#and every day you are further ground into paste. yahoo.

[dragonomatopoeia]

< guy who had to stop being an english instructor because the cruelties of usamerican academia crushed them into paste and they weren't allowed to help or support students in any meaningful way. lest they be fired from their position that paid less than a living wage

[tickly-trashcan]

Almond Tofu {XiaoVen}

A/N: okay i got a bit carried away with this one, i just got so excited to write xiaoven! So we’re kicking off prompts with these two dorks, and lee venti!! He was so fun to write as a lee oughh he’s such a little shit he deserved all the tickles he got. I also decided to do both of these prompts because 7 and 8 are like,, my faves from the new list, hope you don’t mind! i also had no idea what to call venti’s little thing he wears around his torso so he now wears a corset lmao. anyways i’ve talked long enough, hope you enjoy this one!

Summary: Xiao and Venti are at Wangshu Inn enjoying a meal together. But when Venti steals Xiao’s last bite of his food, how will Xiao make him pay?

Word Count: 2.2k (under the cut)

Xiao sighed. He had been waiting for his partner to show up, but he still hadn’t arrived. He stretched lightly, raising his arms above his head, growing bored.

He knew it was a long way from Mondstadt to the Wangshu Inn, where Xiao currently resided. They had spent the last few nights in Mondstadt together, his partner showing Xiao around the city, forcing him to drink various wines and ciders as they both drunk themselves silly.

Xiao smiled to himself. Though he had always thought he was unworthy of happiness, because of his past and all the things he had done, his partner had finally shown him that there might be something worth living for in happiness. He was what kept Xiao going, and despite how exhausted Xiao could get after spending time with him, he still enjoyed every second of it.

“Yahoo!” A voice suddenly called, and a certain green clad bard flew down from the staircase, riding on a wind current as he stopped behind Xiao. He wrapped his arms around Xiao, nuzzling his face in his hair as he squeezed him tightly.

“I missed you!” He said, his tone slightly whiny as he spoke. Xiao chuckled softly, placing his hand on the arms wrapped around him as they only held him tighter.

“It’s only been a day, Venti,” Xiao said, pulling Venti’s hand off of his body to give it a gentle kiss. Venti giggled, letting go of Xiao and sitting down next to him, grabbing his hand underneath the table.

“That’s a day too long!”

Xiao smiled. He felt so free with Venti, and he was sure that Venti felt the same. Venti swung his arm slightly, making Xiao’s arm go with him as he hummed, glancing around the Wangshu Inn.

“I can’t say I recall ever coming here, would you care to show me around after we have our meal?”

Xiao nodded, standing. “What would you like to eat?”

Venti threw his arms up in the air excitedly. “Wine!”

Xiao frowned. “You can’t have just wine as your meal, Venti.”

Venti pouted and sighed, figuring Xiao was right. “Then some crystal shrimp please.”

Xiao nodded again, walking over to the kitchen where the chef resided. He told him what he wanted and went quickly back over to Venti, who sat at the table, inspecting his lyre.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to compose a song, one about us.”

Xiao flushed as he sat down next to Venti and looked at the table to avoid eye contact. Venti glanced over at him and noticed the slightly red tinge covering Xiao’s face and neck. He grinned. 

Venti strummed his lyre a few times, plucking the strings with ease as he nudged Xiao, making him flinch.

“Would you care to hear, love?”

Love? Xiao’s blush only deepened as he nodded his head, eager to hear Venti’s music. It was Venti’s songs that had once saved Xiao from his karma, and was what had kept him going for so long. His voice, his skill with the lyre, everything about Venti’s musical prowess made Xiao practically melt every time he heard it.

Venti strummed the lyre a few more times, preparing to sing, when the chef came over with their meal. Venti beamed, quickly tucking away his lyre as he pulled the crystal shrimp closer to him, glancing over at Xiao.

“Your song will have to wait, for now I must clear my plate,” Venti said with a chuckle, looking at Xiao who pulled his own plate of food towards him. Venti gasped, furrowing his brows as he pointed at Xiao.

“You told me I can’t have wine as my meal and now you’re having dessert!? Hypocrite!”

“They don’t serve wine here anyway, only sunsettia cider.”

Venti pouted, watching as Xiao ate his almond tofu, finally eating his own meal as he continued to occasionally glare at Xiao.

Eventually Venti finished, but Xiao still had a few bites left. An idea creeped into Venti’s mischievous mind and he scooted his chair a bit closer to Xiao. Xiao didn’t seem to notice as he took another bite of his almond tofu, smiling softly to himself as he went to pick up the last bite of the sweet treat.

Venti quickly swooped in and grabbed the last piece of almond tofu, stuffing it into his mouth as he swallowed, laughing triumphantly. Xiao was frozen, his utensils still hovering right by the plate as he was basically in shock of what just happened. He had been saving the best bite for last, one that had exactly two goji berries that would give the sweet, milky tofu that extra little tang. 

Xiao finally turned his head to see Venti, who had his hands on his hips as he grinned from ear to ear, looking at Xiao.

“That’s what you get!” 

Xiao clenched his utensil, furrowing his eyebrows as he glared at Venti. He wasn’t necessarily angry, it was almost impossible for him to get angry at the playful green-clad bard, but he wasn’t exactly happy either.

“Did you just eat my last bite of almond tofu?” Xiao asked, even though he already knew what had happened.

Venti chuckled, nodding his head. “And it was delicious.”

Xiao snapped his utensil in two and Venti squeaked. Did he make him mad? Venti had never seen Xiao mad before, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. But there was no way Venti was going to back down from Xiao. He was a god, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t be able to handle.

“I don’t think you realize the situation you’re in…” Xiao said, standing up as he continued to stare at Venti, his face vengeful. Venti shrinked back slightly, but otherwise didn’t move.

“It was only a bite, there’s no need to fight,” Venti squeaked out, and Xiao only walked closer to Venti, Venti quickly jumping out of his chair and backing away from Xiao until he hit the wall.

Despite knowing how much trouble he was in, Venti couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut as he continued on.

“It’s awfully cute that you’re so upset over some almond tofu. Do you love it more than you love me~?” Venti teased, crossing his arms as he tried to keep up his arrogant façade.

“You know, Barbatos,” Xiao said. Uh-oh. He hadn’t used that name in a long time, Venti was seriously in for it. “You’re awfully cocky for someone who’s so ticklish.”

Venti gulped. This was bad. He was trapped between the wall and Xiao, and Xiao wasn’t planning on messing around. He looked around desperately for any kind of escape route, but there was none. He finally decided to take a leap of faith and bolted to the side of Xiao, trying to run away.

Xiao easily grabbed onto the collar of Venti’s coat, stopping him as he wrapped his arms around the short bard.

“H-Hey, I was just messing around! We can get you another bowl of almond tofu, three in fact! Please, don’t tickle me!”

Venti’s pleas and cries when in one ear and out the other for Xiao. He continued to hold Venti as he used one arm to squeeze his side, but there was no reaction. Venti laughed triumphantly once more as he continued to squirm in Xiao’s grip.

Xiao frowned in confusion before realizing it was Venti’s odd, leather corset-like clothing piece that was protecting Venti from being tickled.

“You cannot thwart me! I’m immune to tickles now, see?!” Venti laughed, and he quickly felt Xiao slip his hand behind Venti, undoing his leather corset. Venti giggled frantically as nervousness slowly took over, Xiao also tickling his back slightly as he undid the bindings.

“S-Strihihipping me now? Pervert~” Venti teased, and Xiao growled. The leather piece quickly fell to the floor and Venti gulped in fear, realizing there was really no escape from Xiao.

“U-Uhm… I love you?” Venti tried, knowing that saying that could fluster Xiao. But it didn’t. Venti blew a gust of Anemo to try and float himself out of Xiao’s grip, but it was no use.

Xiao latched his hand onto Venti’s side again, giving it a quick squeeze as Venti squeaked this time, writhing around in Xiao’s grip.

Xiao smirked, though Venti couldn’t see, and he immediately began scribbling his fingers up and down Venti’s side and waist, making him squeal as giggles started to pour from his mouth.

“X-Xiahahahahahao! Wahahahahahahait! I’m - I’m sorrehehehehehehehe!!”

“It’s too late for apologies,” Xiao said simply, pinching Venti’s side as he yelped. His knees buckled and he fell forward, only held up by Xiao, who slowly lowered him to the ground. He sat next to him, too shy to straddle Venti.

He squealed as Xiao continued to skitter his fingers up and down his sides, going to explore his tummy as well. Venti shrieked and immediately swatted blindly at Xiao’s hands, snorting.

“NAHAahahahahaha! Hehehehe, not thehehehehereeee!” Venti wailed, twisting onto his side and curling up in an attempt to protect his sensitive tummy. Xiao smiled as he continued to tickle Venti, poking and prodding at his tummy as Venti jumped with every touch.

“This is what happens when you eat my food,” Xiao said, raising his voice slightly so that he could be heard over Venti’s rather loud laughter.

“I-It’s too bahahahahad you didn’t gehe - get to finish it!” Venti managed to get out through his laughter, and that only further fueled Xiao’s motivation to tickle the living hell out of Venti.

Venti didn’t mind being tickled for the most part, in fact he almost enjoyed it when it was Xiao tickling him. But whenever Xiao got into a vengeful mood like this one, he could be quite the menacing tickler, one that Venti feared.

Xiao grabbed onto one of Venti’s wrists and pinned his arm above his head, forcing Venti on his back as he clawed at his vulnerable belly, Venti practically screeching as Xiao did so. 

“KYAHAHAhahahahaha! Xiaohohohohoho! DohohohohoHOHOHON’T!”

“Don’t what? I’m not doing anything,” He said, a small smirk climbing up his lips as he watched his partner flail around like a fish out of water.

Venti’s laugh always filled Xiao with a warm feeling, which was part of the reason why he loved to tickle him. He always tried to find excuses to tickle Venti, and this happened to be one of the perfect ones. 

He let go of Venti’s wrist to attack his ribs, digging between each one as Venti clamped his arms down, twisting from side to side as he laughed earnestly and loudly.

“GahahahaHAHAHA! Gohohohohohods, not thehehehehere!”

“Would you prefer I tickled your stomach again then?” Xiao asked, one hand starting to travel back to Venti’s tummy and he squeaked.

“Nohohohoho! Not the tuhuhuhuhummy!”

Xiao chuckled as he continued to amuse himself with his partners torture, Venti’s face bright red as he shook it around, cackling. Xiao continued to explore his partner’s sensitive spots, already knowing all of his worst places but treating it like a new game.

Venti kicked and squealed as Xiao tickled him everywhere he could think of. He squeezed his hips, dug under his arms, fluttered his fingers along his neck… 

Venti, meanwhile, was losing his mind over the overwhelming ticklish sensations. He could barely formulate words at this point, all he could do was laugh hysterically and jump at each poke that Xiao decided to throw at him. 

Xiao went back to Venti’s tummy, scribbling around as Venti snorted, cackling as he kicked his legs frantically pushing at Xiao as he tried to turn on his side again. Xiao quickly flipped him back over, continuing the ticklish attack on him as Venti cackled, wrapping his arms around his tummy in an attempt to defend himself.

Xiao grumbled, trying to get between his arms and even tickling his ribs, but Venti wouldn’t budge. Xiao finally grabbed both of Venti’s wrists and, with a little effort, managed to pin them above his head, leaning over him as Venti panted wildly, some residual giggles still escaping his lips.

Xiao dragged a finger down Venti’s arm, slowly and ticklishly as Venti giggled softly, squirming.

“Are you gonna eat my almond tofu again?” Xiao asked, lightly poking Venti’s underarm as he squeaked, grinning widely as he giggled.

“M-Mahahaybe~” Venti cooed, and he shrieked when Xiao clawed at his tummy again.

“OkahahahahAHAY! I won’t I wohohohon’t I - Aah! I prohohomise!” Venti cried, and Xiao ceased his tickling, hand still on Venti’s tummy.

“And are you gonna get me another bowl of almond tofu?”

“Too soon, you might have spoke. For, unfortunately, I am broke,” Venti joked, and was only met with more tickling as he squealed loudly.

“O-One bohohohohowl of almond - GAHAha! Almond tofu for the Adeptus!” Venti yelled, his voice hoarse as Xiao finally let go of him, Venti immediately sitting up and rubbing his tummy as he tried to rid himself of the lingering ticklish sensations.

“You’re so mean,” Venti whined, sticking his tongue out at Xiao who sat down at the table again. Venti quickly put his leather corset back on to protect himself from any further tickles, sitting down next to Xiao.

“I’m not mean, you deserved that and you know it,” Xiao said, thanking the chef as he brought him another bowl of almond tofu.

Venti frowned, though he knew Xiao was sort of right. He poked Xiao playfully, making him jump as he choked on the bite of almond tofu he was currently eating. He glared at Venti, who immediately held his hands up innocently.

“You want me to tickle you that bad?” Xiao threatened, and Venti quickly shook his head. Xiao set down his utensils and got out of his chair, Venti immediately bolting out of the inn laughing as Xiao chased after him. It would likely be a long night full of laughter for the both of them…

[egg-and-koji]

“Shadows of a Legacy” Lok Fanfic Ch 3 - Mako

160 AG

“Mako, come now, my sweet Dragonfly. We have to keep up with the line.”

At the airship station in Republic City, a mother called her young son. She held her hand out for him which he grasped as sacred. As they walked, he copied her steps; his gait overextended so his shorter legs kept up with her tiger-swan ones. When they reached the back of the waiting crowds, his grip on her soft, slender hand loosened as he jumped, trying to look over the people.

“I think. I see. Dad and Bo,” Mako said with each hop. 

 His mother laughed softly as she fixed his spiked widows’ peak. “I promise you’ll be taller than your father someday.” 

The eight-year-old raised his sharply angled eyebrows and gave her a small crooked smirk. His mother pulled him close, hugged her arms around him then clasped his small hands between hers and held their arms out like the bow of a ship. “S.S. Naoki is clear for sailing, Captain Mako,” she whispered into his temple. 

“Aye-aye!” He cheered and with a mix of giggles and engine sounds, the two politely cut through the waves of people to reach the rest of their family.

“Oh no, Captain! A pirate has First Mate Bo!”

A six-foot, middle-aged man dressed in a red scarf twisted around to face them. “Mwah haha, you’re too late to save him, Captain Mako,” he snarled dramatically out of the corner of his mouth and bounced the little chubby boy on his shoulders. “This whipper snapper’s turned to a life of pirating!” 

Bolin wrapped his father’s scarf around his own head and shouted, “Yar!” A bell marked the arrival of an airship. He dropped the scarf and wiggled against his father’s head. “It’s here, it’s here!” 

“Easy, little caterpillar, you’ll take my eye out with your heel,” his father chuckled. 

The young family moved with the flow of bodies as they lined up to have their tickets authenticated. Bolin ran his chubby fingers through his father’s greying hair, gripping tight whenever he pretended to drop him on Mako. The older brother laughed and tugged on the younger’s suspenders, making him whine and pop his thumb in his mouth for comfort. Naoki frowned at him and gently tugged on his hair.

Mako sighed and allowed her to usher him forward in front of her. His scrawny shoulders were caged in her silk-wrapped arms; his shelter; warm and loving as always. He tucked his arms up in hers, securing himself further as the comfort melted his bones. In every sense of the word; she was his world. When his firebending manifested two years ago, he deemed himself her protector; neither she nor his father were benders. The neighbors often teased Naoki, saying she made him without her husband San’s help. Mako had her pale ivory skin, sleek rook black hair, sunset orange eyes, and finely angled eyebrows. At least Bolin looked more like their father. 

“Do Granma and Granpa know we’re coming, Dad?” Mako tilted his head up to San walking beside them.

“I’m sure they received my letter,” he answered. “And I know they'll be very excited to meet you, boys.”

“But you said Granpa was sick?”

“He is,” his mother answered with a gentle squeeze, “and that’s why we’re going to Ba Sing Se before he gets too sick for visitors.” 

“What about momma’s Granma and Granpa?” Bolin slurred around his thumb.

“You mean mom’s mom and dad, not their mom and dad, Thumbsucker,” Mako mocked then tugged on his foot. Bolin whined and kicked away from him, his heel digging into their father’s armpit.

“Hey, come one now,” San warned.

As they inched closer to the ticket booth, Bolin squirmed. “I gotta potty!”

“I thought you took him already,” Naoki asked.

San turned to her with a disappointed look and whispered, “He tried.”

“I know where the bathroom is,” Mako beamed, “I can take him!”

“Hold on a second,” his father stopped Bolin from trying to wriggle off him. His stubby legs dangled as he touched the ground. San removed his scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around Mako. He weaved it around his neck like a tie. “There. Now we can find you in the crowd.”

Mako pulled the red cloth up over his nose; it smelled like his father’s cologne; a mix of the restaurant’s wood oven, cigars from his patrons, and a hint of Panda Lily from whenever he hugged Naoki. 

“Come on, Bo,” Mako said, grabbing his little brother’s free hand.

“Mako keep your little brother safe. Bolin, make sure you don’t let go of your brother’s hand, sweetie. Use your manners, boys. Oh and wash your hands,” Naoki called out after her sons as they disappeared in the sea of loud strangers and trolley whistles.

170 AG - Present Day 

“Hey! You gettin’ off here kid?” The trolley conductor barks at Mako, taking him out of his brief, unsatisfying nap. Amber eyes snap up at the old metalbender. He points out the window behind Mako’s head. “You said the police headquarters.”

“Yeah,” Mako grumbles, stretches from his slouched position against one of the trolley’s leaning poles then hops off. 

The mist that started at the end of his shift picked up into a drizzle. He pulls up the collar of his jacket to keep the rain from soaking his neck and scarf. The squeal of metal on metal echoes down the road as the conductor and rear metalbender push and pull the trolley on the rest of its route. 

A break in traffic lets Mako jog across the busy street to the front door of the Republic City's Police Headquarters. He drops his chin and shoves his hands in his pockets as he ducks in behind a sobbing family.

The chaotic movement of employees and civilians roars through the massive building. Wild, ringing alarms and telephones amplify the headache he desperately tried to ignore on the ride here. 

Suck it up, Champ, he tells himself over the noise.

He makes his way to the record department passing an elite metalbender officer sticking his nose up past a couple of out-of-shape, under-trained non-bender auxiliaries. Two upper-middle-class couples shout petty insults at each other and hurl baseless Equalist accusations. A freshly arrested triad initiate gets berated by a loud, red-faced shop owner, bringing up a shameful sense of deja vu for Mako. 

It’s odd to walk through the station without an escort and metal bracelets around his wrists. But the last few years haven’t given him a reason to be in any type of trouble with the law; the Fire Ferrets have gained a steady fan following and are now the team to look out for this season. Even better with the increase in Triad and Equalist activity.

Tension in the city has gotten worse since Amon’s disciples started publicly protesting again. As such it’s not unusual for some mistaken hooligans to get a little roughed up before getting cleared of whatever minor infraction brought them in. 

Mako rounds the corner of the main hall towards the department of records but stops and ducks back around the same corner. 

Shit.

Shady Shin’s obnoxious blue trench coat isn’t hard to miss against all the wood and metal features of the building. Mako slips away in the other direction, taking the long way around. He’d rather not deal with the Triple Threat right now; not after the other day. As if Bolin’s water tribe damsel even needed his help.

Leave it to Bo to try to “save” the Avatar. 

All he can do is suck it up and hope they have more important shit to deal with. He runs a hand through his damp hair, spiking up the front in his usual style, and straightens out his jacket before entering the department office.

Shadows from towering metal filing cabinets and massive volumes of paperwork cast over the front window. A few weeks ago this room was nice and tidy. The only thing remotely clean is the desk pushed up against the front. But no one’s there.

Maybe the old man finally got crushed by the mess.

He isn’t on his lunch break as Mako memorized his activity; can’t miss out on office hours if he knows the times by heart. Plus, he made sure to get there early, just in case. 

Mako taps the call bell and waits. 

No answer.

He’s about to tap it again when he hears shuffling footsteps.

An old, hunched clerk hobbles out from behind a pile of boxes. His crusted lips smack together as he huffs and groans his way up to the front desk. He doesn’t bother his visitor a glance as he flips through a thick ledger and deadpans, “Name.” 

“Mako.”

With another smack of his lips, he says, “Oh, you again…”

Mako ignores him. “You said two weeks, sir.”

“Eh, your request hasn’t gone through,” he says, flicking his wrinkled hand at the backed-up in-voices. 

“That’s what you said two weeks ago.”

“Well, so-rry...but the chief’s rather busy with Equalist and triad yahoos.”

“All she needs to do is sign the form,” Mako says in a neutral tone.

The clerk smacks his lips again and sizes him up. He scoffs. “And all you need to do is wait for it...unless you’d rather get one of your buddies to forge her signature.”

There’s no point in trying to argue with the cranky geezer. Mako clamps his teeth to keep his jaws from twitching.

Cool-under-fire.

He keeps his tone neutral as he says, “I’ll check back in another few weeks.” He places his hands on his upper thighs and gives his elder a low bow. “Thank you, sir.”

“Mhm,” the clerk sniffs then crawls to the back of his lonely dusty cave. 

Mako leaves the office. It takes every ounce of control to not slam the door on the way out. He takes a second to collect himself; white-knuckled grip still wrapped around the doorknob. 

First they “misplace” it, now they ignore it.

The irony isn’t lost on him. But he lets the frustration fade and makes his way back up to the main floor. After a quick peek to make sure Shady isn’t there, he leaves the building. The rain died down to a light mist again and the trolley to get back to the arena is already there taking in passengers. Mako lines up with the rest of them. 

As the line shifts, someone to his right seems to forget the concept of “personal space”. Then another one to his left. Behind the trolley, a familiar thundering engine lowers to a hum. Mako sighs internally as the driver's expensive leather shoes clap against the pavement. 

“Well if it ain't the captain of the street rats-whoops Fire Ferrets, Fire Ferrets-my mistake, Champ," Shady Shin snivels behind him. 

Ping-to Mako’s right-hisses at the waiting riders making them scurry up into the trolley. Mushi moves from his left side to intimidate the conductors to move along. No one on the street bats an eye as the Triple Threat surround the young firebender. 

“Ya know,” Shady continues, “the boys didn’t appreciate Bolin’s little stunt the other day.” Mako doesn’t blink as Mushi spits out a glob of chewing tobacco at his feet. Shady drapes his arm over Mako’s shoulder. “Bail’s gettin’ pricier every day and we’ve got a sweet deal bringin’ in some serious paper tonight. But now...we got the tinmen on our asses, Champ.”

“I can pay you back next week.”

“With the team’s winnings? Oh wait, that’s right...you don’t got any. Well, I bet the plant’s payin’ good with the city’s new programs in place huh?” 

Here, we fucking go…damnit, Bolin.

Mako shrugs, “Yeah.”

“Thought so, but not everybody’s happy about it. Matter of fact, the supervisor’s a regular at The Jolly Cat and let me tell ya, man’s a real talker once you get a few drinks in ‘em,” Shady muses, “says profits took a hit from havin’ to cough up extra pay to all the fuckin’ ash makers he’s forced to hire.”

Ping snickers as he weaves a coil of flames around his fingers to light the cigarette hanging from his thin lips. He inhales deeply and blows the cloud of smoke in Mako’s face. 

Mako tilts his head away then runs a thumbnail over one of his brows. He keeps a lookout for another trolley as he sniffs, “So what do you want Shady?”

The waterbender’s twisted smile lives up to his name. He tsks, “Pah, the boss wanted me to bring you both in for the usual "talk" but...I persuaded him otherwise.”

“By?”

“Like I said, we’ve got a deal goin’ down tonight. No doubt our competitors’ve heard about it so we’re callin’ in all the bodies we can. And that includes you, Mr. Star-Athlete.”

"I've got a match tonight."

"It won’t be ‘til after. Plus, I'm sure you'll bring your A-game so this goes over smoothly."

A close-by trolley sounds its bell. Mako catches a glimpse of it in his peripheral vision. His jaw flexes as he says, "and if I refuse?"

"We all know you're smarter than that," Shady shakes his head. "But if it helps, the supervisor cried he'd get canned if the owner knew he hired any ex-traid. Got a real hard-on for us goodfellas."

The trolley pulls up and stops a few feet ahead. Mako eyes Shady Shin. "Where?"

"Cabbage Corp Docks.” Shady gives him his infamous slimy grin and pushes off his shoulder with a light pat. Mako boards the trolley and watches the three Triple Threats slitter back to Shady’s hotrod. As he climbs into the driver's seat, Shady calls out, “Good luck on your match, Champ."

Bolin’s gone from their dusty attic when game time comes around and having rested a few hours before soothed Mako of his headache.

He partially dresses in his gear; the rest in the locker room. The team’s waterbender, Hasook waits for him in the hall outside of the gym. He’s silent as he trails behind Mako dressed in a similar Pro-Bending uniform; a thick, neck-high protective undershirt and matching tights, a long-sleeved jersey and loose trousers with attached shoulder, elbow, and knee pads, and a pair of light-weight flexible boots all in their team’s white, red, and orange colors. The only differences are the few strips of color marking them as a water, fire, or earthbender.

The faint hum of the cheering crowds gathered to watch barely registers over the sound of his brother’s boisterous laugh coming from the locker room. The two benders enter to see Bolin with the Avatar laughing and leaning against the opened stadium railing.

“Aw man you’re lucky you’re the Avatar,” Bolin says, “you’d prolly be locked up for a while with the mess that fight caused.”

The Avatar shrugs and clicks her tongue. “Yeah, it’s nice to have “connections” in the city.

Connections my ass.

Mako takes a silent deep breath through his nose. Upon his exhale, he becomes “Team Captain” and tunes out the rest of their chatter as he opens his small locker and starts strapping on his padded fingerless gloves. His mind goes blank; empty for a few minutes before the light above the locker doorway signals the team to step out onto the platform. 

He grabs his helmet, shuts the locker, and walks towards the platform, ignoring the Avatar as she says, “Hey thanks for your guys attempt at helping me out. I obviously didn’t need it, but I still appreciate the thought.“

“Come on, Bolin,” he says, “we're up.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Mako hears Bolin tell her as he walks away from them, “my brother just gets real... focused before the match.”

Focused?

Focused would have gotten me that police report. Focused wouldn’t have gotten me pulled into shit with Shady. 

Focused...focused would have saved-bury it away, Champ!

The thick padding of Mako’s helmet muffles Bolin’s quick footsteps as he jogs onto the platform with the rest of their team. From his peripheral vision, his brother stretches to psych himself up. This is just another game for him. Hasook on his other side looks like he’d rather be anywhere else but here. Mako buries his annoyance. He figured something like this with him was coming sooner or later. He just didn’t think it’d be right as the fucking match starts. 

The stadium goes dark. The crowd’s hum gets louder. Spotlights from the ceiling shine down on the playing field. Rising from the platform in the middle, the announcer raises his microphone, points to one end of the field where an extending platform carries the three Fire Ferrets forward, and shouts to introduce them. 

Bolin’s obnoxious fangirls are somehow the loudest in the full house. The crowd roars and applauds. For an insignificant-unwanted-moment, Mako wishes it was really for him; that the people actually wanted him.

But he knows...

Pro-Bending...the power plant. These are the only ways a firebender like me gets accepted in this fucking city. 

And acceptance is key to his and his brother’s survival. So like a good little firebender, he salutes and waves to the crowd with a small smile. 

The two teams line up on either side of the field's centerline and assume Bending stances; hunched forward, knees slightly bent and fists held high. Mako eyes his opponents, The Tigerdillos; older benders with several more games under their belts than them. But his team wants this win more. They need two more wins to enter the tournament. He takes a deep breath, feeling his chi energies flow; the heat builds in his stomach and spreads out to his limbs, pooling at his fingers and toes. 

Focus.

The bell clangs and the two teams leap back to the back of their first 'zone', flinging elements at each other. Mako kicks out a burst of flames at his target while Bolin and Hasook deal with theirs.

Cool-under-fire.

He keeps his fists up to protect his head as he dips out of the way of an earth disk and flame blast. The elements whistle past his head. He takes a quick inhale and counters on the exhale with two fiery jabs. A stream of water and another disk fly at him. He keeps his elbows tight as they fly past his head then inhales deeply this time to send out a powerful fireball. The attack barely misses the middle Tigerdillo and the other two come forward to strike at Hasook and Bolin. Both attacks land, pushing them into the second zone.

The buzzer sounds and the zone border lights up.

The Tigerdillos advance on Mako. He dodges their attacks with a few backflips, but an earth disk hits him square in the gut. All the protective padding absorbs the painful force but the impact still sends him sliding back. One foot just over the zone's backline.

Buzzer.

He stifles a snarl as the border lights up again.

The centerline of the field lights up green, giving the clear for all three Tigerdillos to advance into the Fire Ferret's first zone and the Pro-benders continue their attacks. 

Bolin launches an earth disk that gets deflected back by the Tigerdillo’s earthbender. It hits Hasook, knocking him into the final zone.

Another buzzer.

The Tigerdillo waterbender kicks a disk of water at Mako and Bolin. The brothers dodge it, but Hasook is knocked off his feet. After another attack, he disappears from the field. Mako and Bolin brace together before splitting apart to dodge water and earth attacks. Bolin’s knocked into zone three. Mako follows shortly after taking a hit of his own. 

Fuck. He doesn’t bother looking up at the score lights. 

“Round one goes to the Golden Temple Tigerdillos!” The Announcer shouts as the bell clangs repeatedly and the crowd hollers. 

The brothers take their places back in their first zone as their waterbender rejoins them.

Mako tilts his head to him and says, “come on Hasook, get your act together.”

The bell clangs and the next round starts. The Tigerdillos line up to send consecutive attacks. All three connect with the Ferrets and immediately push them back into the next zone, but they quickly counter, pushing the opposing team all the way into their last zone, winning them the round.

Bolin and Hasook cheer. Mako ignores them and uses the break to try to catch his breath. 

The last round starts. Both teams leap back at the bell. The Tigerdillo waterbender targets Hasook. He dodges two attacks and nearly stumbles into Mako. Another attack pushes him into Bolin instead.

The two tumble onto the floor. 

“Get up!” Mako shouts then sends out a few jabs. 

The Tigerdillo earthbender kicks a disk at the two tangled Pro-benders, striking them as they're in the process of getting back up and both are sent flying out the back of the field, leaving Mako in a three-on-one showdown.

The Tigerdillo waterbender kicks a shot at Mako, who dodges under it. Additional attacks of all three elements come at him as he runs across the arena, ducking and spinning to avoid each one until he’s backed up against the edge of the field. Another step backward and he’ll be in The Drink with the rest of his team and another season cut short.

He pants. His ears throb from his quickened pulse. Sweat drips down his face. 

‘Mako…’, he hears his mother whimper.

No... not now! 

He tries to calm his breathing as the Tigerdillos advance. They’re relentless.

But Mako’s calm, bobbing and weaving and patient. He waits for his chance to strike. Waits for the Tigerdillos to wear themselves down.

Always waiting for the opportunity to come out on top. 

There! 

He twists out of the way of an attack and throws his own. The fireball passes right through the Tigerdillo waterbender's prepared attack, turning it to steam, slamming into his chest, and tumbles straight over the back edge of the field. 

The crowd’s roar vibrates through Mako’s veins. With it, he goes on the offensive. A heavy fireball jab. Two fiery flying kicks. And a deeper inhale to let out a massive flare generated with both arms extended. Although the remaining Tigerdillos block some of his attacks, their Firebender takes a hit, flies backward into the railing, and bounces out the back and into the water.

‘Mako-’

A red, buring haze falls over the world as Mako and the last standing Tigerdillo toss attacks with abandon. Both benders want this victory.

Mako needs it.

Earth and fire collide. Disks explode. Mako kicks a powerful flaming slash into the dust cloud. It connects with the Tigerdillo and pushes him back into his zone three. 

Mako leaps into the dust cloud with a flaming fist. He strikes the Tigerdillo’s earth desk. A wave of flames shatters his pathetic shield; the impact sends him crashing over the edge of the field. 

The bell clangs. 

The game ends. 

The arena trembles with the crowds’ thunderous cheers.

And the Fire Ferrets' firebender stands alone in utter silence.

‘Promise me…’

He lets out a short sigh of relief, becoming “Team Captain” again, and pulls off his helmet to gaze out at the cheering crowd before stepping back to the extending platform to return to the locker room. 

Hasook joins him on the platform as it moves. “Well played, Captain. But if you wanted to show off, you could have just told us.”

“You serious right now?” Mako side-eyes him then keeps his focus ahead. “Yeah, I carried your ass since you did more harm than good out there and almost cost us the match,” Mako sneers as they reach the locker room.

Hasook rips off his helmet and scoffs, “We fucking won didn't we?”

“Barely.”

“Fuck off!” Hasook throws his helmet to the floor with a growl and stomps out of the locker room.

“Useless.” 

“You guys were incredible out there,” the Avatar says, souring his mood.  “Especially you, Mr. Hat Trick.”

He walks past her without a glance. “Oh... you're still here? Thought you’d have Avatar stuff to work on.”

“Oh, you're still a jerk?” She mocks, “don’t you have people skills to work on Team Captain?”

“Ooh and the Avatar showcases her firebending with a sick burn, ha ha,” Bolin laughs.

Mako fights with the straps of his gloves as the Avatar continues. “Anyway, I've been immersed in Bending my entire life but I never learned how to move like that. It's like there's a whole new style here. Think you could show me a few tricks?”

“Ab-so-lutely,” his brother sings.

Having stripped off his gloves and stored them and the helmet back in the locker, Mako heads out to leave the room and says, “You kids have fun with that.”

The Avatar scoffs, “Pft kids? Aren’t you like, what, seventeen?”

“Eighteen,” Bolin corrects, then asks, “Mako, you’re not gonna watch me-your little brother-teach the Avatar...ya know, “master of all four elements”, some of my earthbending tricks? Seriously bro?”

Mako pauses. His back is to them. His brother can’t see his smirk fade into a restrained frown. “Nah,” he shrugs, “gonna see a guy about some job.” He holds up a hand in a half-wave as he steps out of the room. “Nice to meet you... Avatar Korra.” 

After a quick shower and change of clothes, Mako barely takes two steps out of the arena’s peninsula when he sees Shady Shin already waiting for him in his hotrod. 

“Killer game, Champ,” Shady whistles. He flicks away his cigarette butt as Mako gets in the passenger seat. 

“I thought we were meeting there,” Mako says. He leans an arm on the door and keeps his head low.

“And miss my boys’ game, not a chance,” he smirks.

The tires squeal as he rips downs the street. The golden glow from the Pro-Bending arena is replaced by Downtown's bright lights. It’s close to midnight, but Republic City never sleeps. Night only brings out the downtrodden side everyone pretends doesn’t exist. Traffic is chaotic, not that it matters much with Shady’s driving. He weaves between cars, inching them closer to their destination. 

“You’re awfully quiet,” Shady drawls from the corner of his mouth, “thought you’d be peppier after your big win, just one more right?”

“Mhm,” Mako says indifferently. He adjusts his long legs, fixing a fold in one of his knee-high spats, and says nothing else.

“Always so serious, kid. Eh, maybe it's good. Keep yourself level-headed huh?”

Shady pulls in behind the docks of Cabbage Corp; the city’s first automobile manufacturer; gone downhill since Future Industries created a monopoly off all the city’s technology. Two moving trucks come from another direction and park between some stacked high shipping containers. Ping and Mushi-two of the other Triple Threat officers-hop out. Some of Shady’s low ranking henchmen jump out from the back of the trucks. 

Shady parks a few feet away. Mako follows him out of the car. He shoves his hands in his pockets and scoffs, “You called half the crew, the fuck you need me for?”

“The extra firepower’s nice, but really... we just need your “Jazz Hands”, kid, in case these guys feel like wisin’ up.”

Typical.

“Zolt’s too caught up ruling his empire, he can’t do it himself?” 

“What can I say, he’s a busy man.”

The two join the rest of the gang huddled around the trucks. Shady Shin checks in with Mushi then tells the rest of those gathered to be on guard of their dealers. Mako’s greeted with enthusiastic praise for the Fire Ferrets’ win. Several non-benders gush about the play-by-play they heard on the radio. 

“Ey, hold on. How come your little bro’s gettin’ more tail than you?" One of them snickers.

“He ain’t getting shit,” Mako sniffs, crossing his arms and leaning against the hood of one of the trucks. 

“True, he’s too much of a chump,” Mushi laughs wickedly. Some of the guys chuckle.

“Alright, but what’s the deal with you, Mr. Big Shot?” Another Triple Threat eyes him with a gap-toothed grin. “You had that prissy eye-candy for a while there-uhh-” He snaps his fingers trying to remember. 

Shady says, “Mr. Sato’s girl. You lose your game with’er, Champ?”

“No,” Mako says as he shifts his weight to his other leg, “it just didn’t work out.” A universal echo of disappointment ripples through the gathered men. 

“Eh, it’s cuz he’s a chump...like his brother,” Ping croaked as the groans and boos died down.

“Oh yeah?” Mako softly challenges. 

“Yeah,” Ping repeats himself then lights a cigarette. “Man...skills like yours, I’d have dames left and right; one for every day of the week.” He whips around, starts dry humping the truck’s headlight and in a high pitched scratchy voice moans, “Ooh, Ping! Ahh...you’re soo much better than that little prick Mako...mmm, ahh!”

The other Triple Threat screech and holler at Mako’s expense. 

He takes a flask from an older earthbender and says, “A partner helps, but nothing’s stopping you from practicing by yourself. Oh, shit wait-you meant firebending? Nevermind mind then, can’t help you there. Sorry.” 

That earns him a few chuckles from some of the older Triple Threat members. Ping flicks his still-lit cigarette away. Mako uncaringly takes a swig from the flask and passes it to his right. The liquor pricks down his throat. Numb. Just like he wants to be for the situation Bolin unknowingly dragged him into. 

Shady Shin whistles everyone to attention as a few Cabbage Corp trucks pull up to them. Shady and the other officers form a half-circle in front of them. Mako stays towards the back with the rest of the Triple Threats. He takes another swig of the flask when it makes its way around again. It drowns his long ignored and buried loneliness.

A couple of guys dressed in the business’s jumpsuits get out of their trucks. The lead dealer walks up to Shady. Mako doesn’t hear what they're saying nor does he really care. The dealer signals for one of his people to unload the truck. They push over a few crates of boxed car parts. Shady stops one and has them open it. Mushi’s hulking figure steps up to one. His hand disappears into the box.

Then it clicks in Mako’s head. There’s a reason Shady’s putting so much trust in the giant earthbender. Mushi pulls his massive hand out of the box. A small amount of pale green powder sits underneath his disgusting long pinky nail that he dumps onto the tip of his equally disgusting tongue. 

Mushi pulls his lips back over his gums like a beast. “It’s good boss.”

Duffle bags packed with stacks of yuans exchange hands. The Triple Threat peons load the crates into their trucks. With the deal done, the Cabbage Corps guys scatter. Mako’s left disappointed, leaning against the hotrod as the Triple Threat’s recruiter dismisses the rest of his gang. 

Shady returns to the car. “Looks like we didn’t need you at all, my bad, Champ.”

“Figures…”

Shady pulls out a roll of yuans from his pocket and tosses it to him. “Think of it as an investment into your future.”

“Don’t bother. I’ve got it covered,” Mako says, tosses it back, and walks away. 

“You mean the plant,” Shady calls out. “You’re no more a machine to them than the piles of scrap metal they use your bending to power Mako...you know the Boss’ll take you back. No questions asked.” The young firebender stops in his tracks. Shady presses. “It’s a long walk to the arena…”

Mako stands far enough away that Shady can’t hear his defeated sigh. He calls out over his shoulder, “I can manage.”

Pale rising scarlet paints the sky by the time he gets back to the arena. Bolin’s snoring reaches the gym floor as he walks in. His footsteps on the creaky stairs don’t wake his heavy sleeper brother. Pabu chirps as Mako reaches the top step into their apartment. The little fire ferret pokes his head out from his owner’s loft. Mako holds his finger up to his lips to urge the critter to go back to sleep.

He strips down to his old, torn white tank top and faded, striped boxers then crawls up the ladder to his separate loft. He flops down on his thin, lumpy mattress. Pride and shame battle over his decision to toss back Shady’s cash.

It could've been enough to get them out of their living situation. But it was dirty money. He spent the last three years trying to do right by his brother. Tonight he came close to crossing his line.

His eyelids grow heavy and his head lightweight as the last of his energy slips from his body.

There isn’t enough to push her voice away again.

‘Mako...promise me, you’ll keep him safe.’

He swallows the sand in his throat and blinks away the stinging at the corner of his tired eyes as his lids finally fall.

[beingallelite]

Nearly twenty years after the end of the “Monday Night Wars,” the landscape of professional wrestling is on the precipice of a massive shift.

The catalyst for the seismic change is All Elite Wrestling, the upstart company founded by Tony Khan, son of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, and professional wrestlers Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega and Matt and Nick Jackson — better known as the Young Bucks.

After holding four shows — two pay-per-views and two free events — all eyes will be on the upstart wrestling company this week as it debuts its live television program, titled “Dynamite,” on TNT.

“I guess you could say there are a lot of nerves because going live you face that fact that anything could happen,” Nick Jackson told Yahoo Sports. “You just never know if something wrong is going to go down, like someone getting hurt. Knock on wood, hopefully everyone just kills it and we have a great time. We’re just hoping everything goes right.”

The birth of All Elite Wrestling

Wednesday night represents a culmination of a months-long effort by the Bucks, Omega, Rhodes and Khan, among others. On the heels of their successful independent show, “All In,” in August 2018, the group announced the creation of All Elite Wrestling in January and the buzz immediately started.

What started as a conversation on his back patio between Matt Jackson, his wife and Khan had finally become a reality.

“With the feedback right away we knew it was something that could be big,” Nick Jackson said. “As soon as we announced Chris Jericho, then people knew this was real and it could be as big as anything we’ve seen over the past 20 years. Right off the bat we knew. When we hit a home run with [May’s event] ‘Double or Nothing,’ that was further proof that this was going to be the next alternative.”

While the concept of All Elite Wrestling kicked into high gear over the past nine months, the Jacksons recognize that their YouTube series, “Being the Elite,” served almost as a training ground for the production aspect of AEW.

“I don’t think we would have ever guessed that it would get this big,” Matt Jackson said. “When we first started it, it was just a fun little project that was Nick’s idea to document our day-to-day activities for the fans to help us connect on a more personal level. The fact that it became what it became is really crazy to us. We’re hoping to keep it around.”

Since its inception in 2016, “Being the Elite” has grown to include several other members of All Elite Wrestling’s roster and has served as a conduit to further storylines in between events. As AEW grew, inching closer to the October debut, the Jacksons’ responsibilities expanded and ultimately, the brothers admit that the hit series may change.

“We’re hoping to keep it around,” Matt Jackson said. “I don’t know what that means though exactly, it will depend on what our schedule looks like. We have a huge following, it’s too big to just go away. I think we’ll be going through a transitional phase here soon while we figure out what ‘BTE’ will look like.”

‘My sleep schedule hasn’t been great’

The biggest adjustment for the Jacksons has been juggling dual roles. In addition to being two of the marquee talents on AEW’s roster, the brothers serve as executive vice presidents for the company.

It’s one thing to have to prepare for your own match ahead of a show, it’s an entirely different beast to ensure every aspect of the production is firing on all cylinders.

“I’m learning that it was a lot easier just being a wrestler, especially with this whole project,” Matt Jackson said. “The biggest adjustment for me has been being on the phone every second of the day, trying to be a dad also. Trying to stay fit, trying to do all of my other daily things.”

“A few months into this my phone never stopped ringing and I never stop getting text messages. It’s been a non-stop work pace since June. I love it, but at the same time I will admit that of course I’m struggling with balance. We’re an upstart but I have my own family too. Juggling a billion things at once, my sleep schedule hasn’t been great.”

Juggling their time is just one part of the equation for the Jacksons.

As All Elite Wrestling continues to grow, there’s inevitably going to be the perception that if they are continuously booked at the top of the card that the Jacksons — along with Rhodes and Omega — are putting themselves “over.”

The Jacksons are attempting to squash the issue before it starts.

“That’ll always be a concern,” Nick Jackson said. “Matt, myself and Kenny, we’ve made this a rule where you cannot talk about our position in the office on camera. You’ll never hear about anything that we do outside of being in the wrestling ring when you watch an episode on TNT. The only way you’ll know that is if you’re really a true insider, a huge wrestling fan and we want to keep it that way.

“If we’re the most popular act on a show, then that popular act should win,” Nick Jackson continued. “If we aren’t getting the biggest reaction, we should lose. We just have to know better and what’s right and wrong. I feel like Matt and I are pretty thoughtful in a selfish business.”

Making a place for tag-team wrestling

The Jacksons are one of the best — if not the best — tag teams in the world, so it’s no surprise that All Elite Wrestling is placing a huge emphasis on the format.

The early success of “Dynamite” will hinge on a number of factors, but one of the most important will be the tag-team tournament that will inevitably crown the promotions first champions.

“We’ve always fantasized — we never thought we’d get to do it — but if we had the book, we would make tag-team wrestling a priority,” Matt Jackson said. “Every team that you see with us, they were hand-picked by Nick and I. We’ve either worked with them elsewhere or have been watching them. We asked ourselves, ‘Who are the teams we want to work with?’ We figured, if we could have a good match with these wrestlers, the other teams could as well. A lot of it was almost selfish, us saying, ‘Who can we tear the house down with? OK, sign them.’”

There’s obviously an old-school feel as AEW goes up against WWE — by far the biggest competitor in the wrestling industry — but putting tag-team wrestling front and center is a sign that the company hopes to take the business even further back than the “Monday Night Wars” of the 1990s.

“Tag-team wrestling historically has been big box office,” Matt Jackson said. “In the old territory days, the Rock ‘N’ Roll Express was the main event in every town. It was clearly something that worked. Even as recently as the TLC era, Matt and Jeff Hardy were the biggest box office draw in tag-team history. They’re brothers, there’s a lot of parallels. I don’t know why it hasn’t shined as brightly in the past 20 years, but it’s time for it to take its spot back.”

With teams like the Young Bucks, Lucha Bros. and SCU, among others, it won’t be difficult for AEW to sell tag-team wrestling. Anyone who has watched a match involving these teams knows that there is no shortage of death-defying and jaw-dropping spots.

While some teams may alter their style with the move to weekly television — there’s a belief that wrestlers want to save certain moments for bigger shows — don’t expect that in the early going from the Jacksons.

“Matt and I have built a career off doing everything every day and every show,” Nick Jackson said. “I don’t think we’re going to change that philosophy. You might see that change with other wrestlers, but Matt and I are going to go into it thinking, ‘Let’s do what we do and keep doing what got us to the dance.’ Maybe during commercial breaks we’ll take it a little more easy.”

“Now is not the time to hold back,” Matt Jackson said. “Now is the time to show the world what we’re capable of. This may be the moment where everyone wants to sample our product and we may just have 15 seconds to gain some viewers when they are flipping through the channels. Now it’s the time to show the world what AEW looks like.”

And if fans are hooked, they’ll get to see tag-team wrestling in the biggest time slots.

“I don’t want anybody to be surprised when tag-team matches headline and main event a bunch of our shows,” Matt Jackson said. “There’s nothing more beautiful than a good tag-team wrestling match.”

The billion-dollar question

AEW is far from the first wrestling promotion to try and compete with Vince McMahon and WWE.

After Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling and Paul Heyman’s Extreme Championship Wrestling were purchased by McMahon, the wrestling landscape has been dominated by WWE.

Smaller promotions such as Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerilla, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action have all operated over the past 20 years, but none has gained a large enough share to truly pose a threat to McMahon’s behemoth.

With AEW debuting on TNT — the same channel that aired “Monday Night Nitro” in the 1990s — things feel different. WWE has also moved its NXT brand, which more closely resembles the independent-adjacent style that AEW will have, to air on Wednesday nights in the same exact time slot as “Dynamite.”

“Of course [competition] is a conversation [we have],” Matt Jackson said. “I feel like the entire group of guys, we’re all so tunnel-visioned on what our idea is and what we want our show to look like, we have a vision of what we want AEW to be and we can’t stray too far away from that.

“Obviously, it’s smart to survey, see what the competitor is doing and what’s clicking or not clicking. A lot of this is going to be organic. If one week they are putting on something similar to what we have planned, maybe we change that. If they have a huge match planned and we didn’t, maybe that changes things. I think all it does is breed competitive nature in all of us, makes us all step up our game and put on the best show possible. It’s corny, but the fans win in all of this.”

At the end of the day, AEW’s ability to compete will boil down to the in-ring product and its production value.

Although the members of the AEW roster have vast experience in the professional wrestling world, there’s a significant difference between working on the independent circuit and putting on a live television program every week.

“We need to learn how to tighten up the show and tell our stories in 90 minutes,” Matt Jackson said. “The other thing is it’s going to be on live television, so we’re working with commercial breaks. I think we will gain our footing. This is all new to us and we’re a brand new company. We’re expecting hiccups but the best thing will be for us to pivot from those things and learn from our mistakes. We’re learning on the job but we also think we’re the most qualified team.”

Much like wrestlers calling a match in the ring, everyone involved in AEW will also need to be able to change things on the fly.

“We have an idea of where we want to go, but we also have to be ready to switch gears,” Matt Jackson said. “In wrestling, things just kind of organically happen. I always use this example, but we didn’t have a clue that after doing four shows that having a guy who dresses up as a dinosaur be one of our most over acts. Happy surprises happen. One thing we need to be ready to do is shift things and go with the flow.”

Saying goodbye to the old Young Bucks

In August, the Jacksons said goodbye to the independent circuit with a main event match against Private Party in Queens, New York. The show, put on by House of Glory, was in a venue that held maybe 1,000 people.

For comparison, “Dynamite” will take place at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. — a 20,000-plus seat venue that sold out in minutes.

“The one thing Matt and I will certainly miss is how close we were to that fan base,” Nick Jackson said. “We’re not leaving them, but it felt so intimate, being in a smaller venue.”

It’s not just moving to a bigger venue for the Jacksons, it’s leaving behind the part of the business that helped make them who they are today.

“It’s an environment for being able to really thrive, be creative and try new things, take risks,” Matt Jackson said. “That’s one thing I miss. Every match we have there’s a lot of pressure, it’s high stakes, we have to hit a home run every time. It felt good to do independent shows because that’s where we really crafted our act and created these characters that everyone has come to love now.

“[Now we’re] realizing that that part of our career is over and I’m not sure if it has really sunk in for us.”

On arguably the biggest night of their careers on Wednesday, it will.

[a-room-of-my-own]

This is an edited transcript of a talk given by Dagny on May 9, 2019, at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver, B.C. The audio from the full event, #GIDYVR: Gender Identity and Kids, can be found on YouTube.

My name is Dagny, I’m a detransitioner. I’m here to demonstrate what can happen when we allow a teenager to make major medical decisions that will affect her body for the rest of her life. I’m also here as one-fourth of the Pique Resilience Project, a coalition of four detransitioned young women — Jesse, Helena, Chiara, and myself. We all identified as transmen in our mid to late teens, and by 19 or 20 we had all desisted, detransitioned, and returned to being women. Three of us took testosterone for at least nine months, and I actually started testosterone six months before I turned 18, after my therapist diagnosed me with gender dysphoria at 16. The Pique Resilience Project was founded in January after we all came together to share our stories, our similarities, and our differences. We discussed what we could do to share our stories with everyone — with the people that need to hear them.

As we’re all aware, this is an extremely heated debate, and I’m going to say some things that a lot of people are going to disagree with. But ultimately, everything I’m going to say comes from my own personal experience and from what I believe as a result of that experience — an experience that too many people are unwilling to take seriously. We, the Pique Resilience Project, have been called liars, attention-seekers, right-wingers, and bigots.

We’ve unfortunately been profiled numerous times on far-right Christian journals, and not once, to date, on mainstream, leftist news media, which I find interesting, given the amount of coverage trans issues have received these last five years. I think that this indicates a fear of straying from the path — a fear of saying something, even if true, that goes against the grain.

 We’ve been absolutely inundated with one narrative, one option, one story, since this issue hit the mainstream. We’ve been given only one option, at the risk of unspeakable, devastating consequences: if a teen says she has gender dysphoria and wants to be a boy, then she should — must — be allowed to transition.  That’s the story we’ve been sold, and it’s the only story we’ve been sold. And detransitioners are an inconvenient contradiction to this story.

We’ve been given only one option, at the risk of unspeakable, devastating consequences: if a teen says she has gender dysphoria and wants to be a boy, then she should — must — be allowed to transition. 

I’d like to discuss my experience being a trans teen. I did have early instances of what would now be called gender dysphoria in my childhood. At 11 or 12 I felt incredibly humiliated by the fact that my breasts were growing, and that I would have to start wearing bras. My period was a source of angst and hatred from the moment I first started menstruating. I’d heard that these things were supposed to be exciting for young girls, but they just made me angry and afraid. I thought there was something wrong with me for feeling that way. And maybe most predictive, I had a Yahoo answers account, and when I was in grade seven, I made a post with a title that was something like, “I’m a 12-year-old girl but I want to be a boy.” I remember that the answers were mostly dismissive, but there were a few that instructed me, a 12-year-old, to look into transsexual surgeries. But I didn’t like any of the answers; I wanted there to be a boy-button — something I could click that would just make me male. My family wasn’t religious at all, but I remember being that age and lying in my bed at night, and telling God in my head that I would start going to church if I woke up a boy.

My dysphoria exploded when I turned 15. This was when I started to actually identify as trans. Like so many other trans teenagers, I first started courting my own trans identity because of of two factors in my life: One, I had trans friends — two of them, both older than me, both female-to-male (FTM), like me, and two, I had a sharp increase in my social media use. I was never very active on social media before I turned 15, but within months of creating an account on tumblr and following several LGBTQ resource blogs, I had decided that I was non-binary.

Within months of creating an account on tumblr and following several LGBTQ resource blogs, I had decided that I was non-binary.

This identity felt like a game to me. It was a fun distraction — a quirk that made me special and interesting, if not to others, then at least to myself. But then that wasn’t enough, and I wondered, “Should I take this further? How far can I take it?” Then I graduated to fully identifying as a transman and I threw myself headlong into the traditional process of being trans: new name, new pronouns, new clothes, new binder. I started to get very, very serious about starting hormones. And it stopped being a game.

The first place I tried on this new identity — a transman — was online. And I just want to say that I think that it’s incredibly important for everyone — parents, yes, but also teenagers and therapists and lawmakers — to understand what kind of impact social media can have on a developing mind. I, in essence, became a different person after I started using tumblr. It’s an unhealthy, upsetting, and toxic environment to even observe, let alone participate in, as a teenager. Unfortunately it’s also way too broad of a topic for me to fully cover right now, so I’d recommend reading Helena’s exposé on tumblr’s culture. Part one is available to read on our website, and there are two more parts to come. It is vital reading if we’re going to begin to understand how so many teenagers feel and how they regard the world after using social media.

My online experience, having been affected by that level of group think, that level of moral policing, and the constant implicit threats of social exposure and ostracization made me an intensely internal and anxious person. It made me paranoid about the motives of people around me — I saw my parents as bigots because tumblr told me to; because they held out for so long to prevent me from starting hormones. Anyone that slipped up and misgendered me was, according to tumblr, an enemy. 

My online experience, having been affected by that level of group think, that level of moral policing, and the constant implicit threats of social exposure and ostracization made me an intensely internal and anxious person. It made me paranoid.

One incident — one “she” — had the ability to make me absolutely hate someone. Tumblr’s version of morality and justice made me — an impressionable, insecure teenager — feel like my only safe place was in my head, where I would never be misgendered. I didn’t feel safe online either, but I couldn’t allow myself to critique my online peers. Even though I had learned all these unhealthy beliefs and behaviors from them, they had also taught me that they held the moral high ground. So I adopted and parroted tumblr’s ideals, and my identity was unconditionally validated.

One of these unhealthy beliefs I held was the belief that if you have gender dysphoria, you must transition. And anyone that appeared to stand in my way was a transphobe — an alt-right bigot. If I, myself, questioned my actions, I was suffering from internalized transphobia. No matter how much genuine concern others may have had for me — by now, a miserable 16-year-old — they were committing an unforgivable act if they just asked me, “Why”? Why do I want to be a boy? Why do I want to change my body?”

My answer was invariably, “Because I have gender dysphoria and I have to.”

Anyone that appeared to stand in my way was a transphobe — an alt-right bigot. If I, myself, questioned my actions, I was suffering from internalized transphobia.

And that’s the context we’re living in now, the only one that we know. Until now, with so many detransitioners coming out, the only narrative we’ve really heard has been the same, over and over and over: I had gender dysphoria, and so I transitioned. I had gender dysphoria, and so I transitioned. That’s the context we’ve been living in for about five years now. But we have to move past that. It’s been three years since I detransitioned, and I still have gender dysphoria. It’s rare for me to make it through a single day without thinking, at least once, “I wish I was a man.”

But it’s so minimal compared to what I felt at 16. And now, I have no intention of transitioning. It was ultimately a mistake for me to transition in the first place. I thought, at the time, that I had no other choice. Living and being content without medically transitioning didn’t feel like an option for me, or for so many other detransitioners.

It’s time to change that. It’s time that we become aware of how much pain and negativity this narrative is causing. The fact that I thought I had only one option was an incredible source of misery, desperation, terror, and obsession for me. I was already an unhappy teenager; I didn’t need the added pressure of a life choice I felt had to be made and carried out immediately. And this — my experience — was back in 2013. A long time before now, when we’re transitioning eight-year-olds in California, and giving eight-year-olds mastectomies. I can only imagine the pressure that kids feel now… That parents feel… It’s time we stop telling kids that every single one of them that experiences gender dysphoria as a 15-year-old will still be experiencing that same level of gender dysphoria at 21. At 20, or 19. That’s what I was told — by activists, and peers, and medical professionals. When I went to my endocrinologist for the first time, my dad asked him, “If my child goes off testosterone, what changes will be permanent?” And the endo essentially cut him off and said, “Oh. No one ever goes off testosterone.”

It’s time we stop telling kids that every single one of them that experiences gender dysphoria as a 15-year-old will still be experiencing that same level of gender dysphoria at 21

There’s this belief that telling teenagers that their dysphoria may pass is wrong — ethically and factually — and I just want to know why? What’s so wrong with telling a teenager, “One day you will feel better.” There’s nothing wrong with that. I think that if the activism that pushed for teenagers’ ability to medically transition truly cared about kids affected by gender dysphoria, they would allow for a discussion that doesn’t manipulate teenagers — that didn’t make impressionable, insecure, unhappy kids feel like they have to transition now, or else.

So we need to change the narrative. That’s my intent. And that’s a larger intent of the Pique Resilience Project: to diversify the narrative. We only have one mainstream story, and we need more. And slowly, we’re getting more. The detransition narrative is growing. It’s getting bigger — more people are hearing detransitioners’ stories every day. And, by extension, we’re starting to see the first glimpses of a third narrative. The PRP has received at least two messages from parents telling us that after watching videos about detransitioning, their teenagers decided that they have Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria and that they would not transition. They realized that pursuing different options was a better solution for them and their experience.

One fix is not going to solve everyone’s individual problems. Medically transitioning is not going to help every teenager feel better. In my view, the proclivity to provide teenagers with hormone replacement therapy and instant affirmation ignores the larger problems. Why did I want to change my body? Why did I hate being a girl? Why was being a man so much more favourable?

Ultimately, the opportunity to transition made my teenage dysphoria worse. This narrative told me that my hatred for my female body was justified — positive, even. It told me that the only way to feel better was to destroy my body — my female parts. 

My role models were all older transmen who had, like me, been lonely, angry, weird girls. Hearing and identifying with their stories taught me only that holistic self-acceptance was a sham and that real authenticity could only come from synthetic hormones and surgeries. There was no room for me to love myself if my identity depended on self-hatred.

We need to start treating teenagers with patience and compassion and maturity. We need to stop telling them that their suffering will last until they buy a new body. More than anything, we need to stop telling them that they have only one choice, and only one chance.

[predict-it]

Predictable Insights - 8.14.20

Here are the real-money, prediction markets trending on PredictIt, the stock market for politics. This week we look at how Biden picked his running mate, the mail-in debate, how each vote could impact the Electoral College winner and Republican strategy in a Georgia Senate race.

Market prices updated as of 1 p.m. ET on Friday, August 14.

2020 US Presidential Race Update

Former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden speaking with supporters at a community event at the Best Western Regency Inn in Marshalltown, Iowa. Photo: Gage Skidmore / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

Vying for Veep: The New York Times writes about how presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden picked Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate, and how you were wrong if you thought Sen. Tammy Duckworth (I-IL) had a chance in the end. If you were trading in PredictIt’s Democratic vice presidential nominee market on Tuesday, the day of the announcement, you would have already known that. More importantly, you would have been party to the single biggest day of trading in one market on PredictIt since it launched in 2014. The new record set on Aug. 11, 2020 — 8,427,156 shares traded in the #BidenVP nominee market — trumped the old record set on July 14, 2016 — 3,245,252 shares traded in the #TrumpVP nominee market.

Some traders are happier than others with the result: "Let's see how much money I made on PredictIt." — cartoonist Scott Adams, admittedly gloating about his "finest prediction."

Mail-In Voting: “President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was blocking Democrats’ effort to include funds for the US Postal Service and election infrastructure in a new coronavirus relief bill, a bid to block more Americans from voting by mail during the pandemic,” Reuters writes. How does this end? Will it escalate further?

A Federal judge is requiring the Trump campaign to provide evidence of mail-in voter fraud in Pennsylvania. “The case is one of the boldest attempts by the Trump campaign in court to curtail mail-in voting in the 2020 election. The Trump campaign had claimed mail-in voting could prompt questions about the accuracy of election results and ultimately chaos, according to the court record," CNN writes. The judge presiding over the case was appointed by the president and a hearing about the evidence is set for late September.

Perhaps this existential election uncertainty is one factor weighing on PredictIt’s comparatively conservative forecast of 60 percent for Biden winning the election?

Congress Deadlocked on Stimulus: “Nearly 30 million workers have lost $600 in enhanced weekly unemployment benefits that have kept much of the economy afloat these past four months during the coronavirus pandemic, as top lawmakers in Congress and the White House remain at an impasse over how and whether to extend the benefits,” The Washington Post writes. How will the Senate election markets react if this continues? Send us any trends you see to markets@predictit.org.

Diving Deeper: The Economist takes a look at how each vote could turn the outcome in the Electoral College. They write, “The Economist used its presidential-election-forecasting model — which simulates the election 20,000 times a day — to quantify the system’s biases. Using each forecast for every state we determined the chance that any given voter in a particular state casts the decisive ballot in November. That figure is the product of two probabilities: whether a single state is likely to edge a candidate over 270 Electoral College votes; and whether that state is won by a single voter.” Read more here.

Tweet Wars: The race for the Georgia Senate seat currently held by Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) is heating up. First, WNBA players wore “Vote Warnock” shirts supporting Loeffler’s opponent, Rev. Raphael Warnock (D). The catch? Loeffler is a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, a women's professional basketball team. But Loeffler will have to get to the race against Warnock first, and she’s trying to get there through Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA). The problem? She’s criticizing him for supporting Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) in the 2012 election when she and her husband together gave $1.5 million to his campaign.

The question is, have Republicans provided Warnock with an opening to win a previously red Georgia Senate seat? Paul Kane writes more on the topic. Where is your money in this race?

Other Market Commentary from the PredictIt Community

The Map Room: The latest episode of The Map Room is out on Old Bull TV! This week, Eric Cunningham (@decunningham2), Nick Morris (@TossupReport) and Jared Stone (@JStonePolitics) discuss North Carolina, Eric’s home state. This southern state is diverse, rapidly growing and very competitive politically. The hosts explain all you need to know about the basics of North Carolina politics: the traditional east-west divide, the modern urban/rural split and the presence of many large cities spread throughout the state.

Experts & Whales: Trader @iSavage_PI is more politically astute than James Carville and The Mooch... at least when it comes to predicting the Democratic vice presidential nominee. However, not all traders are so lucky though... apparently a whale in the Democratic vice presidential market on PredictIt as well as on UK betting sites, got outfished.

Markey & Millennials: Besides the polls showing the race tightening, Star Spangled Gamblers’ Keendawg gives another contrarian but thoughtful factor to consider when you’re predicting whether Joe Kennedy can beat Ed Markey in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary: “If this turns into a mail-in election, do young people who would vote for Kennedy even know how to use the Postal Service?”

OutSilver’d: With FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver releasing his new 2020 election forecasting model this week, @jipkin takes a look at the old Silver model: “For fun, I scored @538's final 2016 model using the scoring rules for my 2020 Prediction Contests. The result? -2801.9 points. (utterly dismal, but perhaps least bad of competition?) It got killed on margins by underestimating Trump in red states and Clinton in blue states.” Another criticism of Silver’s methodology came from PredictWise’s David Rothschild on the most recent episode of The Political Trade: “I like to think of him as a publisher, an owner of a product, which is a poll-based secret formula — and that’s what he sells. And so he is loyal to his product, and that’s what clogs all of his judgment.”

Picture Perfect: And now, our favorite tweet of the week from trader AG123, expressing the power of market incentives: “I'm at the stage of @predictit trading where I am literally watching someone draw pictures of possible VP picks looking for insight. Kill me please.”

State of the 2020 Presidential Election in One Chart:

Source: Bloomberg

Crowdsourced

Crowds are information-aggregation machines. Here are some disparate nuggets of wisdom we found informative from the PredictIt crowd this week:

Dubious Sources — On the morning of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s expected running mate announcement, someone posing as the Digital Director for Dr. Jill Biden slyly changed Sen. Duckworth’s Wikipedia page, presumably in an attempt to signal her imminent selection as the vice presidential nominee. This disinformation briefly had a tangible impact on Duckworth’s Democratic vice presidential market pricing — with more than 184,000 shares trading on the fake news. A reminder to all traders (and news consumers in general) to check your sources.

Lies^10=Truth — Words of caution from a survey article titled “Facts & Myths about Misperceptions” about the news you choose to consume and share: “Even exposure to the ill-defined term “fake news” and claims about its prevalence can be harmful. In an experimental study among respondents from Mechanical Turk, Van Duyn and Collier (2019) find that when people are exposed to tweets containing the term “fake news,” they become less able to discern real from fraudulent news stories. Similarly, Clayton et al. (2019) find that participants from Mechanical Turk who are exposed to a general warning about the prevalence of misleading information on social media then tend to rate headlines from both legitimate and untrustworthy news sources as less accurate, suggesting that the warning causes an indiscriminate form of skepticism.”

Prediction of the Week — Trump responding to Biden choosing Harris as his running mate: "She was my number one draft pick and we'll see how she works out. She did very, very poorly in the primaries as you know. She was expected to do well and she ended up right around 2 percent."

Submit your comments and links for this section via Twitter by tagging @PredictIt and the hashtag #crowdsourced with your submission. If we select your comment for the newsletter, you get a $10 credit!

In Case You Missed It!

PHOTO: THE EPOCH TIMES/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0

PredictIt markets were mentioned often in the news this week, including by: Yahoo! News, New York Times, Barron's, Marker, ValueWalk, Seeking Alpha, Investing, The Daily Wire, Hot Air, MI Bets, Election Central, Casino.org (1, 2 and 3), Ahora Mismo, Le Temps, DraftKings, US Bets, UpNewsInfo, Extra Newsfeed and Mediaite.

This Week's Quotable — from Yahoo! Finance article “Markets Brace for U.S. Election Volatility. Well, Some of Them”:

“Trump has been losing ground in opinion polls and his chance to remain in the White House was around 43 percent, according to forecasting site PredictIt.org, down from a 2020 high of 57 percent in late February.”

We are always crowdsourcing new market ideas from traders. Send ideas to markets@predictit.org. Be sure and include a legitimate resolution source.

Thanks for following the markets!

Team @PredictIt

[weopenviews]

Donald Trump is calling for his followers to LIBERATE the states from the social-distancing measures that are staving off an even greater coronavirus death toll. Trump’s enforcer, Attorney General Bill Barr, is now poised to support Trump’s call for insurrection by turning to the federal courts—seeded with a legion of newly installed right-wing jurists—to undermine critical public-health protections on his boss’ behalf. If Barr and Trump get their way, the states will soon be “opened up” to the virus, and thus to a massive number of needless deaths. While Trump began openly attacking his own social-distancing guidelines over the past week, Barr has been doing so for some time. During an April 8 interview on Fox News, the AG described the steps belatedly taken to limit spread of the virus as “draconian.” He also said that “after April 30,” the Department of Justice would begin to scrutinize such “restrictions on our liberty” more closely. Republicans Cheer as Trumpist Judge Launches Holy War Against GovernmentDays later, some of the same big-money donors that had funded the Tea Party began fabricating a movement that responded to Trump’s recent tweets by sending small numbers of protesters to mass at various statehouses to decry the public-health regulations that Trump claims are intended to undermine Americans’ constitutional rights.Last Friday, members of a group founded by former Reagan Attorney General Edwin Meese wrote to Barr, asserting that states are engaged in “rampant abuses of… civil liberties” that raise “serious concerns about violating the basic protections and rights guaranteed under the United States Constitution” and asking the DOJ to “undertake immediate review of all the orders that have been issued by the states and local governments” to protect against the spread of the coronavirus.The federal government virtually never engages in such an intrusive, nationwide review of state and local health regulations, let alone emergency regulations that were imposed at the express request of the president for the purpose of saving lives in the midst of a raging pandemic. Furthermore, Barr is a charter member of the Federalist Society, which supplied the president with the names of many of the young extremist lawyers who Trump and Mitch McConnell have been packing onto the federal judiciary. These conservatives have long claimed to be champions of “states’ rights” and opponents of earlier “activist” judges who, they claimed, were far too willing to interfere with state governance in the name of constitutional and civil rights. Yet there is every reason to believe that Barr, as well as many of the judges Trump has placed on the bench, will enthusiastically comply with the new call to undertake an offensive against states’ emergency health measures.In fact, as the activists noted in their April letter, Barr has already taken to the courts to oppose a local coronavirus health regulation. On April 14, well before the expiration of Trump’s own call for strict social-distancing measures during the “30 days to stop the spread,” the DOJ intervened in a Mississippi case to support a challenge to a municipal regulation barring “drive-in” church services.In the face of the DOJ’s action, along with pressure from the state’s GOP governor, the defendant city relented and allowed the services to proceed. While the danger posed to public health in that case may well in fact have been limited, the message was clear: Instead of supporting state and local efforts to protect citizens from the virus, the federal government is now arrayed to oppose them.The DOJ’s intervention in Mississippi immediately followed a Kentucky case in which a newly installed judge, who Trump has already nominated for a seat on the elite D.C .Court of Appeals, grandstanded by issuing an emergency ruling against a Louisville prohibition on a church’s worship practices. The judge took the time to write a lengthy opinion containing an impassioned screed against the city’s purported intrusions upon religious freedom, but not to hear evidence from the city before issuing his emergency order. As the city later demonstrated, the church actually had a recent history of flaunting social-distancing practices and endangering its parishioners.Then on Saturday, yet another recent Trump appointee to the federal bench took a further whack at a critical public-health regulation, issuing an emergency order nullifying the application of Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s ban on gatherings of more than 10 people at church services. The order came after Kansas’ own Supreme Court had declined to grant similar relief at the request of representatives of the state’s GOP-controlled legislature. The federal judge’s order recited a set of safety precautions that the church claimed it would follow, but offered no explanation for the judge’s choice to override the existing rules which—as explained—were grounded in guidance offered by Trump’s own public-health professionals. Both rulings came after religious gatherings across the country have already served as deadly vectors for the spread of the coronavirus—and as Trumpist lawmakers are planning further judicial interventions of their own. The speaker of Wisconsin’s state assembly—last seen dressed in full hospital garb telling voters they were perfectly safe standing to cast ballots in an election the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and then the U.S. Supreme Court, outrageously refused to delay—is now threatening to bring a lawsuit to nullify that state’s stay-at-home rules. And GOP legislators in other states are following Trump’s and Barr’s calls by threatening similar litigation and other challenges, in some cases only days after authorizing their governors to take emergency measures to protect the public from the pandemic.The spectacle of having judges second-guessing the determinations of state health professionals serves Barr and Trump’s broader goal: to undermine the legitimacy and authority of governors, some of them Democrats in swing states, who have received far more robust public support for their effective responses to the pandemic than Trump has for his catastrophically late efforts. Barr’s efforts now to undermine the authority of governors is of a piece with his past work undermining the legitimacy of his own Justice Department, as well as the nation’s intelligence community and diplomatic corps, to help Trump escape the consequences of his criminal conduct during Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and then his scheme to pressure Ukraine to announce an investigation of his 2020 rival, Joe Biden. Yet while Barr’s past efforts to shred public confidence in governmental institutions have done a great deal of damage to the nation, the attorney general’s latest effort to misuse the authority of the law, and of the federal courts, to help Trump out of a political jam is likely to have more immediate, and fatal, consequences.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3asiX6w

[morningusa]

Donald Trump is calling for his followers to LIBERATE the states from the social-distancing measures that are staving off an even greater coronavirus death toll. Trump’s enforcer, Attorney General Bill Barr, is now poised to support Trump’s call for insurrection by turning to the federal courts—seeded with a legion of newly installed right-wing jurists—to undermine critical public-health protections on his boss’ behalf. If Barr and Trump get their way, the states will soon be “opened up” to the virus, and thus to a massive number of needless deaths. While Trump began openly attacking his own social-distancing guidelines over the past week, Barr has been doing so for some time. During an April 8 interview on Fox News, the AG described the steps belatedly taken to limit spread of the virus as “draconian.” He also said that “after April 30,” the Department of Justice would begin to scrutinize such “restrictions on our liberty” more closely. Republicans Cheer as Trumpist Judge Launches Holy War Against GovernmentDays later, some of the same big-money donors that had funded the Tea Party began fabricating a movement that responded to Trump’s recent tweets by sending small numbers of protesters to mass at various statehouses to decry the public-health regulations that Trump claims are intended to undermine Americans’ constitutional rights.Last Friday, members of a group founded by former Reagan Attorney General Edwin Meese wrote to Barr, asserting that states are engaged in “rampant abuses of… civil liberties” that raise “serious concerns about violating the basic protections and rights guaranteed under the United States Constitution” and asking the DOJ to “undertake immediate review of all the orders that have been issued by the states and local governments” to protect against the spread of the coronavirus.The federal government virtually never engages in such an intrusive, nationwide review of state and local health regulations, let alone emergency regulations that were imposed at the express request of the president for the purpose of saving lives in the midst of a raging pandemic. Furthermore, Barr is a charter member of the Federalist Society, which supplied the president with the names of many of the young extremist lawyers who Trump and Mitch McConnell have been packing onto the federal judiciary. These conservatives have long claimed to be champions of “states’ rights” and opponents of earlier “activist” judges who, they claimed, were far too willing to interfere with state governance in the name of constitutional and civil rights. Yet there is every reason to believe that Barr, as well as many of the judges Trump has placed on the bench, will enthusiastically comply with the new call to undertake an offensive against states’ emergency health measures.In fact, as the activists noted in their April letter, Barr has already taken to the courts to oppose a local coronavirus health regulation. On April 14, well before the expiration of Trump’s own call for strict social-distancing measures during the “30 days to stop the spread,” the DOJ intervened in a Mississippi case to support a challenge to a municipal regulation barring “drive-in” church services.In the face of the DOJ’s action, along with pressure from the state’s GOP governor, the defendant city relented and allowed the services to proceed. While the danger posed to public health in that case may well in fact have been limited, the message was clear: Instead of supporting state and local efforts to protect citizens from the virus, the federal government is now arrayed to oppose them.The DOJ’s intervention in Mississippi immediately followed a Kentucky case in which a newly installed judge, who Trump has already nominated for a seat on the elite D.C .Court of Appeals, grandstanded by issuing an emergency ruling against a Louisville prohibition on a church’s worship practices. The judge took the time to write a lengthy opinion containing an impassioned screed against the city’s purported intrusions upon religious freedom, but not to hear evidence from the city before issuing his emergency order. As the city later demonstrated, the church actually had a recent history of flaunting social-distancing practices and endangering its parishioners.Then on Saturday, yet another recent Trump appointee to the federal bench took a further whack at a critical public-health regulation, issuing an emergency order nullifying the application of Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s ban on gatherings of more than 10 people at church services. The order came after Kansas’ own Supreme Court had declined to grant similar relief at the request of representatives of the state’s GOP-controlled legislature. The federal judge’s order recited a set of safety precautions that the church claimed it would follow, but offered no explanation for the judge’s choice to override the existing rules which—as explained—were grounded in guidance offered by Trump’s own public-health professionals. Both rulings came after religious gatherings across the country have already served as deadly vectors for the spread of the coronavirus—and as Trumpist lawmakers are planning further judicial interventions of their own. The speaker of Wisconsin’s state assembly—last seen dressed in full hospital garb telling voters they were perfectly safe standing to cast ballots in an election the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and then the U.S. Supreme Court, outrageously refused to delay—is now threatening to bring a lawsuit to nullify that state’s stay-at-home rules. And GOP legislators in other states are following Trump’s and Barr’s calls by threatening similar litigation and other challenges, in some cases only days after authorizing their governors to take emergency measures to protect the public from the pandemic.The spectacle of having judges second-guessing the determinations of state health professionals serves Barr and Trump’s broader goal: to undermine the legitimacy and authority of governors, some of them Democrats in swing states, who have received far more robust public support for their effective responses to the pandemic than Trump has for his catastrophically late efforts. Barr’s efforts now to undermine the authority of governors is of a piece with his past work undermining the legitimacy of his own Justice Department, as well as the nation’s intelligence community and diplomatic corps, to help Trump escape the consequences of his criminal conduct during Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and then his scheme to pressure Ukraine to announce an investigation of his 2020 rival, Joe Biden. Yet while Barr’s past efforts to shred public confidence in governmental institutions have done a great deal of damage to the nation, the attorney general’s latest effort to misuse the authority of the law, and of the federal courts, to help Trump out of a political jam is likely to have more immediate, and fatal, consequences.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines

[worldviraltrending]

As the Trump administration scrambles to get a hand on the spread of the new coronavirus across the U.S., it is keeping one eye on developments in China, the country where the pandemic originated.According to two officials with knowledge of those efforts and cables reviewed by The Daily Beast, the administration is monitoring China’s second wave of coronavirus cases, gathering data on the ground on the number of individuals newly infected and the reasons for the recent uptick. Over the past few days Chinese officials have noted an emergence of new cases, particularly in asymptomatic individuals. But U.S. officials say it is difficult to trust Beijing’s numbers because of its history of putting out unreliable data.The push for real-time intelligence on China’s new outbreak is an attempt by U.S. officials not only to study what factors can lead to a reemergence of the virus but also to get ahead of any attempt by Beijing to—yet again—put a spin on it, those same officials said. The White House is leaning on officials from across several agencies, including the State Department, Centers for Disease Control and the intel community to probe how Beijing is handling the new cases so as to better understand what the U.S. could expect later this year, when medical officials believe a second round of infections may happen as well.  Grim Scenes at Chinese Hospitals as Doctors Rush to Treat Deadly CoronavirusThe effort by the U.S. to gather new data in China could rattle an already delicate detente that Washington and Beijing appear to have reached on coronavirus messaging.For weeks following the initial outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China, the Trump administration called out Beijing for misleading the world about the reality of the situation on the ground, claiming the lack of information and the silencing of health-care workers helped lead to the global spread of the virus. China relentlessly pushed back on that assertion and demanded that the U.S. stop referring to the coronavirus as the “Wuhan virus”—as several top Trump officials were doing. Since then, both President Trump and President Xi have toned down the tough talk and the State Department in cables has refrained from referring to the coronavirus as the “Wuhan virus”. In public appearances and behind closed doors Trump has changed his tune, calling Xi his good “friend” and an “incredible guy”.But officials who spoke to The Daily Beast said they worry that China could again manipulate its numbers, costing the U.S. and countries across the world valuable information needed to fight another wave of coronavirus cases. According to one State Department cable reviewed by The Daily Beast, China’s National Health Commission appears to be linking the second wave with an uptick in individuals testing positive who do not show signs of symptoms. The Chinese government began reporting the number of asymptomatic cases on the mainland for the first time on April 1. As of last week China reported that 1,075 people with no signs of symptoms were “under medical observation.” About 135 of those individuals had tested positive for COVID-19. “These asymptomatic infections include individuals who do not show any signs of illness but who have a positive laboratory test result for the virus that causes COVID-19,” the cable reads. “Asymptomatic infections represented about one-third of current cases [in mainland China] as of March 31.” White House Pushes U.S. Officials to Criticize China For Coronavirus ‘Cover-Up’The fear of a second wave through asymptomatic individuals is concerning Chinese officials so much that some cities are now requiring individuals scan their QR health codes before riding public transportation. In Wuhan, the local government is reportedly considering “testing all residents to find asymptomatic persons due to fears of a second outbreak,” according to that same cable.Like China, the Trump administration is increasingly worried about the spread of the coronavirus from asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control issued new guidelines advising Americans to wear cloth face covers or masks while around other people even if they did not feel sick.The administration had hesitated on issuing such guidance in part out of concern that a run on medical masks would further hamper American hospitals that are struggling to procure personal protective equipment for their workers. In order to address that shortage, President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner last week announced that he and White House adviser Peter Navarro were working with a team to help buy supplies like masks and gowns internationally, including from China. But the Chinese supplies are a subject of concern as well, after reports of faulty equipment in places such as Spain and the Netherlands.According to a State Department cable, China last week implemented a new policy to ensure all of the medical supplies it planned to export were functioning correctly.“The policy regulated exports of medical supplies including detection reagents, medical masks protective clothing, ventilators, and thermometers by requiring exporters to provide documentation that shipments meet China’s medical device product registration requirements,” the cable reads. As the administration tries to track down accurate data in China on the new asymptomatic cases sweeping the country, it’s also looking to keep Chinese disinformation at bay. In the State Department, officials have been tasked with flagging “news” stories and foreign cables that appear to propagate false information. For example, the State Department highlighted in a cable last week the statements made by Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to France. “Following international media reports that the COVID-19 death toll in Wuhan had been dramatically understated (as evidenced by the social media posts, now censored, showing a large number of urns and long lines of residents at government-operated crematoriums)… Shanye told French media that official statistics in Wuhan were accurate,” the cable reads. “When asked why the PRC government censored videos and pictures of the long queues of persons waiting to pick up urns, Lu said, ‘if they were censored, where did you get those pictures and videos?’”  The ambassador was referring to photos that spread on social media last week showing stacks of urns in Wuhan funeral homes. The photos have been deleted but their publishing raised additional questions about the true scale of the coronavirus crisis in China.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ReD1Ti

[batenchantingcollectorsong]

As the Trump administration scrambles to get a hand on the spread of the new coronavirus across the U.S., it is keeping one eye on developments in China, the country where the pandemic originated.According to two officials with knowledge of those efforts and cables reviewed by The Daily Beast, the administration is monitoring China’s second wave of coronavirus cases, gathering data on the ground on the number of individuals newly infected and the reasons for the recent uptick. Over the past few days Chinese officials have noted an emergence of new cases, particularly in asymptomatic individuals. But U.S. officials say it is difficult to trust Beijing’s numbers because of its history of putting out unreliable data.The push for real-time intelligence on China’s new outbreak is an attempt by U.S. officials not only to study what factors can lead to a reemergence of the virus but also to get ahead of any attempt by Beijing to—yet again—put a spin on it, those same officials said. The White House is leaning on officials from across several agencies, including the State Department, Centers for Disease Control and the intel community to probe how Beijing is handling the new cases so as to better understand what the U.S. could expect later this year, when medical officials believe a second round of infections may happen as well.  Grim Scenes at Chinese Hospitals as Doctors Rush to Treat Deadly CoronavirusThe effort by the U.S. to gather new data in China could rattle an already delicate detente that Washington and Beijing appear to have reached on coronavirus messaging.For weeks following the initial outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China, the Trump administration called out Beijing for misleading the world about the reality of the situation on the ground, claiming the lack of information and the silencing of health-care workers helped lead to the global spread of the virus. China relentlessly pushed back on that assertion and demanded that the U.S. stop referring to the coronavirus as the “Wuhan virus”—as several top Trump officials were doing. Since then, both President Trump and President Xi have toned down the tough talk and the State Department in cables has refrained from referring to the coronavirus as the “Wuhan virus”. In public appearances and behind closed doors Trump has changed his tune, calling Xi his good “friend” and an “incredible guy”.But officials who spoke to The Daily Beast said they worry that China could again manipulate its numbers, costing the U.S. and countries across the world valuable information needed to fight another wave of coronavirus cases. According to one State Department cable reviewed by The Daily Beast, China’s National Health Commission appears to be linking the second wave with an uptick in individuals testing positive who do not show signs of symptoms. The Chinese government began reporting the number of asymptomatic cases on the mainland for the first time on April 1. As of last week China reported that 1,075 people with no signs of symptoms were “under medical observation.” About 135 of those individuals had tested positive for COVID-19. “These asymptomatic infections include individuals who do not show any signs of illness but who have a positive laboratory test result for the virus that causes COVID-19,” the cable reads. “Asymptomatic infections represented about one-third of current cases [in mainland China] as of March 31.” White House Pushes U.S. Officials to Criticize China For Coronavirus ‘Cover-Up’The fear of a second wave through asymptomatic individuals is concerning Chinese officials so much that some cities are now requiring individuals scan their QR health codes before riding public transportation. In Wuhan, the local government is reportedly considering “testing all residents to find asymptomatic persons due to fears of a second outbreak,” according to that same cable.Like China, the Trump administration is increasingly worried about the spread of the coronavirus from asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control issued new guidelines advising Americans to wear cloth face covers or masks while around other people even if they did not feel sick.The administration had hesitated on issuing such guidance in part out of concern that a run on medical masks would further hamper American hospitals that are struggling to procure personal protective equipment for their workers. In order to address that shortage, President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner last week announced that he and White House adviser Peter Navarro were working with a team to help buy supplies like masks and gowns internationally, including from China. But the Chinese supplies are a subject of concern as well, after reports of faulty equipment in places such as Spain and the Netherlands.According to a State Department cable, China last week implemented a new policy to ensure all of the medical supplies it planned to export were functioning correctly.“The policy regulated exports of medical supplies including detection reagents, medical masks protective clothing, ventilators, and thermometers by requiring exporters to provide documentation that shipments meet China’s medical device product registration requirements,” the cable reads. As the administration tries to track down accurate data in China on the new asymptomatic cases sweeping the country, it’s also looking to keep Chinese disinformation at bay. In the State Department, officials have been tasked with flagging “news” stories and foreign cables that appear to propagate false information. For example, the State Department highlighted in a cable last week the statements made by Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to France. “Following international media reports that the COVID-19 death toll in Wuhan had been dramatically understated (as evidenced by the social media posts, now censored, showing a large number of urns and long lines of residents at government-operated crematoriums)… Shanye told French media that official statistics in Wuhan were accurate,” the cable reads. “When asked why the PRC government censored videos and pictures of the long queues of persons waiting to pick up urns, Lu said, ‘if they were censored, where did you get those pictures and videos?’”  The ambassador was referring to photos that spread on social media last week showing stacks of urns in Wuhan funeral homes. The photos have been deleted but their publishing raised additional questions about the true scale of the coronavirus crisis in China.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ReD1Ti

[attredd]

As the Trump administration scrambles to get a hand on the spread of the new coronavirus across the U.S., it is keeping one eye on developments in China, the country where the pandemic originated.According to two officials with knowledge of those efforts and cables reviewed by The Daily Beast, the administration is monitoring China’s second wave of coronavirus cases, gathering data on the ground on the number of individuals newly infected and the reasons for the recent uptick. Over the past few days Chinese officials have noted an emergence of new cases, particularly in asymptomatic individuals. But U.S. officials say it is difficult to trust Beijing’s numbers because of its history of putting out unreliable data.The push for real-time intelligence on China’s new outbreak is an attempt by U.S. officials not only to study what factors can lead to a reemergence of the virus but also to get ahead of any attempt by Beijing to—yet again—put a spin on it, those same officials said. The White House is leaning on officials from across several agencies, including the State Department, Centers for Disease Control and the intel community to probe how Beijing is handling the new cases so as to better understand what the U.S. could expect later this year, when medical officials believe a second round of infections may happen as well.  Grim Scenes at Chinese Hospitals as Doctors Rush to Treat Deadly CoronavirusThe effort by the U.S. to gather new data in China could rattle an already delicate detente that Washington and Beijing appear to have reached on coronavirus messaging.For weeks following the initial outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China, the Trump administration called out Beijing for misleading the world about the reality of the situation on the ground, claiming the lack of information and the silencing of health-care workers helped lead to the global spread of the virus. China relentlessly pushed back on that assertion and demanded that the U.S. stop referring to the coronavirus as the “Wuhan virus”—as several top Trump officials were doing. Since then, both President Trump and President Xi have toned down the tough talk and the State Department in cables has refrained from referring to the coronavirus as the “Wuhan virus”. In public appearances and behind closed doors Trump has changed his tune, calling Xi his good “friend” and an “incredible guy”.But officials who spoke to The Daily Beast said they worry that China could again manipulate its numbers, costing the U.S. and countries across the world valuable information needed to fight another wave of coronavirus cases. According to one State Department cable reviewed by The Daily Beast, China’s National Health Commission appears to be linking the second wave with an uptick in individuals testing positive who do not show signs of symptoms. The Chinese government began reporting the number of asymptomatic cases on the mainland for the first time on April 1. As of last week China reported that 1,075 people with no signs of symptoms were “under medical observation.” About 135 of those individuals had tested positive for COVID-19. “These asymptomatic infections include individuals who do not show any signs of illness but who have a positive laboratory test result for the virus that causes COVID-19,” the cable reads. “Asymptomatic infections represented about one-third of current cases [in mainland China] as of March 31.” White House Pushes U.S. Officials to Criticize China For Coronavirus ‘Cover-Up’The fear of a second wave through asymptomatic individuals is concerning Chinese officials so much that some cities are now requiring individuals scan their QR health codes before riding public transportation. In Wuhan, the local government is reportedly considering “testing all residents to find asymptomatic persons due to fears of a second outbreak,” according to that same cable.Like China, the Trump administration is increasingly worried about the spread of the coronavirus from asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control issued new guidelines advising Americans to wear cloth face covers or masks while around other people even if they did not feel sick.The administration had hesitated on issuing such guidance in part out of concern that a run on medical masks would further hamper American hospitals that are struggling to procure personal protective equipment for their workers. In order to address that shortage, President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner last week announced that he and White House adviser Peter Navarro were working with a team to help buy supplies like masks and gowns internationally, including from China. But the Chinese supplies are a subject of concern as well, after reports of faulty equipment in places such as Spain and the Netherlands.According to a State Department cable, China last week implemented a new policy to ensure all of the medical supplies it planned to export were functioning correctly.“The policy regulated exports of medical supplies including detection reagents, medical masks protective clothing, ventilators, and thermometers by requiring exporters to provide documentation that shipments meet China’s medical device product registration requirements,” the cable reads. As the administration tries to track down accurate data in China on the new asymptomatic cases sweeping the country, it’s also looking to keep Chinese disinformation at bay. In the State Department, officials have been tasked with flagging “news” stories and foreign cables that appear to propagate false information. For example, the State Department highlighted in a cable last week the statements made by Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to France. “Following international media reports that the COVID-19 death toll in Wuhan had been dramatically understated (as evidenced by the social media posts, now censored, showing a large number of urns and long lines of residents at government-operated crematoriums)… Shanye told French media that official statistics in Wuhan were accurate,” the cable reads. “When asked why the PRC government censored videos and pictures of the long queues of persons waiting to pick up urns, Lu said, ‘if they were censored, where did you get those pictures and videos?’”  The ambassador was referring to photos that spread on social media last week showing stacks of urns in Wuhan funeral homes. The photos have been deleted but their publishing raised additional questions about the true scale of the coronavirus crisis in China.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ReD1Ti

[keenmoontriumph]

As the Trump administration scrambles to get a hand on the spread of the new coronavirus across the U.S., it is keeping one eye on developments in China, the country where the pandemic originated.According to two officials with knowledge of those efforts and cables reviewed by The Daily Beast, the administration is monitoring China’s second wave of coronavirus cases, gathering data on the ground on the number of individuals newly infected and the reasons for the recent uptick. Over the past few days Chinese officials have noted an emergence of new cases, particularly in asymptomatic individuals. But U.S. officials say it is difficult to trust Beijing’s numbers because of its history of putting out unreliable data.The push for real-time intelligence on China’s new outbreak is an attempt by U.S. officials not only to study what factors can lead to a reemergence of the virus but also to get ahead of any attempt by Beijing to—yet again—put a spin on it, those same officials said. The White House is leaning on officials from across several agencies, including the State Department, Centers for Disease Control and the intel community to probe how Beijing is handling the new cases so as to better understand what the U.S. could expect later this year, when medical officials believe a second round of infections may happen as well.  Grim Scenes at Chinese Hospitals as Doctors Rush to Treat Deadly CoronavirusThe effort by the U.S. to gather new data in China could rattle an already delicate detente that Washington and Beijing appear to have reached on coronavirus messaging.For weeks following the initial outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China, the Trump administration called out Beijing for misleading the world about the reality of the situation on the ground, claiming the lack of information and the silencing of health-care workers helped lead to the global spread of the virus. China relentlessly pushed back on that assertion and demanded that the U.S. stop referring to the coronavirus as the “Wuhan virus”—as several top Trump officials were doing. Since then, both President Trump and President Xi have toned down the tough talk and the State Department in cables has refrained from referring to the coronavirus as the “Wuhan virus”. In public appearances and behind closed doors Trump has changed his tune, calling Xi his good “friend” and an “incredible guy”.But officials who spoke to The Daily Beast said they worry that China could again manipulate its numbers, costing the U.S. and countries across the world valuable information needed to fight another wave of coronavirus cases. According to one State Department cable reviewed by The Daily Beast, China’s National Health Commission appears to be linking the second wave with an uptick in individuals testing positive who do not show signs of symptoms. The Chinese government began reporting the number of asymptomatic cases on the mainland for the first time on April 1. As of last week China reported that 1,075 people with no signs of symptoms were “under medical observation.” About 135 of those individuals had tested positive for COVID-19. “These asymptomatic infections include individuals who do not show any signs of illness but who have a positive laboratory test result for the virus that causes COVID-19,” the cable reads. “Asymptomatic infections represented about one-third of current cases [in mainland China] as of March 31.” White House Pushes U.S. Officials to Criticize China For Coronavirus ‘Cover-Up’The fear of a second wave through asymptomatic individuals is concerning Chinese officials so much that some cities are now requiring individuals scan their QR health codes before riding public transportation. In Wuhan, the local government is reportedly considering “testing all residents to find asymptomatic persons due to fears of a second outbreak,” according to that same cable.Like China, the Trump administration is increasingly worried about the spread of the coronavirus from asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control issued new guidelines advising Americans to wear cloth face covers or masks while around other people even if they did not feel sick.The administration had hesitated on issuing such guidance in part out of concern that a run on medical masks would further hamper American hospitals that are struggling to procure personal protective equipment for their workers. In order to address that shortage, President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner last week announced that he and White House adviser Peter Navarro were working with a team to help buy supplies like masks and gowns internationally, including from China. But the Chinese supplies are a subject of concern as well, after reports of faulty equipment in places such as Spain and the Netherlands.According to a State Department cable, China last week implemented a new policy to ensure all of the medical supplies it planned to export were functioning correctly.“The policy regulated exports of medical supplies including detection reagents, medical masks protective clothing, ventilators, and thermometers by requiring exporters to provide documentation that shipments meet China’s medical device product registration requirements,” the cable reads. As the administration tries to track down accurate data in China on the new asymptomatic cases sweeping the country, it’s also looking to keep Chinese disinformation at bay. In the State Department, officials have been tasked with flagging “news” stories and foreign cables that appear to propagate false information. For example, the State Department highlighted in a cable last week the statements made by Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to France. “Following international media reports that the COVID-19 death toll in Wuhan had been dramatically understated (as evidenced by the social media posts, now censored, showing a large number of urns and long lines of residents at government-operated crematoriums)… Shanye told French media that official statistics in Wuhan were accurate,” the cable reads. “When asked why the PRC government censored videos and pictures of the long queues of persons waiting to pick up urns, Lu said, ‘if they were censored, where did you get those pictures and videos?’”  The ambassador was referring to photos that spread on social media last week showing stacks of urns in Wuhan funeral homes. The photos have been deleted but their publishing raised additional questions about the true scale of the coronavirus crisis in China.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ReD1Ti

http://computershelpers.blogspot.com/2020/04/us-eyes-second-coronavirus-outbreak-in.html

[yahoonews7]

[Editor's note: "7 5G Stocks to Connect Your Portfolio To" was previously published in November 2019. It has since been updated to include the most relevant information available.]I have discussed the importance of various 5G stocks to buy before, but, of course, such a notion is nothing new. This latest telecom innovation represents a shift in the industry. Major players and even government bodies have pushed for 5G integration. But to truly understand the phenomenon behind 5G stocks, we should look back in time to the 4G upgrade.It's been more than a decade since the first 4G handset hit U.S. retail stores. Back then, we witnessed the same challenges that we must address today; namely, the lack of viable networks.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsHowever, the massive increase in data transmission speeds made efforts to overcome the challenges worthwhile. For instance, some early 4G networks download speeds of 100Mbps, substantially greater than an average 3G download speed of 2Mbps. That's the allure of 5G stocks.Moreover, think about the amazing technologies that either sprouted or were improved via 4G's introduction. For example, we take for granted today that we can hail a ride through Uber (NYSE:UBER) or Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT). But the viability of this platform was really only possible through the 4G network. The same can be said about mobile streaming on services such as Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX). * 7 Large-Cap Stocks to Give a Wide Berth In other words, 5G doesn't just offer an industry from which to pick stocks to buy. Instead, this technology enables other technologies to flourish. It's a force-multiplier, one that comes around only once every several years.With that, here are my seven picks for 5G stocks to buy: AT&T (T)Source: Lester Balajadia / Shutterstock.com AT&T (NYSE:T) is a name that almost everyone is familiar with. However, it doesn't get much love as a candidate for stocks to buy. Even though T stock represents an iconic brand, the underlying company has unprecedented debt levels from expensive acquisitions.Even worse, those acquisitions apparently aren't gaining satisfactory traction. Of course, I'm referring to the $85 billion Time Warner acquisition. Initially, AT&T bought the company on hopes of original content strength and streaming revenue opportunities. However, fears of AT&T cannibalizing itself has put off some investors from T stock.But with all due respect, I think this perspective is shortsighted, as signified by the recent AT&T rally. I believe AT&T is one of the best 5G stocks to buy. With the coming network rollout, it's not just about technological prowess; instead, the rollout will require massive resources and wide-ranging telecom assets.Few names have the capacity to integrate 5G competently. Although it has some big issues, T stock is one of those players. Qualcomm (QCOM)Source: Shutterstock Under almost any other circumstance, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) would easily qualify as one of the best 5G stocks to buy. Thanks to its next-generation chips, Qualcomm has an early head start on this transformative telecom innovation. That right there is a good enough reason to seriously consider QCOM stock.However, legal troubles with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) have cast a dark cloud over QCOM stock.Typically, semiconductor firms sell licenses of their core technologies, but Qualcomm charges royalties on top of innovations that are only loosely associated with the initial license.After settling the suit last year, Qualcomm added about 50% to its stock price and has since marched steadily upward. * 10 Cheap Stocks to Buy Under $10 As I have argued in the past, tech firms have ceased to exist in a vacuum. Instead, we're in a tech cold war for future digital dominance. Therefore, I believe the future is bright for QCOM stock because, well, it has to be. Micron (MU)Source: Shutterstock Speaking of vacuums, the 5G industry itself doesn't ply its trade in isolation. Instead, you see natural synergies and partnerships to help make the most of the tech in the shortest time possible. That's why on your shopping list of 5G stocks to buy, you shouldn't overlook Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) and MU stock.Earlier this year, Micron and Qualcomm announced a partnership to develop 5G-enabled autonomous driving platforms. This is a great example of the far-reaching impact of 5G technologies. With exponentially faster transmission speeds, autonomous vehicles can more quickly transition from concept to reality. Additionally, 5G speeds should make such AVs safer as they can react to dynamic conditions or dangers.Another plus for MU stock is the geopolitical environment. Micron of all companies on my list of stocks to buy recognizes the economic threat that is China. After suffering sometimes brazen acts of corporate espionage, Micron realizes that American tech firms haven't played on equal ground with the Asian juggernaut.But thanks to the no-nonsense Trump administration, MU stock has some executive support. Moving forward, I like that measure of confidence. Nvidia (NVDA)Source: Shutterstock If you're a hardcore gamer, you typically associate Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) with its gaming-centric graphics processors.However, the semiconductor firm has evolved into a comprehensive tech umbrella, providing solutions with data science, artificial intelligence, and deep learning. But what does this have to do with 5G stocks to buy?Simply, we're moving to a point now where no tech innovation occurs in isolation. Prior to 4G, most computerized solutions focused on data analytics and big data. But with 4G's data-transmission speed upgrade, engineers were able to realize multiple AI applications, such as AVs and other automated platforms. Since Nvidia leads in these innovations, NVDA stock provides attractive exposure. * 9 Up-and-Coming Small-Cap Stocks to Watch But with 5G, several industries are looking to take the next step in automation. In many cases, this means that companies are looking to replace human operators with AI-driven systems.Of course, such a notion is further out on the horizon. Still, I'd keep NVDA stock on my must-watch list, especially since shares are currently deflated relative to their all-time highs. Xilinx (XLNX)It's a theme that consistently runs throughout 5G stocks: no one player owns the entire 5G supply chain. Thus, part of the problem regarding the next-gen telecom rollout is the broader lack of equipment upgrades.Simply put, 5G requires multiple components, from the network down to the chips used to facilitate data transmissions.While it might not be a household name, 5G investors should check out Xilinx (NASDAQ:XLNX) and XLNX stock.For one thing, the company has introduced a groundbreaking chipset that covers the entire sub-6 GHz spectrum. This is essentially the radio frequency that makes 5G possible.Second, several 5G players already use Xilinx chips. That number will surely rise as the rollout deepens. Furthermore, Xilinx will likely pick up additional clients, making XLNX stock an attractive proposition.Finally, Xilinx offers critical solutions in growing and lucrative markets such as AI and data centers. Thus, no matter what happens with 5G, XLNX stock will likely benefit from robust demand. Ericsson (ERIC)Without any historical context, 5G investors would probably peg Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) as one of their top stocks to buy.After all, Ericsson provides the communications equipment that makes the 5G rollout practically accessible. Therefore, ERIC stock is an easy buy.Of course, Ericsson's long-term price chart tells a different tale. During the tech bubble of the late 1990s to early 2000s, ERIC stock was a legitimate three-digit security. As we all know, the bursting of that bubble deflated virtually all tech players.Later, ERIC stock peaked around the $20 level before collapsing during the last major housing crisis and the Great Recession. With shares currently trading hands at under $10, I can understand the hesitation regarding holding the bag. * 4 Energy Stocks to Power the New Year However, Ericsson does have a major geopolitical tailwind in the form of the U.S.-China trade war. With Huawei at least temporarily out of the picture, Ericsson has an opportunity to take advantage. This is one of the riskier propositions among 5G stocks to buy. But if you can stomach it, ERIC stock offers an intriguing opportunity. Semtech (SMTC)Analog and mixed-signal semiconductor supplier Semtech (NASDAQ:SMTC) offers natural exposure to 5G, along with other lucrative segments like the Internet of Things, data centers, and mobility. That said, SMTC stock has seen better days. Shares enjoyed a solid start to the year before negative earnings revisions for the year attracted volatility.However, I believe the nearer-term volatility in SMTC stock is just a blip on the radar. For one thing, Semtech features very stable financials. It has a relatively small debt load relative to its cash holdings.Moreover, Semtech has delivered consistently positive earnings, leading to an equally consistent free cash flow. Thus, the company can respond to fresh opportunities without worrying about the financial impact.Second, the 5G network is bound to grow in both scope and complexity. Not only are individual companies racing for an edge, so too are countries. Such dynamics provide a pathway to profitability for SMTC stock, making the nearer-term noise just that: noise.As of this writing, Josh Enomoto was long T stock. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 9 Retail Stocks Goldman Sachs Says Are Ready to Rip * 7 Services Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2019 * 6 Stocks to Buy and 1 to Sell Based on Insider Trading The post 7 5G Stocks to Connect Your Portfolio To appeared first on InvestorPlace.

from Yahoo Finance https://ift.tt/377r3kt

[jhansikumari]

A search engine you pay for searching?

A search engine you pay for searching

A search engine you pay for searching?

As editor of a large Article Directory, which currently has more than 20,000 articles, we receive hundreds of new ideas that arrive every day.... but I have received two new articles this past week, both of which have made me sit up and notice. This is the first one I'm going to leave for a second article.

Many million searches are conducted every day, admittedly more than 80 percent of those searches are currently conducted by internet users who go through either Google, MSN or Yahoo, but then like this new search engine, they also had to start somewhere. After all, Google began just a few years ago, now see how massive they are. 

That's how the new search engine works: you've got your own search portal, just like you'd search for one of the big three. Although you are searching through your own personal search portal instead of using say Google. The results they deliver are both fast and very good, and delivered in the same way they would be with any other search engine, but here's the difference! 

1/. They'll just give you $50 to join, no catch, your account will be credited as soon as you join them.

2/. When you join, you then get the personal link to your own search portal, which you then use whenever you want to do an internet search.

3/. Oh, 3/. Each time you search, they will CREDIT your account using your own search site.

Now the chance!

The Search Portal link is YOU-specific, so the idea is for you to get your family, and perhaps even business colleagues to use YOUR Search Portal as well, after all it won't cost them anything, and they'll get good results. The more people you can use your search portal the better.... BECAUSE whenever it is used by anyone using YOUR Search Engine Portal link to make a search, the search company pays you!!

It's going even further, it's totally free for you, and you get the $50 sign-up bonus mentioned above, but if your friends also sign up, they get the $50 bonus as well as their friends and friends!

So you have to have a catch?

I didn't find one, and I looked closely at it. I actually think it's a great idea, I've tried it, and as promised, my account credit has increased as they said it would. I think it's a very new idea that could really take off. It's totally free to use, it doesn't cost anything to the consumers, so as far as I can see it's a win win situation.

The search engine I'm talking about is also a pay-per-click search engine, and they want you to use the money you earn to purchase Pay-per-click listings, but then if you've got your own website and you're just doing searches to raise money for Free, it also means you're getting your "clicks" for Free as well. You have also paid fees, which I understand allows you to take the money that you receive in the form of cash bonuses, charged twice a month by PayPal.

This looks like a new way to get free traffic to my website from my point of view.

And eventually if you've got a website, or maybe you're hoping to have one in the future, you'd like to advertise it for Free, that's something you really should look at.

They could be the next big player on the internet after all, and you get in on the ground floor!

source https://blog.hireavirtualassistant.net/2019/12/a-search-engine-you-pay-for-searching.html