#creating secure email policies

[kopfconsulting]

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC play a critical role in email authentication and deliverability. Learn how to set up and validate these records, avoid email forwarding issues, and protect your sender reputation with actionable tips and tools.

[vague-humanoid]

At the California Institute of the Arts, it all started with a videoconference between the registrar’s office and a nonprofit.

One of the nonprofit’s representatives had enabled an AI note-taking tool from Read AI. At the end of the meeting, it emailed a summary to all attendees, said Allan Chen, the institute’s chief technology officer. They could have a copy of the notes, if they wanted — they just needed to create their own account.

Next thing Chen knew, Read AI’s bot had popped up inabout a dozen of his meetings over a one-week span. It was in one-on-one check-ins. Project meetings. “Everything.”

The spread “was very aggressive,” recalled Chen, who also serves as vice president for institute technology. And it “took us by surprise.”

The scenariounderscores a growing challenge for colleges: Tech adoption and experimentation among students, faculty, and staff — especially as it pertains to AI — are outpacing institutions’ governance of these technologies and may even violate their data-privacy and security policies.

That has been the case with note-taking tools from companies including Read AI, Otter.ai, and Fireflies.ai.They can integrate with platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teamsto provide live transcriptions, meeting summaries, audio and video recordings, and other services.

Higher-ed interest in these products isn’t surprising.For those bogged down with virtual rendezvouses, a tool that can ingest long, winding conversations and spit outkey takeaways and action items is alluring. These services can also aid people with disabilities, including those who are deaf.

But the tools can quickly propagate unchecked across a university. They can auto-join any virtual meetings on a user’s calendar — even if that person is not in attendance. And that’s a concern, administrators say, if it means third-party productsthat an institution hasn’t reviewedmay be capturing and analyzing personal information, proprietary material, or confidential communications.

“What keeps me up at night is the ability for individual users to do things that are very powerful, but they don’t realize what they’re doing,” Chen said. “You may not realize you’re opening a can of worms.“

The Chronicle documented both individual and universitywide instances of this trend. At Tidewater Community College, in Virginia, Heather Brown, an instructional designer, unwittingly gave Otter.ai’s tool access to her calendar, and it joined a Faculty Senate meeting she didn’t end up attending. “One of our [associate vice presidents] reached out to inform me,” she wrote in a message. “I was mortified!”

[insurance-brokers-india]

What are the next steps after obtaining an insurance broker license, and how can you generate potential leads using Mzapp CRM software?

Congratulations on securing your insurance broker license! The journey doesn’t end here; it’s just the beginning of building a successful insurance brokerage. Here’s how you can proceed and leverage Mzapp CRM software to find potential leads:

Steps After Getting Your Insurance Broker License

Understand Your Market: Research your target audience (individuals, businesses, or specific sectors).

Develop a Business Plan: Set goals for client acquisition, revenue, and operational processes.

Build a Network: Partner with insurance providers and attend industry events to establish your presence.

Create an Online Presence: Build a professional website and maintain active profiles on social platforms.

Offer Value-Added Services: Educate customers on policies, claims management, and risk assessments.

Using Mzapp CRM Software to Generate Leads

Lead Capture: Utilize Mzapp’s integrated forms and web tracking tools to capture inquiries from your website or social media.

Automated Follow-Ups: Set up personalized email and SMS follow-ups to nurture leads effectively.

Lead Scoring: Prioritize leads based on their interaction history, ensuring you focus on high-potential prospects.

Data-Driven Campaigns: Use analytics to identify what works and launch targeted campaigns.

Seamless Policy Management: Impress leads by showcasing how smoothly you manage policies and claims through Mzapp.

Why Choose Mzapp CRM?

Mzapp CRM simplifies lead management, streamlines operations, and provides insights into customer behavior, making it easier to convert prospects into loyal clients.

Learn more about how Mzapp can transform your insurance business here.

[ms-demeanor]

Are there any email services you recommend? I'd love to ditch my gmail and maybe my outlook too.

Protonmail! I recommend protonmail!

There is some prior history where you'll see people complaining that protonmail shared customer data but the data they shared is data that is 100% necessary to be unencrypted as a result of email protocol and cannot be hidden even in extremely secure email (that protocol is why email is inherently insecure and if you want a secure messaging tool just use signal). As a result of the subpoena that forced them to share that data, they changed their retention policy in favor of keeping less data to better protect users.

WEIRD side issue: I've created a few online shopping accounts that did not allow me to create an account with a protonmail address; it's worthwhile to keep a throwaway gmail for exactly those kinds of things and those kinds of things only.

[sarkos]

As Musk brings his staff to the Office of Personnel Management, senior officials' access to data systems is being revoked. "We have no visibility into what they are doing with the computer and data systems," one of the officials said. "That is creating great concern. There is no oversight. It creates real cybersecurity and hacking implications." One key database, the officials cited, is Enterprise Human Resources Integration, which has "all of the birthdates, Social Security numbers, appraisals, home addresses, pay grades and lengths of service of government workers." Reuters spoke with University of Michigan Professor Don Moynihan, at the Ford School of Public Policy, who warned th at there doesn't seem to be any congressional oversight over Trump and Musk. "This makes it much harder for anyone outside Musk's inner circle at OPM to know what's going on," Moynihan said. The officials said they still have the power to log on and access their emails but there's no access to the massive datasets they managed. Musk demands that his team work overnight and 80-hour weeks to find all of the necessary cuts, violating federal labor laws unless a worker is paid overtime. However, it's unclear whether Musk or American taxpayers are paying those workers. Musk had sofa beds brought into the OPM office on Jan. 20, the day Trump took office, to ensure his personal team could work non-stop. The area can only be accessed with a special security badge or a security escort, an OPM employee said.

'Great concern': Musk aides reportedly lock career civil servants out of computer systems - Raw Story

[saywhat-politics]

Jan. 27, 2025, 1:00 PM MST

By Laura Strickler

A group of Quaker congregations is suing the Department of Homeland Security for changing a policy that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from carrying out operations in so-called “sensitive locations” such as houses of worship, playgrounds, schools and hospitals without approval from supervisors.

The policy, which had been in place under multiple administrations — including during President Donald Trump’s first term — was rescinded last week.

The lawsuit, which was filed in federal district court in Maryland on Monday, alleges, “The very threat of that [immigration] enforcement deters congregants from attending services, especially members of immigrant communities,” and argues that attending religious services is at the heart of the “guarantee of religious liberty.”

Faith leaders, local officials and educators have objected to the policy reversal and have been vocal about their opposition, but the suit appears to be the first from a faith-based organization challenging the change in court.

“A week ago today, President Trump swore an oath to defend the Constitution and yet today religious institutions that have existed since the 1600s in our country are having to go to court to challenge what is a violation of every individual’s constitutional right to worship and associate freely,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which is providing the lawyers representing the Quaker groups.

Perryman said the lawsuit addresses more than churches that act as sanctuaries. “The troubling nature of the policy goes beyond just houses of worship with sanctuary programs — it is that ICE could enter religious and sacred spaces whenever it wants,” she said.

Noah Merrill, secretary of the New England Yearly Meeting of Friends, one of the plaintiffs in the suit, told NBC News in an email: "Quaker meetings for worship seek to be a sanctuary and a refuge for all, and this new and invasive practice tangibly erodes that possibility by creating unnecessary anxiety, confusion, and chilling of our members’ and neighbors’ willingness to share with us in the worship which sustains our lives. This undermines our communities and, we believe, violates our religious freedom."

According to the lawsuit, the policy that protected “sensitive locations” from immigration enforcement without prior approval dates back to the early 1990s. It was meant to allow undocumented people to operate freely in certain public areas with the idea that doing so would ultimately benefit not just them, but also the larger community — for example, by allowing children to be in school during the day, and letting sick people visit hospitals without fear of deportation.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Alex Samuels at Daily Kos:

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he pulled federal security protection for former top U.S. health official, Dr. Anthony Fauci, making him the latest casualty of Trump’s revenge tour.  Fauci, who retired from government service in December 2022, served as the nation’s top infectious diseases expert amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He was protected by federal marshals, and later by a private contractor, that was paid for by the National Institutes of Health, according to The New York Times. Sources close to the situation also told CNN, which first reported the move, that Fauci’s detail was abruptly terminated on Thursday evening. This past June, Fauci said he and his family still receive death threats, in part, because right-wing figures like Trump repeatedly promoted baseless lies about the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine.  “It’s a pattern,” Fauci told CNN, adding that when someone in the media or Congress “gets up and makes a public statement that I’m responsible for the deaths of X number of people because of policies or some crazy idea that I created the virus— immediately you can, it’s like clockwork—the death threats go way up.” In May 2022, for instance, a West Virginia man pleaded guilty to sending Fauci and other federal officials emails that threatened to kill them. Given that, and the public-facing role Fauci played during the pandemic, he’s now hired his own private security that he’ll pay for himself. During a press conference in North Carolina on Friday, Trump defended the move as a natural progression that comes once officials no longer serve in the federal government. He also suggested that Fauci has more than enough money to pay for his own security detail.

[...] This is the latest move in Trump’s revenge arc. Earlier this week, he yanked security detail from his former national security adviser, John Bolton, who sharply criticized the president in his memoir, “The Room Where It Happened.” Trump cited the memoir as one of his reasons for revoking Bolton’s security detail. [...] In addition to Bolton, Trump also moved to end security details for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former State Department official Brian Hook. Both men were granted additional protection because they faced threats from Iran. At least, in Fauci’s case, Trump might not be able to retaliate against him personally. Former President Joe Biden preemptively pardoned Fauci on his last day in office, citing concerns about politically motivated investigations into the doctor, who had served for decades as the nation’s top infectious diseases expert.

Pettiness in action by Tyrant 47.

[mariacallous]

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has canceled plans to introduce new rules designed to limit the ability of US data brokers to sell sensitive information about Americans, including financial data, credit history, and Social Security numbers.

The CFPB proposed the new rule in early December under former director Rohit Chopra, who said the changes were necessary to combat commercial surveillance practices that “threaten our personal safety and undermine America’s national security.”

The agency quietly withdrew the proposal on Tuesday morning, publishing a notice in the Federal Register declaring the rule no longer “necessary or appropriate.”

The CFPB received more than 600 comments from the public this year concerning the proposal, titled Protecting Americans from Harmful Data Broker Practices. The rule was crafted to ensure that data brokers obtain Americans’ consent before selling or sharing sensitive personal information, including financial data such as income. US credit agencies are already required to abide by such regulations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, one of the nation’s oldest privacy laws.

In its notice, the CFPB’s acting director, Russell Vought, wrote that he was withdrawing the proposal “in light of updates to Bureau policies,” and that it did not align with the agency’s “current interpretation of the FCRA,” which he added the CFPB is “in the process of revising.”

The CFPB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Data brokers operate within a multibillion-dollar industry built on the collection and sale of detailed personal information—often without individuals’ knowledge or consent. These companies create extensive profiles on nearly every American, including highly sensitive data such as precise location history, political affiliations, and religious beliefs. This information is frequently resold for purposes ranging from marketing to law enforcement surveillance.

Many people are unaware that data brokers even exist, let alone that their personal information is being traded. In January, the Texas Attorney General’s Office, led by attorney general Ken Paxton, accused Arity—a data broker owned by Allstate—of unlawfully collecting, using, and selling driving data from over 45 million Americans to insurance companies without their consent.

The harms from data brokers can be severe–even violent. The Safety Net Project, part of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, warns that people-search websites, which compile information from data brokers, can serve as tools for abusers to track down information about their victims.

Last year, Gravy Analytics—which processes billions of location signals daily—suffered a data breach that may have exposed the movements of millions of individuals, including politicians and military personnel.

“Russell Vought is undoing years of painstaking, bipartisan work in order to prop up data brokers’ predatory, and profitable, surveillance of Americans,” says Sean Vitka, executive director of Demand Progress, a nonprofit that supported the rule. Added Vitka: “By withdrawing the CFPB’s data broker rulemaking, the Trump administration is ensuring that Americans will continue to be bombarded by scam texts, calls and emails, and that military members and their families can be targeted by spies and blackmailers.”

Vought, who also serves as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, received a letter on Monday from the Financial Technology Association (FTA) calling for the rule to be withdrawn, claiming the rules exceed the agency’s statutory mandate and would be “harmful to financial institutions’ efforts to detect and prevent fraud.” The FTA is a US-based trade organization that represents the interests of banks, lenders, payment platforms, and their executives.

Privacy advocates have long pressed regulators to use the Fair Credit Reporting Act to crack down on the data broker industry. Common Defense, a veteran-led nonprofit, urged the CFPB to take action in November, blaming data brokers for recklessly exposing sensitive information about US service members that placed them at “substantial risk” of being blackmailed, scammed, or targeted by hostile foreign actors.

A 2023 study cited by the group—funded by the US Military Academy at West Point—concluded that the current data broker ecosystem is a threat to US national security, permitting the sale of sensitive personal data that can be used not only to identify service members and “other politically sensitive targets,” but also to offer details about medical conditions, financial problems, and political and religious beliefs. “Foreign and malign actors with access to these datasets could uncover information about high-level targets, such as military service members, that could be used for coercion, reputational damage, and blackmail,” the authors report.

Common Defense political director Naveed Shah, an Iraq War veteran, condemned the move to spike the proposed changes, accusing Vought of putting the profits of data brokers before the safety of millions of service members. "For the sake of military families and our national security, the administration must reverse course and ensure that these critical privacy protections are enacted," Shah says.

Investigations by WIRED have shown that data brokers have collected and made cheaply available information that can be used to reliably track the locations of American military and intelligence personnel overseas, including in and around sensitive installations where US nuclear weapons are reportedly stored.

WIRED reported in February that US data brokers were using Google's ad-tech tools to sell access to information about devices linked to military service members and national security decisionmakers, as well as federal contractors that manufacture and export classified defense-related technologies. Experts say it proves trivial for foreign adversaries to de-anonymize the data.

"Data brokers inflict severe harm on individuals by degrading privacy, threatening national security, enabling scams and fraud, endangering public officials and survivors of domestic violence, and putting immigrant populations at risk,” says Caroline Kraczon, law fellow at the Electronic Privacy Information Center focused on consumer protection.

“The CFPB had a critical opportunity to address these harms by clarifying that data brokers must follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act,” adds Kraczon. “This withdrawal is deeply disappointing and another attack in the administration’s war against consumers on behalf of corporate interests."

Last month, more than 1,400 CFPB employees had their positions at the agency terminated, leaving the agency with a staff of around 300 people. Elon Musk, whose so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has spearheaded the White House's efforts to radically restructure the federal government by slashing the size of its workforce, last November called on President Donald Trump to “delete” the CFPB, whose job includes shielding Americans from predatory lending practices.

[anonymous-chicken-was-taken]

There is a man named Stanford Pines.

Just about anyone in the scientific community knows his name, and most know his face. It would be hard not to. It's plastered on magazines, on websites, on informational guides about the Institute of Oddology. Stanford Pines is synonymous with the word odd, peculiar, strange; it takes very little digging to find that.

Yet, when it comes to actually meeting the man? No matter who you ask, the answer is almost always no, they have not met him. Everyone knows of him, but nobody knows him. They see his face, they hear his name, they read his papers, they know his arguments. A lucky few even converse with him through email, or letters, or phone conversations. However, meeting him face to face seems to be an occurrence even rarer than the beasts he writes essays about.

Sometimes, he makes a public appearance. Sometimes, someone will see him walking about in some small, secluded space. His co-founder follows him like a shadow, never long taking his eyes away, full as they are of both care and peculiar caution.

Even more unheard of, sometimes, Stanford Pines will do something that interacts with the public. Once every few years, he will appear for an interview, or a photo, or something else to please the magazines that fill up his inbox. McGucket will be with him, every single time, and afterwards there will be whispers on the very internet he created from the people he'd spoken to. By all accounts, Stanford Pines is a very subdued, polite gentleman. Someone who is very intelligent and awkward, and attached to his co-founder at the hip. A man who is followed at all times by an army of personal security and NDAs. "For safety," McGucket will say as Pines' face goes dark. No one ever explains who's being kept safe, or from what.

To the students at the Institute of Oddology, it's even stranger. Nowhere does it say that seeing or meeting the core founder is guaranteed -- in fact, in comparison to other institutes, it's hardly even advertised that he's there -- but it's still surprising. If Stanford Pines is seen at all, it's almost always from behind a screen. Some students graduate without ever having seen him in-person. He does not attend events. He does not greet families. He does not make speeches unless he's being projected on a screen, a stark contrast to McGucket and his exaggerated mannerisms as his very real and present form hovers nearby. He holds no office on the entire campus. It is not unheard of to see him taking a walk with his co-founder, but it's rare enough to be shocking.

Rumors fly. Some are silly, absent things that would seem implausible to anyone who hasn't spent time in Gravity Falls. He's a vampire. He's a robot made by McGucket. He's a whole eldritch entity. Some rumors are more serious, whispered when his reclusive nature rings suspicious among the masses. None of them change the facts.

Perhaps it would make more sense if his co-founder was similar. However, Fiddleford McGucket is the polar opposite of Stanford Pines. He responds to interviewers asking about his computers. He makes speeches. He wanders around campus, stopping to chat with anyone who cares to listen. He's amiable and approachable as long as you can get past his rather extreme eccentricities, with an open-door policy and only one question he won't answer. If anyone builds up the guts to ask about Stanford Pines, and why he's so gosh darn reclusive, his only response is a sad, painful smile and a change of subject. In general, however, if one were to ask a given student of the institute where they could find Fiddleford McGucket, the chances are would be they'd be able to relay the information. However, like so much having to do with Stanford Pines, there is always a but.

At least three days a week, Fiddleford McGucket disappears for hours at a time. In theory, this would not be unusual. There's a section of the campus, slightly separate from the rest, dedicated to research. It takes much clearance to get to this area, for it is full of many very dangerous things. Some of the newer students fall under the misconseption that this is where he goes off to. However, there is a secretary at the entrance to this section of the campus, and when McGucket disappears, no amount of asking will get them to respond that he lies within. There is no summary of what he's there for, and there is no estimate of when he'll be back in his office. He is not there. For those hours, it's like he's vanished off the face of the planet.

There is another building seperated from the rest, barely visible through the trees. Tucked far behind the research area of the campus and heavily guarded at all times. No amount of clearance, or ID, or begging, will get anyone in. This place, most know, is where McGucket goes. No one can be certain, but there's a conviction there that this is the truth. It's the same way people know that this is where Stanford Pines resides. In those hours, McGucket disappears to the same nowhere at all that his co-founder lives.

No one tries to get there. Not anymore. There would be no point.

In order to do so, one would have to get into the research zone of campus. Already, this requires more clearance than most students could imagine. From there, one would have to go through a building only staff can open, at the very back of the campus, where only the most dangerous of research is kept. A security officer stands ever-vigilant at a back door leading to a winding pathway, intersected halfway through by a pair of guard stations. Past them lies a towering locked gate, centered in the midst of a towering electric fence. There is no guard station at the gate itself, though guards patrol the perimeter, even though the underbrush is too thick to walk through. There is no visible way to unlock the gate, but if one managed to get through regardless, they would find that the obstacles were still not over. The acre the fences encircle is thick with security, only some of which is human. It's impossible not to get caught, but if somehow, someone did, they would find themselves face to face with the sloped roof and charming wooden exterior so vaguely visible from the more well-trodden paths.

If one were to make it behind the reinforced door and yet one more pair of security guards, they would find nothing of note at all. In fact, were the windows not so thick, and the place not full of rooms with no place in a residence, and the path not so elaborate, and the whole area not so heavily reeking of isolation and uncanniness, one could almost mistake it for a normal home.

Inside, one would find Stanford Pines. Shorter than his head-and-shoulders shot makes him seem, and with a tangible air of melancholy about him that no projection could ever communicate.

Above all, Stanford Pines would appear incredibly alone, with only security, a McGucket Computer, and shelves upon shelves of books for company. If this someone who somehow managed to sneak in got lucky, they would arrive in this not-quite-a-home while McGucket had disappeared to there. They would find the two of them in deep conversation, and Stanford Pines would appear happier and more animated than most any living soul had seen him in decades, content in the company of his one connection; his shadow. Even when they had serious conversations, about the most serious topics in the world, something about him would be just that bit more lively. The visit would end, every time, with McGucket asking the same question. Every time, Pines would shake his head sadly as he responded; would the answer have been different, they both know that McGucket would have been informed long before he arrived.

Upon his co-founder's departure, one would be able to see Stanford Pines either sigh and sink right back into his melancholy, or the energy persist for another handful of hours. One would wonder why he was so reclusive, if he seemed so much brighter when he was among friends. One -- the impressive, unstoppable individual who managed to get into such a heavily monitored area -- would more than likely leave confused.

They wouldn't realize, unless they stayed within the bounds of the not-quite-home until it was far too late, what the hoards of security was designed for. Wouldn't realize that just as much as much as they are meant to keep someone out, they are also meant to keep someone in.

[black-fist-order]

I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MAGA 👉You say You want trump back in office. You say you liked his “policies”. That things were “better”. That he “fought for You”. And I want to know why You think that.

▪️Because he told You he would lower the cost of your prescription drugs, and didn’t.

💙But Biden did !

👇

▪️He said he’d bring back manufacturing, but he didn’t.

💙Joe Biden passed the CHIPS Act - allocating tens of billions in incentives for companies to construct & expand manufacturing facilities in the US.

👇

▪️For four years straight, he said every week would be “infrastructure week”, only that week never came.

💙President Biden signed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill into law during his first year in office.

👇

▪️He said he would boost economic growth by 4 percent a year. Nope. The economy stalled, and unemployment soared to the highest levels since the Great Depression.

💙Joe Biden has created 13.2 million jobs and unemployment has been under 4% for 17 months in a row—the longest stretch in over 50 years.

👇

▪️He promised to eliminate the federal deficit. He increased it by more than 60 percent.

💙Joe Biden cut the deficit by more than $1.7 trillion in his first two years – the largest deficit reduction in American history.

👇

▪️He promised he’d build a wall and that Mexico would pay for it. He then took $15 billion from our Defense Department’s budget to pay for less than 500 miles of construction.

💙Joe Biden got Mexico to pay us $1.5 billion for border security.

👇

▪️He promised to lock up Hillary Clinton for using a private email server. He’s now been federally indicted with 37 charges related to his intentional mishandling of national security documents.

💙Joe Biden… hasn’t.

👇

▪️He said he would “unify America”, and then told his supporters to attack our Capitol.

👇

▪️He was impeached twice, lost re-election and has to date been indicted 71 times, with more charges likely to come.

👇

▪️Oh, and that money you sent him for the 2024 election… that’s being used to pay his personal legal bills.

So, given all of this… my question remains the same — what was “better” under Donald Trump? What “policies”? If it wasn’t healthcare, infrastructure, border security, American manufacturing or the economy, what was it?

AND, if he’s “fighting for you”, why is he using your campaign donations on his personal legal woes ???

[horsegamergirl]

Cheating Ban

We understand your concerns about third-party tools affecting the fairness and enjoyment of SSO. That’s why we’ve decided to ban accounts using these tools. We’re excited to announce that this change is coming soon!

A Safer Game for Everyone

Ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone in our community is our top priority. That’s why we’re moving forward with a zero-tolerance policy toward unauthorized modifications or tools that give players an unfair advantage. Good news—using Reshade is still perfectly fine!

For parents and guardians, this is especially important for protecting our younger players, who are more vulnerable to those trying to sell or distribute game modifications. These activities not only violate our terms of service, but also pose serious risks to players and their accounts, which we take very seriously.

What’s Happening Next?

Starting within the next few weeks, we will begin enforcing bans on accounts using unauthorized tools or modifications. This zero-tolerance approach will help create a more secure and enjoyable experience for everyone in the game. If you are affected by this ban, you will be notified by email.

We’re so grateful for the passion and dedication of our community as we work together to make SSO better. Thank you for your understanding as we take this important step toward ensuring fairness, safety, and fun for everyone!

FAQ

Will this affect those who have acquired unreleased items, pets, and/or horses?

Yes, using third-party cheat engines to modify our files in any shape or form is against our terms and conditions and can potentially put your device and personal information at risk. Therefore, proof that an account has used unauthorized third-party tools to obtain unreleased items will result in a ban. This also applies to horses acquired after their retirement.

There is a big community of people who offer services to give you unreleased items, horses, and pets. How will this affect those people who purchase it or are selling it?

Yes, this applies to accounts that use these services, as they use unauthorized external tools to do so. 

What if you used cheats prior to the zero tolerance, will your account be banned? 

Yes, if there is evidence of doing so, the account will be banned. 

Are you IP banning affected accounts?

We realize that players are able to make new accounts and new IP’s. Rather than IP ban, we will continue to ban offending accounts.

Why are these tools harmful?

Account Security: Some tools require sharing sensitive account information, putting players at risk of account theft or loss.

Safety Concerns: Downloading unauthorized programs can lead to unsafe software that compromises your security.

Game Stability: These modifications can break the game—not just for the cheater but for everyone they interact with—ruining the experience for all players.

[misfitwashere]

The Big Chill

Trump’s attacks on the four pillars of civil society will succeed unless the pillars demonstrate courage and take collective action against the attacks.

Robert Reich

Mar 25, 2025

Friends,

I was talking yesterday to a friend who’s a professor at Columbia University about what’s been happening there. He had a lot to say. When he needed to run off to an appointment, I asked him if he’d text or email me the rest of his thoughts. His response floored me. “No,” he said. “I better not. They may be reviewing it.”

“Who’s ‘they’?” I asked, suddenly worried.

“They! The university! The government! Gotta go!” He was off.

My friend has never before shown signs of paranoia.

I relate this to you because the Trump regime is starting to have a chilling effect on what and how Americans communicate with each another. It is beginning to create mass paranoia, which is exactly what Trump intends.

The chill affects the four pillars of civil society — universities, science, the media, and the law.

Start with America’s major universities. Columbia’s capitulation to Trump’s demands that the university identify every demonstrator and put its department of Middle Eastern studies under “receivership” — or else lose $400 million in government funding — is chilling communications there.

The Trump regime also “detained” a Columbia University graduate student and green card holder without criminal charges merely for participating in protests at the school. The regime’s agents have also entered dorms with search warrants and announced the “removal” of two other students who participated in such protests.

Other major universities are on Trump’s target list.

Now, consider science. Trump has mounted a direct attack on the three biggest funders of American science — the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, and National Science Foundation.

Tens of thousands of researchers are now worried about how to continue their research. Many have decided to hunker down and not criticize the Trump regime.

Meanwhile, Philippe Baptiste, the French minister for higher education, has charged that a French scientist traveling to a conference near Houston earlier this month was denied entry into the United States because his phone contained message exchanges with colleagues and friends in which he gave a negative “personal opinion” about Trump’s scientific and research policies. (The U.S. Department of Homeland Security denies this was the reason the scientist wasn’t admitted into the country.)

Next, the media. Major media fear more lawsuits from Trump and his political allies in the wake of ABC’s surrender in December, paying Trump $15 million to settle a defamation case Trump filed against the network.

Journalists who cover the White House are still reeling from Trump’s decision to bar those deemed unfriendly from major events where space is limited.

Finally, the legal community. Trump’s attack began a week and a half ago with an executive order penalizing one of America’s premier law firms, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison — stripping security clearances for the firm’s lawyers, limiting them from entering government buildings (which could include federal courthouses) or getting government jobs, and terminating the firm’s federal government contracts. Trump also implied he would penalize Paul Weiss’ clients.

The order followed on Trump targeting two other big law firms, Covington and Burling and Perkins Coie.

What had Paul Weiss and the other firms targeted by Trump done? All three are filled with prominent, establishment Democrats who have engaged in partisan activity against Trump and the Republicans.

Brad Karp himself was a major Democratic donor who worked last year to elect Kamala Harris, even helping her in debate prep. Mark Pomerantz, a former attorney with the firm, participated in a criminal case against Trump in the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

Soon thereafter, Trump gave a grievance-filled speech at the Justice Department, charging that “a corrupt group of hacks and radicals” wrongly prosecuted him during the Biden administration and he was preparing new executive actions to personally target the “violent vicious lawyers” who had opposed him.

This past Thursday, Trump withdrew the executive order against Paul Weiss because, he said, the firm had "acknowledged the wrongdoing" of Pomerantz and pledged $40 million in free legal work to support the Trump administration.

Then on Friday, Trump broadened his campaign of retaliation against the legal community with a memorandum directing the heads of the Justice and Homeland Security Departments to “seek sanctions against attorneys and law firms who engage in frivolous, unreasonable and vexatious litigation against the United States” (for “the United States,” read “Trump”).

The resulting chill is widespread. Sunday’s Politico reported that “virtually no one with any long-term standing in the private legal community is willing to speak publicly about [the memorandum], partly out of fear that they or their firms could wind up in Trump’s crosshairs.”

Friends, the chill is the point.

Trump wants university students to be so intimidated they won’t demonstrate against him; professors, so intimidated they won’t criticize his policies in the classroom; scientists, so intimidated they won’t denounce him even privately; the media, so intimidated they’ll refrain from reporting unfavorably about him; and lawyers, so intimidated they won’t support political rivals or litigate against him.

Trump is even seeking to intimidate the arts — another pillar of civil society — by taking over the Kennedy Center, firing board members, ousting its president, and making himself chairman.

Comedian Nikki Glaser, one of the few celebrities to walk the red carpet at this year’s Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize event, told reporters she now thinks twice before doing political jokes directed at Trump. “Like, you just are scared that you’re gonna get doxxed and death threats or who knows where this leads, like, detained. Honestly that’s not even like a joke. It’s like a real fear.”

Every tyrant in history has sought to stifle criticism of himself and his regime.

But America was founded on criticism. American democracy was built on dissent. We conducted a revolution against tyranny.

This moment calls for courage and collective action — not capitulation — by universities, scientists, journalists, the legal community, and the arts.

Courage in that university presidents, prestigious scientists, media enterprises, the managing partners of law firms, and artists must not back down. To the contrary, they should stand up to his intimidation and sound the alarm about what Trump is trying to do.

Collective action in that universities, scientists, the media, the legal community, and the arts must join forces to condemn Trump’s attempts to stifle dissent and criticism.

Every institution, group, firm, or individual that surrenders to Trump’s wanton tyranny invites more of it.

[windealagency]

Windealagency.com review – Register

When choosing a broker, traders need to consider multiple factors: regulation, reputation, trading conditions, and security measures. With so many platforms out there, it's essential to separate trustworthy brokers from those that might pose a risk.

Today, we take a close look at windealagency.com review to determine whether it meets the standards of a legitimate and reliable forex broker. We’ll analyze key aspects such as its regulation, user reviews, trading conditions, deposit and withdrawal policies, and customer support.

The goal? To see if windealagency.com reviews is truly a broker traders can trust. Let’s dive in!

How to Register on windealagency.com: A Step-by-Step Guide

Registering on windealagency.com reviews is a straightforward process, but it’s crucial to follow each step correctly. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Access the Website and Click "Create Account"

On the homepage, locate the "Create Account" button in the upper right corner and click on it to begin registration.

Step 2: Fill in the Registration Form

Enter the required details: ✔ Full Name – Use your real name for verification. ✔ Email Address – A confirmation link will be sent here. ✔ Password – Choose a strong password for security.

Step 3: Confirm Your Email

Check your inbox for a verification email and click the link to activate your account. Without this step, your account won’t be fully functional.

Step 4: Log In and Set Up Your Profile

After verification, log in using your credentials. You may need to complete additional details, such as selecting an account type (demo or real) and linking a payment method.

Step 5: Identity Verification (KYC)

For security and compliance reasons, the broker may require: 📌 Passport/ID scan to verify identity. 📌 Proof of address (utility bill or bank statement). 📌 Selfie with ID (sometimes required). Verification usually takes a few hours to 48 hours.

Step 6: Deposit Funds and Start Trading

To trade on a real account, you need to make a deposit using bank cards, e-wallets, or cryptocurrencies. Once funded, you can access all platform features.

Establishment Date of windealagency.com

One of the key indicators of a broker's legitimacy is the relationship between the brand's establishment date and the domain registration date. If a broker truly operates transparently, its domain should not be younger than its claimed establishment date.

In the case of windealagency.com review, we see that: ✔ The brand was established in 2021✔ The domain was registered on November 19, 2020

This alignment is a strong sign of credibility. Why? Because many fraudulent brokers register domains after claiming to be in business for years. Here, the domain was secured before the company officially started operations, indicating a well-planned and legitimate business launch rather than a rushed setup.

Would a scam broker invest in securing its domain before launching? Unlikely. This suggests windealagency.com reviews is built for long-term operations rather than quick fraud.

Windealagency.com License & Regulation

A broker’s license is one of the strongest indicators of its legitimacy. Without proper regulation, a platform can operate unchecked, making it risky for traders. So, does windealagency.com review hold a solid regulatory status?

✔ Regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority)✔ License type: High Authority

The FCA is one of the most strict and reputable financial regulators globally. Brokers under the FCA must comply with capital requirements, transparency policies, and client fund protection rules. This means traders on windealagency.com reviews are safeguarded against unfair practices.

Would a fraudulent broker choose an FCA license? Highly unlikely. The FCA doesn’t hand out licenses easily, and companies must meet ongoing requirements to maintain them. This strongly suggests that windealagency.com reviews is a legitimate and well-regulated broker.

Trading Hours on windealagency.com

Understanding trading hours is crucial for traders, as different market sessions provide unique opportunities. windealagency.com reviews follows the global forex market schedule, ensuring traders can access the markets at the right times.

Here’s the breakdown of the trading sessions:

📌 Winter Session:

Australia: 8 PM – 5 AM

Tokyo: 11 PM – 8 AM

London: 3 AM – 12 PM

New York: 8 AM – 5 PM

This setup aligns perfectly with the traditional forex trading schedule, covering all major financial hubs. Having access to multiple sessions means traders can take advantage of higher volatility, news releases, and liquidity at different times of the day.

Would a non-legit broker bother offering a well-structured global trading schedule? Unlikely. This confirms that windealagency.com review operates within professional market hours, making it a reliable choice for traders worldwide. ​

Is windealagency.com review a Legitimate Broker?

After a detailed review of windealagency.com reviews, the evidence strongly suggests that this broker operates legally and transparently. Let’s recap the key points:

✅ Established History – The domain was registered before the company officially launched, proving a well-planned operation rather than a rushed setup. ✅ Strong Regulation – Holding an FCA license, one of the most respected financial regulators, ensures compliance with strict industry standards. ✅ Positive Reputation – High Trustpilot ratings and a significant number of user reviews indicate real traders have had good experiences. ✅ Professional Trading Conditions – The platform offers industry-standard trading hours, competitive leverage, and multiple account options. ✅ Secure Transactions – Deposits and withdrawals use trusted payment methods, with fast processing times and zero hidden fees. ✅ Reliable Customer Support – Multiple ways to reach the broker show they prioritize client assistance.

Would a scam broker go through the trouble of obtaining FCA regulation, positive reviews, and transparent policies? Highly unlikely. Everything we’ve analyzed points to windealagency.com reviews being a legitimate and trustworthy trading platform.

If you're looking for a broker that prioritizes security, offers solid trading conditions, and maintains a strong regulatory presence, windealagency.com review seems like a reliable choice.

[shrinkrants]

10 Ways to Fight Authoritarianism Without Joining an Organization

Scot Nakagawa

Mar 4

1. Mass Presence: Take Up Space, Be Seen, Be Loud

Join and sustain protests, even if it’s just you and a small group. Visibility matters.

Organize disruptive public actions—sit-ins, die-ins, banner drops, or creative street theater—to flood public consciousness with the message that authoritarianism will not be tolerated.

Engage in swarming tactics: Show up where they least expect it (e.g., country clubs, political fundraisers, corporate board meetings).

2. Flood the Information Zone—With Truth

The far right is “flooding the zone” with lies—counter it by flooding the zone with truth.

Use social media aggressively: Post, comment, share resources, and counter disinformation in community groups, neighborhood pages, and news site comment sections.

Create a rapid response team with friends: When you see a disinformation campaign, counter it in real-time with factual narratives and strategic humor.

3. Mass Coordinated Work Stoppages and Economic Disruption

If feasible, organize a sick-out or walkout with co-workers on key days to disrupt economic activity.

Target corporations that support authoritarianism with boycotts, worker slowdowns, and public pressure campaigns.

Coordinate no-purchase days or “week of resistance” economic disruptions to demonstrate people power. Remember that the consumption habits of the bottom 80% economically is responsible for 62% of the capital flow through our economy.

4. Build Parallel Systems of Mutual Aid and Resistance

Authoritarians win when people feel alone and dependent on the state. Mutual aid builds resilience and expands freedom.

Join or start a local mutual aid network focused on food distribution, rides to protests, or legal aid.

Train your community in digital security, first aid, protest safety, and rapid response organizing.

5. Physically Defend Democratic Institutions

If authoritarian groups attempt hostile takeovers of government buildings or institutions, nonviolent direct action can prevent them from seizing physical control.

Organize human chains or blockades at sites of coup attempts or illegal power grabs.

Mobilize rapid-response teams for peaceful but forceful resistance at courthouses, statehouses, and election offices.

6. Hold Elected Officials Accountable—Through Disruption

Flood their offices with calls, emails, and in-person visits—make sure they know the price of complicity.

Surprise interventions: Show up at town halls, fundraisers, and public appearances and confront them loudly and relentlessly.

Demand public statements of opposition to authoritarian actions—refusal to speak up must be treated as complicity.

7. Protect and Shield Vulnerable Communities

Be prepared to physically intervene against acts of political violence or harassment.

Coordinate community patrols, court-watching programs, and emergency response teams to monitor and report on political violence.

If mass arrests begin, mobilize legal observers and provide jail support and pooled bail funds.

8. Flood the Courts and Bureaucracy with Resistance

Authoritarians rely on bureaucratic processes—we can slow them down by filing challenges, lawsuits, and mass requests for information.

Engage in mass FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests to flood government agencies with transparency demands especially if you believe you have never been a target of surveillance and direct state repression.

Volunteer with legal defense organizations that challenge authoritarian policies in court.

9. Disrupt Right-Wing Media & Disinformation Ecosystems

Report and flag disinformation accounts to slow the spread of propaganda.

Organize counter-demonstrations at anti-democratic media headquarters and amplify alternative media voices.

Use strategic humor and culture-jamming tactics to mock, delegitimize, and disarm authoritarian propaganda.

10. Prepare for Mass, Sustained Direct Action

The goal is to make the country ungovernable for authoritarians.

Plan for long-term encampments, general strikes, and mass occupations of public spaces.

Identify critical choke points in your local infrastructure that, if disrupted, can exert economic and political pressure.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Lisa Needham at Public Notice:

It’s the type of bombshell that would’ve sent heads rolling in any previous presidency. On Monday, we learned that over a dozen high-level Trump officials had a breezy conversation over Signal about plans to bomb Yemen — and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz somehow accidentally included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, in the group chat. Then, the administration managed to basically goad Goldberg into releasing the entire text chain. This did not make things better, given how the texts undercut Trumpworld’s spin by showing that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth did in fact share details ahead of the attack that could’ve endangered US service members. As the week draws to a close, the administration is still throwing excuses against the wall, hoping one of them might stick enough to distract people from the fact that “SignalGate” was highly illegal in multiple respects. Hegseth claims the texts weren’t really war plans. Waltz wants you to believe that somehow Goldberg’s number was “sucked in” to his contacts. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insists the texts merely show a sensitive policy discussion. And Trump is playing the hits by dismissing the debacle as yet another “witch hunt,” but it’s pretty clear he has no idea what’s really going on. Even if you try to take all these incoherent explanations at face value, there are still a number of laws Trump officials likely flouted during the course of their unbelievably dunderheaded OPSEC disaster. First, there’s the Espionage Act, which sounds like it applies only to spies or people who obtain information illegally. But there’s a provision in the law that applies to the SignalGate chatters, even if they were all legally entitled to the information. That’s because they have a custodial duty to keep national security information safe. Ryan Goodman of Just Security, who also served as special counsel to the DOD under President Obama, explained there are criminal penalties for someone entrusted with defense security documents if they act with “gross negligence” in letting them out into the wild. Presumably, the administration's stance is that no one in the chat knew that Goldberg was there, so they can’t be at fault. However, Signal makes it clear whenever someone new is added to a group, and the texts show that Goldberg was added to the ill-fated group by Waltz.

[...] Conducting these conversations on Signal creates yet another legal problem, one that isn’t solved by any of the explanations the administration has tried on for size. Government records must be preserved, period. The use of Signal here likely violates the Federal Records Act and the Presidential Records Act. Any discussion on Signal, or personal email, or wherever else these yahoos blithely share bombing plans, is still an official government communication. When messages are sent outside official government accounts they need to be forwarded to an official government account. But Signal has a feature where messages can be set to disappear after a fixed time, and the messages in Waltz’s group were set to disappear after one week before he changed it to four weeks.

Signalgate participants broke numerous laws by breaching national security.

[girl-mercury]

okay, i'll bite: "timegem" is quite the compelling word! 💎 reveal to us a piece of the war-tinted romance! 🇺🇸

(from the WIP meme, where i listed my many, many WIPs and asked for people to let me know what they're curious about)

This fic is set not long after Captain America: Winter Soldier, and through the power of the Time Gem or whatever the stone is called, Steve makes a wish for a second chance and old dying Peggy is spontaneously young again! How great, now she and Steve can live together here in the future, it all worked out!

... except, she's like 93 years old, in life experience. She doesn't know what a PDF is, okay? She's been married and widowed twice, she has great-grandchildren, and she has spent decades creating the legacy of an intelligence agency meant to keep the world safe, crafting connections across the world to ensure the stability of this institution that can weather its missteps and, she hopes, do more good than bad.

And Steve, her lost love from her twenties, just cannonballed into the side of that institution and blew up her entire legacy, to rightfully destroy the tentacles HYDRA had buried deep within it, but with no thought to preserving anything or anyone SHIELD kept safe, or keeping any of its secrets. Peggy might not have been the most fanatical as some of the Cold War hawks out there, and certainly had pursued the process of accountability for a number of bad containment policies of those decades, but the shades of grey she learned to see and Steve never had the chance to are making their sudden reunion a lot more complicated.

So she decides, time to go on a trip and see the world she had a hand in making, now that she's almost anonymous again. Along the way, she spends time with Fury, Natasha, and Bucky, and eventually finds her way back to Steve.

A SNIPPET:

Peggy slowly blinked awake in the morning sunlight, feeling an ache in her muscles like she had just completed a marathon, which wasn’t that inaccurate, really. She was in Steve’s apartment, and it was 2015, and she was in her twenties, give or take seven decades. It was luxurious, to wake up and be present in knowing where and when she was with a mind she could depend on. (It was also luxurious to have better options for sex than Milt and John asking her over bingo if she wanted to be in a threesome with them. Nursing home hookup culture was not for her, at least not if men were involved.)

Steve was asleep, laying rigidly flat on his back despite not having been limited to an Army cot in years. The sun glinted against his golden hair, and she resisted the urge to run her hand over it, not wanting to wake him. Instead, she pulled button-up shirt from his closet on, leaving the scrubs she’d commandeered from the hospital on the floor, and headed for the kitchen. The coffeemaker was simple and similar enough to the ones she was used to that she was able to get a pot started, after locating the bag of coffee in a cabinet. A quick peek out the front door (after checking for anyone looking in the hallway; she was aware of the security risk) revealed no newspaper on the doormat, which was a shame. Steve’s laptop was on the table, but she hadn’t used a computer in years, and even then it had been one of the big ones in the nursing home where someone had already turned it on and helped her log into her email. She had had a bit more luck with Google searches and saving her favorite news websites, but that had more to do with her understanding of Boolean expressions through codebreaking and programming, decades before anyone dreamed up Google. 

She was younger than some of her grandchildren, but couldn’t figure out these damn computers. She’d have to learn, that and everything else that young people did. It was almost enough to make her tired at the thought. She’d programmed computers in the forties, for heaven’s sake. Then the computers got small and difficult. And turned into phones that weren’t really phones anymore. 

Peggy sighed at herself. No matter what the mirror might say, she was old. 

She was on her second cup of coffee when Steve joined her in the kitchen. “I made a full pot,” she said. “I knew you’d be up eventually."

“I was going to cook you breakfast,” he said, and yawned. “I never sleep this late."

“You must have needed it."

“After last night? Probably.” He smiled, and leaned over to kiss her. “So, how many eggs do you want?"

“Oh, none, thank you. I’m not really a breakfast person, not since my youngest moved out,” Peggy said. 

“More for me, then."

“Do you get the newspaper?"

“Only on the weekends.” Steve took the carton of eggs from the fridge. There wasn’t a lot of other food in there. “Usually I just read the headlines on my phone."

“Well, I want to start getting caught up on the world, since I’m back in it."

Steve cracked eight eggs into the pan. “I think I still have all my bookmarks from when I was trying to get caught up. I can pull them up on the laptop for you."

“I’ve only got a few years to cover, thankfully,” Peggy said and smiled. She got up and poured herself another cup of coffee. “I'm actually  more used to reading briefs, when I was the director, so I may ask Sharon to get a few of her less-busy resources to draft briefs for me. I’m more interested in SHIELD’s involvement, so any analyst who can bring together the public record and the leaked SHIELD files would be best."

“Hill might be able to point you in the right direction, since she’s basically managing what’s left of SHIELD resources these days…"

“Thank you for the offering your bookmarked pages, though,” Peggy said belatedly. “I just have my habits, you know. When you’re in charge of an intelligence organization you don’t get much of a chance for leisurely reading, and a pile of briefs is much more useful to me than anything else."

“I’m sure it is,” Steve replied, and slid the fried eggs out onto a plate, then doused them heavily in hot sauce. Peggy winced as the vinegary smell drifted towards her, the accompanying spice burning her nostrils, but she knew Steve would probably think it was just a pleasant kick. “I haven’t had to deal with that side of things too much, on the strategy and operations side. I’m not sure I’d be too good with the diplomacy."

Peggy snorted. “Stick with your strengths, Steve.” She imagined him in some of the delicate situations she had managed; negotiating operational freedom between autocratic countries sounded explosive, with Steve in the middle of it, yet she had not come to it as a natural, either. “After the war, I had to deal with a lot of men who didn’t know my value, and I tended to charge right through any battle, to show I could punch as hard as they could. But sometimes I had to be more sneaky to get done what I wanted, and… well, you grow into the diplomacy."

“I guess you would,” Steve said. “You’ve lived quite a life, it just feels different now that—"

“That I look like I did when we met?” Peggy asked. 

“That you talk like you did,” Steve said. “You’ve told me stories, over the past few years, but they were just things that happened in the past, if you could remember all the details. Now you’re talking like the director of SHIELD. Hell, you sound like Fury combined with a few of the NSA divisional directors we’ve collaborated with, and maybe a few State Department officials thrown in."

Peggy raised her eyebrows. “You did read my CV at some point, didn’t you?"

Steve laughed. “It looks a little different on paper than sitting at my kitchen table."

“And you didn’t even read the classified CV,” said Sharon, coming around the corner.

“Goddammit, Carter, can you stop breaking into my apartment?” Steve complained.

“Romanoff said you didn’t mind,” Sharon countered. “Hi, Aunt Peggy."

“Romanoff is consistently full of shit. Especially when she’s talking about me."

“Hi, Sharon. You know, you’re going to have to drop the ‘aunt’ sooner or later, before it gets strange,” Peggy said over Steve’s grumbling. 

“Probably, but I’m not used to all this yet,” said Sharon. “I brought you clothes. I had to guess the sizes, but I figured these had enough stretch to make up for anything being the wrong size. I don’t want to cut your morning short, but we’ve got a meeting with Hill."

“I thought we might,” Peggy said, and stood. “Give me fifteen minutes to shower and get ready, and we can go."

“I’ll only take five minutes,” said Steve. “And can you return my spare key, please?"

Sharon let out a laugh. “I don’t need a key, Rogers."