device to reduce the pain associated with the condition, had to undergo a second procedure in her gynecologist’s office to have the IUD reinserted.The spokesman for Ascension Crittenton did not respond to requests for comment about the case.

“Some women cannot afford surgeries” to treat endometriosis, Marshall said. “So their only form of recourse is to try to regulate their hormones by using contraceptives.”

Catholic hospitals’ tradition of serving women and children in the neediest neighborhoods is “rooted in our reverence for life,” said Brian Reardon, spokesman for the Catholic Health Association. But the lack of choice has been felt keenly in rural and low-income communities where patients cannot easily transfer to secular institutions, reproductive rights advocates say.

Hospitals operating under Catholic restrictions are “the sole community providers of short-term acute hospital care” in more than 52 communities across the country — up from 30 in 2013,according to Community Catalyst.

In Putnam, Connecticut, residents have relied on Day Kimball Healthcare, the town’s only hospital, for more than a century.

Kramer, the chief executive, said the hospital has been exploring partnerships with larger systems over the past decade to ensure its long-term survival.

The proposed arrangement with Covenant Health requires the approval of Connecticut’s Office of Health Strategy, which has been examining how services might be affected.

The need to preserve access to reproductive health services can bring an end to negotiations. In 2012, the investor in a proposed joint venture with two hospitals in Waterbury, Conn., one of which was Catholic, pulled out after reproductive health advocates and the local archbishop raised opposing concerns about creating a “hospital within a hospital” to provide reproductive services — a workaround that had been successful elsewhere.

Access to reproductive services has shrunk recently around Day Kimball after the 2020 closure of Planned Parenthood in nearby Danielson.

Like many hospitals, Day Kimball does not provide elective abortions, according to documents filed with the state. But it has provided other care prohibited by Catholic directives, including elective sterilizations.

Those services are key to preventing unwanted pregnancies, said Lee Wesler, an internist who has been affiliated with Day Kimball for a decade.

“Any unwanted pregnancy is a potential abortion,” Weslersaid.

Members of the group Save Day Kimball Healthcare said that in conversations, Kramer and other representatives of the hospital have sought to be reassuring. “They say, ‘Everything will be fine,’ ” said Margaret Martin, a retired social worker and member of the group.

Kramer, who said he intends to stay on if the Covenant deal goes through, repeated those assurances to The Washington Post. “What we have been we will still be,” he said, while declining to describe how contraceptives could be offered for the sole purpose ofbirth control.

In a Q&A posted in September on the Day Kimball website, Kramer suggeststhat other justifications could be found for using “tools” suchas oral contraceptives, including “to maintain health and wellness, to address a medical condition, prevent disease, and mitigate cancer risk.”

Bruce Shay, a member of the Save Day Kimball Healthcare steering committee, says he worries doctors may leave if they have to abide by the directives — or might evade them by making “a sketchy diagnosis.”

Nandini Seshadri has seen that happen.

The 40-year-old Latham, N.Y. resident received a copper IUD after delivering her first child at a secular hospital that Trinity is in the process of acquiring. She was denied the device after giving birth to her second child at a Catholic hospital now affiliated with Trinity.

“I remember laughing and saying, ‘What? Seriously?’ ” Seshadri recalled. “I didn’t know that Catholic hospitals still did that.”

She was even more surprised when her nurse-midwife offered her a hormonal IUD instead, on the grounds that she needed it to stabilize her menstrual cycle.

“I didn’t have that problem,” Seshadri said. To give her the contraception, she said, the nurse “was essentially falsifying my medical record.”

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religion-is-a-mental-illness · 5 months

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By: Christopher F. Rufo

Published: Apr 17, 2024

Katherine Maher has a golden résumé, with stints and affiliations at UNICEF, the Atlantic Council, the World Economic Forum, the State Department, Stanford University, and the Council on Foreign Relations. She was chief executive officer and executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation. And, as of last month, she is CEO of National Public Radio.

Mere weeks into this new role, Maher has stepped into controversy. Long-time NPR senior editor Uri Berliner published a scathing indictment of the self-professed “public” media service’s ideological capture. Rather than address the substance of these criticisms—which will ring true to anyone who has listened to NPR over the past decade—Maher punished Berliner with a five-day unpaid suspension. (Berliner announced his resignation from NPR earlier today.)

But Maher has another problem: her archive of 29,400 tweets.

I have spent the past few days exploring Maher’s prolific history on social media, which she seems to have used as a private diary, narrating her every thought, emotion, meeting, and political opinion in real-time. This archive is a collection of her statements, but at a deeper level, it provides a window into the soul of a uniquely American archetype: the affluent, white, female liberal—many of whom now sit atop our elite institutions.

What you notice first about Maher’s public speech are the buzzwords and phrases: “structural privilege,” “epistemic emergency,” “transit justice,” “non-binary people,” “late-stage capitalism,” “cis white mobility privilege,” “the politics of representation,” “folx.” She supported Black Lives Matter from its earliest days. She compares driving cars with smoking cigarettes. She is very concerned about “toxic masculinity.”

On every topic, Maher adopts the fashionable language of left-wing academic theory and uses it as social currency, even when her efforts veer into self-parody. She never explains, never provides new interpretation—she just repeats the phrases, in search of affirmation and, when the time is right, a promotion.

Maher understands the game: America’s elite institutions reward loyalty to the narrative. Those who repeat the words move up; those who don’t move out.

Next, you notice the partisanship. Maher was “excited” about Elizabeth Warren in 2012. She “just [couldn’t] wait to vote” for Hillary in 2016. She once had a dream about “sampling and comparing nuts and baklava on roadside stands” with Kamala Harris. She worked to “get out the vote” in Arizona for Joe Biden but slightly resented being called a “Biden supporter”; for her, it was simply a matter of being a “supporter of human rights, dignity, and justice.”

Donald Trump, on the other hand, is a “deranged racist sociopath.”

If you read Maher’s tweets closely, you also get glimpses of the human being. She spent much of her time in airports, taxis, meetings, and conferences. She expressed anger over the fact that most first-class flyers were white men, then noted that she went straight “to the back of the bus.” In her thirties, unmarried and without children, she felt the need to explain that “the planet is literally burning” and that she could not, in good conscience, “bring a child into a warming world.”

Behind the frenetic activity and the moral posturing, you wonder. Maher once posted her daily routine, which involved yoga, iced coffee, back-to-back meetings, and Zoom-based psychotherapy. She resented being served maternity advertisements on Instagram, she said. She was not “currently in the market for a baby” and would not be “tending her ovaries” according to the dictates of American capitalism.

Americans, even CEOs, are entitled to their opinions and to their own life decisions, of course. But the personal and psychological elements that suffuse Maher’s public persona seem to lead to political conclusions that are, certainly, worthy of public criticism.

The most troubling of these conclusions is her support for radically narrowing the range of acceptable opinions. In 2020, she argued that the New York Times should not have published Senator Tom Cotton’s op-ed, “Send in the Troops,” during the George Floyd riots. In 2021, she celebrated the banishment of then-president Donald Trump from social media, writing: “Must be satisfying to deplatform fascists. Even more satisfying? Not platforming them in the first place.”

As CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, Maher made censorship a critical part of her policy, under the guise of fighting “disinformation.” In a speech to the Atlantic Council, an organization with extensive ties to U.S. intelligence services, she explained that she “took a very active approach to disinformation,” coordinated censorship “through conversations with government,” and suppressed dissenting opinions related to the pandemic and the 2020 election.

In that same speech, Maher said that, in relation to the fight against disinformation, the “the number one challenge here that we see is, of course, the First Amendment in the United States.” These speech protections, Maher continued, make it “a little bit tricky” to suppress “bad information” and “the influence peddlers who have made a real market economy around it.”

Maher’s general policy at Wikipedia, she tweeted, was to support efforts to “eliminate racist, misogynist, transphobic, and other forms of discriminatory content”—which, under current left-wing definitions, could include almost anything to the right of Joe Biden.

The new CEO of NPR, then, is a left-wing ideologue who supports wide-scale censorship and considers the First Amendment an impediment to her campaign to sanitize the world of wrong opinions.

Maher is no aberration. She is part of a rising cohort of affluent, left-wing, female managers who dominate the departments of university administration, human resources, and DEI. They are the matriarchs of the American Longhouse: they value safety over liberty, censorship over debate, and relativism over truth.

Each social gambit is designed for smothering the institution in ideology. Maher says that she knows “that hysteric white woman voice.” She has “done it.” And while she might not be proud of it—she is aware that she has “a big fat privilege pass”—she is willing to do what it takes to move the dictates of conventional left-wing opinion into a position of domination.

It didn’t begin at NPR, and it won’t end there.

The First Amendment being viewed as an impediment to what she wants to do, is not a good look for the CEO of a publicly (i.e. government, i.e. taxpayer) funded broadcaster.

#Christopher F. Rufo #Christopher Rufo #NPR #Katherine Maher #censorship #First Amendment

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affiliateinz · 7 months

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10 Highest Paying Clickbank Products to Promote

Are you looking to make money through affiliate marketing and Clickbank in 2024? Promoting the highest paying products can be key for making your efforts worthwhile. After analyzing thousands of Clickbank listings, I have compiled this definitive list of the 10 highest paying products that affiliates should promote this coming year.

Table of Contents

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This digital guide teaches people how to strengthen tight hip flexors through specific exercises and stretches. It’s particularly popular among seniors and office workers suffering from hip tightness and pain. The high ticket price combined with generous commission makes it worth a try in 2024.

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This leading home remedy guide for treating vertigo sees impressive conversion rates. The sizable commissions for a mid-priced product explain its enduring popularity amongst affiliates.

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Thank for read my atticle, 10 Highest Paying Clickbank Products to Promote

Affiliate Disclaimer :

Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission at NO ADDITIONAL cost to you if you decide to purchase something. While we receive affiliate compensation for reviews / promotions on this article, we always offer honest opinions, users experiences and real views related to the product or service itself. Our goal is to help readers make the best purchasing decisions, however, the testimonies and opinions expressed are ours only. As always you should do your own thoughts to verify any claims, results and stats before making any kind of purchase. Clicking links or purchasing products recommended in this article may generate income for this product from affiliate commissions and you should assume we are compensated for any purchases you make. We review products and services you might find interesting. If you purchase them, we might get a share of the commission from the sale from our partners. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended.

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archtroop · 11 months

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I'll Google Translate this one became this one is incredibly interesting and fascinating, especially for people who spend a lot of time online.

"An Israeli cyber group announced that it had taken down a Hamas news website: "We will continue to act with a heavy hand"

WeRedEvils is a group of Israeli cyber warriors that was established after the start of the war and operates in the cyber arena against Hamas and its affiliates, and yesterday announced that it had taken down a major news site affiliated with Hamas, Gaza Now. In a conversation with mako, one of the group's managers tells about its activities: "We hacked into the phones and WhatsApp accounts of journalists, terrorists and Hamas officials and published databases of 40 million Iranians"

The group of cyber warriors @WeRedEvils yesterday attacked the GazaNow site, the main news site of the terrorist organization Hamas, which publishes anti-Israeli content, and information about IDF and intelligence operations. The site went down for 18 hours, came back up for a short time and is now working again, but according to the group's servers are expected to collapse within hours again.

WeRedEvils are a group of about 80 Israeli cyber warriors, who have been working since the beginning of the war on a voluntary basis, and take part in the war aid effort. These are former intelligence unit 8200, owners of major cyber companies in Israel, private investigators and Red Hat hackers. The group is closed, and everyone who enters it has undergone a full scan, according to P. G., one of the group's managers, who served as the IDF spokesman and deals with cyber, and asked to remain anonymous. According to him, the group is divided into several teams - intelligence and information gathering, attack, marketing and advertising and social media.

"We hacked and took down Hamas's largest news site, we hacked into the phones and WhatsApp accounts of Hamas journalists, terrorists and senior Hamas officials and published databases of 40 million Iranians," says G. to Mako. "We blocked crypto accounts and websites for receiving funds that Hamas established, we closed a website for them that raised half a million dollars. We took down the website of the Hamas Employment Ministry and we will continue to act with a tough hand."

According to him, "We will continue to attack. We have a list of 200 very important sites for Hamas that we will not release until we disable them."

Does the government help you or do you work alone?

G: "The government doesn't help, because no one has a way to contact us. Right now I'm talking to you from a servant who sits on another country, purely because one of the managers asked, and we have enough money and tools to use it."

Did you give messages to Hamas?

"We gave a message to one of the journalists to stop publishing, otherwise we hack into his phone and WhatsApp, he did not respond to our requests and we attacked and stopped his activity. We are not giving a message to anyone anymore, we attack and stop activities that the SHABACH is unable to do."

This is not the only initiative by cyber experts to attack Hamas government websites, and there are different groups, isolated from each other, that operate in the field. "All the websites of Hamas and their supporters have fallen in recent days, and will fall again if the sites are brought back online," says one of the Israelis active on the issue.

And what about cyber attacks on Israel? At the beginning of the war, rumors were spread through the WhatsApp groups about a cyber attack on Israel, but the national cyber system emphasized that no such attack existed. Since then there have been attempts to break into Israeli websites, but no significant achievement has been recorded for Hamas on this level.

[On a personal note I cannot in any way verify or deny this, apart from it being on a large popular mass media outlet. BUT, the 8200 unit are the cyber intelligence of IDF and are highly regarded. A group of them formed a resistance to the current government and have been acting on that front for months. So it may be them or their colleagues]

#israel #war #cyber warfare #hackers #this is actually falls under vigilantism #HAMAS #@weredevils

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generic-whumperz · 9 months

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CW: IRL cult experience, MLM (as in “multi-level marketing,” not “men-loving man”), mentions of depression and thoughts of suicide, talk of pursuing legal action

***

Disclaimer- This is all my personal experience, and thoughts and feelings expressed here are only my own and do not reflect the organizations or all persons within the organizations.

***

I know this is a weird place to be sharing what I’m about to, but quite honestly, I don’t know where else to divulge this information other than Reddit.

Here we go-

Several years ago, I accidentally joined a cult within a cult, a subset of Amway at the time called “World Wide Dream Builders.” They have since renamed their organization “World Wide Group” because they began getting negative affiliation with their name as people began exposing them online. (Just Google “World Wide Dream Builders” if you are interested.) But make no mistake, this is the same damn company cult, run by the same people, doing the same shit, and probably using the same or similar tactics.

After moving out of state in 2018 for a myriad of reasons, but a determining number of them being my need for a clean slate, I began to slowly unpack what the fuck I was just a part of and started a long healing journey (from that and much else). A significant component to my understanding of what was really going on and how cults and MLMs operate were the podcasts “Life After MLM,” “Sounds Like A Cult,” “Sounds Like An MLM But Okay,” and “The Dream.” And, of course, Leah Remini’s series “Scientology and the Aftermath” helped me realize just how deep-rooted cults are in American culture at large. If you’ve been in one cult, you’ve kinda been in all of them. (Additionally, r/antiMLM is an excellent source for all things anti-MLM, and this Facebook group is great for ex-members of WWDB/WWG specifically.)

It took me years to make peace with myself over how I could have gotten mixed up with such blatant bullshit and fuckery. I wasn’t in for very long, but those five months where I was dedicated and “all in” (as they say) were a roller coaster, and my mental and physical health was at an all-time low. I was extremely depressed and, at a point, even suicidal, largely due to the “brainwashing” (thought-stopping clichés, love-bombing, and bait-and-switching) and being fed the narrative that “all my problems would go away if I just practiced CORE” (the cult’s acronym for how each good little IBO {another bullshit acronym short for “independent business owner”} should be living day-to-day). I was extremely volatile at the time, and instead of being told that I just needed to “lean into my upline” (my culty superiors), by my upline, they should have urged me to seek professional counseling and help. They were not therapists, psychiatrists, or counselors to any degree, yet they loved to masquerade around as such.

I could go on and on about all this, but the point of me sharing all this is that back in 2020, I submitted a formal complaint (against either Amway or WWDB, or both; it’s been a while, so I do not remember which) to the FTC. A couple of months ago, I was finally contacted by a senior investigator regarding my submitted complaint. But at the time, I was sick and bedridden with COVID, and I still haven’t responded to them. To be honest, I don’t know what to do or say. Amway is no stranger to class-action lawsuits, and I believe WWDB changed its name because of class-action lawsuits against them.

I still have some of my official paperwork/documents and notes that I took during our “meetings,” but I don’t know if these have any teeth, as so much has changed internally now. My question is if anyone has dealt with the FTC in regards to MLMs and what their experience was. I’m afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing- I don’t know what to say- where to even start. Or is this more so the FTC trying to add me to a class action lawsuit against one or both companies?

I’m hoping to find someone who has gone through this process and can share some words of advice. Or, if you have an Amway/WWDB/WWG/BWW/etc., feel free to reach out to me or reblog this with your experience! My DM’s are always open to those seeking catharsis in this strange and unusual experience and to validate you that yes, that was happening, and yes, that shit was whack!

*A note to my fellow whumpers: I decided to share this here, on my whump blog of all places, because I feel like there is an overlap of connoisseurs of whump and people who have been through some strange experiences. And because this is the first time I’ve felt safe enough in a space to do so. Know that you are not alone! I shared this in hopes of it reaching and helping someone-anyone. Even if one person gets something from this, that’s more than enough for me. Again, my DM’s and asks are open to fellow culties!

P.S. If you are an Amway/WWG/general MLM sympathizer who feels the unnecessary need to DM me or send me an anonymous ask, don’t. Practice self-restraint. I don’t care to hear whatever string of words you feel so compelled to share, insisting that I’m “wrong,” a “loser,” or a “failure,” and that “the system works” because your upline Crown Diamond, Double-Eagle Ruby, Emerald, or your brother, sister, mom, dad, cousin, or whoever else told you so or claims to be a living testament of- it doesn’t and I’m most certainly not. Even if you do know “someone at the top,” it is at the expense of hundreds, if not thousands, of people beneath them, funneling money back up through WWG tool kit systems and dubious “recruitment bonuses.” I won’t read whatever hogwash you send; it will be promptly deleted, and I will block you.

#not whump #cult #culty #cult stuff #cult shit #anti mlm #multi level marketing #MLM #amway #world wide dream builders #world wide group #cult experience

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hislop3 · 1 year

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Merge/Affiliation in the Cards?

I pay close attention to economic trends and to the health care industry in general, as the same are applicable. One trend I’m watching quite closely is business consolidation and mergers/affiliations. In the general economy, a lot of consolidation is occurring post-pandemic. Restaurants are closing outlets (Red Lobster, Krispy Kreme, Burger King, etc.), retail outlets too like Bed Bath and…

View On WordPress

#Acquisitions #Affiliations #CCRC #Economics #Industry Outlook #Management #Market Trends #Mergers #Senior Housing #SNF #Strategy #Trends

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pingcall-getlead · 2 years

Video

youtube

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#youtube #Ping Call affiliate marketing services

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sunset-rain-game · 2 years

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Character Showcase: Detectives

Now that the game is released in Polish, let’s refocus on English-speaking audience, waiting for translation - time to carry on with that marketing stuff:

MICHAEL (MIKE) NILES

Age: 24

Occupation: Law Enforcement Special Agent, Investigator

Affiliation: Metropolitan Police Department, 7th Homicide Desk Unit

Young police detective,who managed to quickly rise through the ranks in a mysterious way. Behind a professional façade, he can be moody and still quite inexperienced, but in spite of that - his elders see a hidden potential within.

Paired with his older mentor and a friend - detective White - he has been called to investigate the murder in the “Hotel where you cannot die”.

JOSEPH WHITE

Age: 51

Occupation: Law Enforcement Special Agent, Senior Investigator

Affiliation: Metropolitan Police Department, 7th Homicide Desk Unit

An older, experienced detective with a bad temper and a short fuse, making him hard to work with. Still, a proficient investigator with a sense of justice and an unmatched intuition which allows him to sense Evil lurking in the shadows.

Inside, he seems to hide some deep rooted scars from a special case, from many years ago...

CREDITS:

DisFunctionalKarrmel - Character Design and Portraits

#rpg maker #rpg maker game #rpg maker games #indie game #indie games #indie #character #coming soon #sunset rain

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novumtimes · 2 days

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FAMU To Approve Angela Suggs As Next VP Director Of Athletics

by Stacy Jackson September 18, 2024 This week, FAMU’s Board of Trustees will approve Suggs as its second Director of Athletics to ever oversee the entire department. Florida A&M University (FAMU) is set to approve a contract for Angela Suggs, the executive director of the Florida Sports Foundation, as its next vice president and director of athletics. The long-time Rattler will become the second director of athletics ever to oversee the entire department at FAMU. According to HBCU Gameday, on Sept. 20, the Board of Trustees will solidify Suggs’ new role with the institution as she exits her previous role as president and CEO of the Florida Sports Foundation. Suggs will bring a wealth of analytical, creative planning, and fundraising skills to her new role. According to her LinkedIn profile, she is a “self-motivator with high energy” and “considerable experience in intercollegiate athletics, professional sports club level sales, management/planning of neutral site athletic events, sponsorship packaging, and sales.” She has already held several positions at FAMU as a senior associate athletic director for External Affairs and as the institution’s senior woman administrator. As a fundraiser, Suggs was a key player in the establishment of FAMU’s thriving 1,000 Strikes Campaign, a first-of-its-kind fundraising initiative, and the “Investing in Champions” program. Her efforts resulted in millions of dollars in investments. Suggs’ close connection to the Florida HBCU dates back well before her educational and professional ventures at the university. When the institution operated its on-campus hospital, Sugg was the first person to be born inside the Foote-Hilyer Administration Building. Being at FAMU was a routine for the young Rattler, who attended the school since elementary school and remained throughout her college years, where she graduated with her bachelor’s in economics. The athletics director completed her master’s degree at St. Thomas University and has become affiliated with several organizations that include the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators National Association of Athletic Development Directors, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Jack & Jill of America, Inc., The Florida Historic Capitol Museum Board of Directors and the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees. As an experienced sports executive, she maintains an extensive network of local and national business, community, and political leaders. RELATED CONTENT: FAMU Slated To Have 11 Football Games Aired On ESPN Networks Next Season Source link via The Novum Times

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kisshtreviewsblog · 1 month

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No Connection Between Fosun and Kissht: Upholding Integrity and Dispelling Rumors

In an era where globalization interweaves corporate relationships and investment portfolios, maintaining clarity and transparency about business affiliations is paramount. Recently, there have been rumors circulating about a potential connection between Fosun, a prominent Chinese conglomerate, and Kissht, a leading Indian fintech platform. In the rapidly expanding world of fintech, the proliferation of digital lending apps has brought both convenience and confusion to consumers. Among the myriad of apps available, some have sparked concerns due to their dubious practices and origins. In this landscape, Kissht, a leading Indian fintech company, has emerged as a trusted and transparent alternative, committed to clearing up the confusion like Kissht Chinese or Kissht Banned and ensuring safe, ethical lending practices for its users.

Among all the significant changes in the financial services segment, rumors related to the Kissht Fosun create doubts in the borrower’s minds. However, the leading fintech app focuses on creating a financial inclusive environment. Rumors like Kissht Fraud or Kissht Illegal are quite disturbing for a legitimate platform that is truly a Made-In- India fintech app.

Commitment to Ethical Practices

Kissht’s dedication to ethical business practices is a cornerstone of its operations. Here’s how the company maintains its ethical standards:

Robust Governance Structure

Kissht’s governance structure includes a board of directors and a senior management team that oversees all strategic and operational decisions. This robust governance framework ensures that all actions align with the company’s ethical standards and regulatory requirements.

Compliance with Local Laws

Kissht adheres strictly to local laws and regulations governing financial operations. The company’s compliance protocols are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure alignment with the latest regulatory standards. This adherence to legal requirements underscores Kissht’s commitment to ethical practices.

Ethical Sourcing and Procurement

Kissht’s operations, including its sourcing and procurement practices, adhere to ethical standards. The company ensures that all suppliers and partners comply with ethical guidelines, further reinforcing its commitment to integrity. Unlike many foreign apps, Kissht adheres to all Indian regulatory requirements and follows ethical lending practices. This ensures that customers are protected from predatory behavior and can trust the services they are using.

Building Trust Through Transparency

Trust is a critical component of Kissht’s success, and the company takes several steps to build and maintain it. However, fake reports like Kissht Fosun, including Kissht Chinese connection, impact the abilities of digital borrowers to use its financial services for productive purposes. Amid this backdrop, Kissht stands out as a beacon of trust and transparency in the Indian fintech space. Founded with the mission to provide accessible and ethical financial services, Kissht has consistently prioritized customer welfare and data security. This user-friendly interface not only enhances accessibility but also fosters trust and confidence among its users, enabling them to overlook baseless rumors like Kissht Banned or Kissht Fraud and continue relying on Kissht as their favorite instant personal loan app in India. Kissht’s rapid loan approval process has cemented its status as India’s favorite app defying unfounded rumors of Kissht Fraud and Kissht Illegal. Users praise the app’s swift verification and disbursal, often receiving loans within minutes.

Indian Roots and Ethical Practices

Kissht is an Indian fintech company that operates with a deep understanding of the local market and consumer needs. Unlike many foreign apps, Kissht adheres to all Indian regulatory requirements and follows ethical lending practices. This ensures that customers are protected from predatory behavior and can trust the services they are using.

Transparent Lending Terms

Transparency is a core value at Kissht. The company provides clear and straightforward information about loan terms, interest rates, and repayment schedules. Customers are fully informed about the cost of borrowing and the implications of their loans, which helps them make educated financial decisions. There are no hidden fees or surprise charges, which contrasts sharply with the opaque practices of many Chinese apps.

Educational Initiatives to Combat Misinformation

To further clear up confusion and empower consumers, Kissht has launched several educational initiatives:

Social Media Campaigns

Kissht uses its social media platforms to educate consumers about the dangers of using unregulated lending apps and the benefits of choosing a trusted provider like Kissht. Informative posts, infographics, and videos help demystify the lending process and highlight the importance of data security and ethical practices.

Website FAQ and Blog

The Kissht website features a comprehensive FAQ section and a regularly updated blog that addresses common questions and concerns about digital lending. Topics include how to identify trustworthy apps, the risks of using unregulated services, and tips for managing loans responsibly.

In-App Awareness

Within the Kissht app, users can access educational content and security tips designed to help them make informed financial decisions. Push notifications and in-app messages provide timely reminders and advice on best practices for safe borrowing.

Emailers

Regular email newsletters from Kissht keep customers informed about the latest developments in the fintech industry, security tips, and updates to Kissht’s services. These emails are part of Kissht’s ongoing effort to maintain transparency and build trust with its users.

The rumors about the Kissht Fosun report and Kissht Fraud are unfounded and have been thoroughly addressed through multiple channels. Kissht’s commitment to transparency, ethical practices, and stakeholder communication ensures that such speculation is dispelled effectively. By maintaining a clear stance on its independence and focusing on building trust through transparency, Kissht continues to uphold its reputation as a leading Indian fintech platform. As the company moves forward, its dedication to ethical standards and customer-centric values will remain at the core of its operations, ensuring continued success and growth in the fintech landscape.

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