#std::execution

[cplusplus-official]

Excellent blog! Do you as a C++ fan have an opinion on std::execution a.k.a. senders / receivers, the feature that P2900 and follow-on papers have introduced into the Working Draft for C++26?

Hi!

I didn't back when you asked the question, but I read up on P2300 and have come to some conclusions.

I generally view std::execution positvely. I, in truth, have never used std::async, with most of my parallelism work has been with std::thread and atomics, but from my understanding, they were not up to snuff, and this seems to actually improve significantly upon it.

I want the standard library to have a solid, easy-to-grasp solution for asynchronous operation and this seems to be it!

I'm gonna be unpopular, but I'm generally in favor of the committee pushing more standard, good-enough features like these into the standard library. In an environment ehere C++'s packaging ecosystem is still an incoherent mess to people who learn programming through Rust and Python, these features actually help people try out C++ without having a visceral reaction.

[3-2-whump]

Mistaken Accusation

<prev next>

Well, let's get into it. Beginning of the end. Special thanks to my beta readers @whumped-by-glitter and @generic-whumperz ! Do mind the tags, and enjoy

This chapter does reference The Hit, so please skim that first if you are not already familiar with it

Author's Note: This is where shit gets real (more real, that is), and where the author may make some decisions that might not vibe with the readers. To those readers, all I will say is fanfiction is a thing, canon divergence is a thing, and I will honestly be more intrigued than mad if you end up scrapping this part and writing your own version! (Just lmk, like tag me or dm me so I can see?) But, um, yeah, onto the chapter!

TW/CW: description and mention of STD, prostitution whump, mock execution, gun violence (brief, but there), collared whumpee, bound and blindfolded whumpee, shock, emotional whump, fear of death, pissing oneself out of fear, emotional angst, degrading language, toxic relationship, manipulative whumper, possessive whumper, intimate whumper

As Khaled relieved himself in the office bathrooms near the end of the day, he hissed under his breath at the burning sensation coming out of him. That can’t be good, he thought. What would make it feel like he was passing acid or fire down there? He looked down at his dick, eyes widening a little as he saw how inflamed his urethra looked. Khaled let out a mortified little squeak. What’s wrong with my penis?

Should I tell Master? Telling his master that he suspected he’d caught something would only lead to probing questions about Khaled’s sex life, even though he wasn’t the one who had visited every whorehouse within the tristate area. Probing questions about his sex life would mean admitting that he was sleeping with Julio, and admitting that he was sleeping with Julio would only fuel his master’s possessive side and make things far worse for him. Khaled could imagine no situation in which he would come out unscathed if he told Thomas about it. So, he decided not to tell him.

He didn’t have to endure his secret for long though, because as soon as he came back into his master’s office, he could sense the energy had changed. 

“Is there something wrong, Boss?” Khaled asked nervously.

“I have just received information from our foot soldiers and informants that the motorcycle that my would-be assassin rode when he got away came from Alvarez Auto and Motorcycles, a known front of Juicio Divino,” Thomas gritted out.

Khaled’s jaw dropped as his mind slowly put together the pieces that he had in his hands all along. Of course, it was Julio, how could I be so blind?! he thought. Just over a year ago, Khaled himself approached the scrapyard assassin asking him to teach him how to kill, and had been crawling back to him in various states of distress ever since. Julio was one of two people on earth who knew how badly Thomas actually treated him, and, combined with his overprotective tendencies, Khaled mentally beat himself up for not suspecting his boyfriend sooner. 

His master’s stormy gray eyes narrowed at Khaled in a piercing glare as he pushed his tablet across the desk. “Incidentally, you have been visiting Alvarez Auto pretty frequently over the past year, haven’t you?”

Khaled’s stomach twisted in dread as he leaned in closer to read it. There, opened on his slave tracking app, was a map with pins of most-frequently visited locations he had been tracked to, and there was a damning bright red pin at the address of Julio’s garage. His mouth went dry as he opened and closed it in shock, trying to collect the right words to say as the opportunity to beg for mercy slipped through his fingers like sand. “I- Master, I- it’s not what you think-”

The older man disdainfully held up a hand, a nonverbal cue that he didn’t want to hear it. Khaled shrank in on himself. “How did you even pay for a hit against me, huh?” the boss asked. “I know you haven’t made that much money since I’ve started paying you! How could you afford to put out a hit?” His voice lowered to a growl. “Did you bend over for that cholo son of a bitch? Did you let him fuck you like I fuck you? Is that why you’ve got an infection –don’t deny it, Khaled, it hurt when I pissed this morning!”

The world seemed to stop as the air quickly left Khaled’s lungs. Wait, what? He was being accused of conspiring against his master, then of being a whore within the same breath? And to make matters worse, he somehow gave his owner an STD before he realized he had one himself? His breaths came out shallow as his body began trembling in fear. What does this mean for me? What’s going to happen to me? He nearly passed out as his imagination went wild with how severe his punishment would be. “Master, please, I had no idea-”

“Shut up!”

Khaled ceased his begging instantly, a nauseous wave of dread coiling in his stomach as he waited for his master to dole out his sentence. “You will never see anybody besides me again,” his master said, glowering at him in contempt as Khaled’s eyes widened in horror. He got up from his chair and circled around Khaled, with a familiar black shock collar and a length of chain in hand. “I’ll give you a chance to say your goodbyes before we leave.”

Khaled regained enough of his senses to shake his head and back away from the man approaching him. “But, Master, I didn’t-”

The world snapped to the right in a stinging blow as Thomas backhanded him. Khaled rubbed his sore cheek and winced in pain. “You’re lucky I don’t outright kill you, though I still might, if you keep whining like that!” he yelled. Khaled turned silent and sullen, still cradling his sore cheek as the collar tightened like a noose around his throat. “Now, come on, let’s make your final goodbyes count.” His master attached the chain leash to a notch in the shock collar and pulled Khaled towards the exit.

-

Khaled was pulled through the whole office and out to the guard shack like that, stopping periodically as his master made him explain what was going on and why he was leaving to everyone they met. Khaled’s voice was shaking like a leaf the first stop they made; by the time they made it to the guard shack, he was unable to utter anything intelligible past his tears. Nico’s jaw dropped as Thomas explained what had happened and why Khaled was never going to see him again.

“But, he didn’t do it, sir!” he objected, pushing himself out of his desk chair and standing up to face him. “He had no part in it! I can prove it, just listen to me!”

As much as Khaled wanted to interrogate that ‘I can prove it’ claim just a little more, Tom ignored him. He pulled the leash taut and yanked Khaled away. Khaled frantically pulled at the collar around his neck, emitting choked gasps as he stumbled along and struggled to keep up.

They ended up back at the car, where Tom unclipped his leash and pushed the button on the key fob to unlock the trunk of the car. Khaled was shoved up roughly against the side of the car as his hands were gathered behind his back and bound tightly by a soft and silky material, most likely a necktie. “Master, please, please, hear me out –I didn’t put a hit on you, I swear!” he once again tried to explain through a mess of snot and tears. “I don’t want to kill you, why would I want to kill you? Please –listen to me! I don’t want to kill you; I swear I didn’t know!” Thomas dragged him to the back of the car, where he stared down at him in cold fury. He took out a dark cloth from his pocket and unfolded it. Khaled preemptively opened his mouth to receive it, but then the man tied the cloth around his eyes to blind him. He quietly shut his mouth as the blindfold was tied tight enough to catch his hair. He heard the trunk of the car quietly whoosh open before he was picked up and shoved inside. The door of the trunk slammed shut, sealing him in an extra layer of darkness.

The ride seemed to stretch on forever as Khaled shivered in the darkness. It was still far too cold to be riding back there without anything to keep him warm. Throughout the darkness he begged, then screamed, then cried, then sniffled, knowing damn well his master couldn’t hear him.

Time seemed to work differently in the dark, cramped confines of a car trunk. Khaled was unsure of how much time had passed since he was shoved in the trunk, but he was more than concerned that they seemed to keep driving far longer than it usually took to get back to the apartments. He’s never going to forgive me, he realized as he rested his head onto the floor of the trunk. He really thinks I planned to kill him, and now he’s going to take me out into the woods and kill me, or do something so horrific it will make me wish I had died. A fresh round of tears soaked into his blindfold as Khaled whimpered pathetically. I don’t want to die, not like this.

Goddamnit, Julio, you tried to be the hero, and now I’m gonna end up dead in a ditch somewhere, Khaled cursed in his head.

The car rolling to a stop and faint click that preceded the trunk unlocking made Khaled’s heartrate speed up. A new wave of anxiety hit him much like the blast of midwinter air when the trunk was opened and he was pulled out. He didn’t feel concrete underneath his shoes, and the fresh icy chill of the air around him told him they weren’t in the parking garage. We really are in the woods somewhere, he thought, his hopes sinking like lead as his master’s hand gripped his elbow and steered him along to an unknown destination. He’s really driven me out to the woods somewhere to kill me. Khaled stumbled as his foot hit an unseen obstruction, but his master dragged him along regardless. This is it. I’m gonna die. His breaths started picking up, heart racing as that last thought worked him up into another nervous state. His owner stopped and threw him forward onto the ground. Khaled landed face first into a cold and wet patch of snow, judging on how it felt when it absorbed his impact. “Get up and kneel.” Khaled’s breaths stopped in his throat. There was no room in his master’s frigid tone for argument. He pushed himself up the best he could with his hands bound behind his back, shivering not just from the cold as he assumed a kneeling position.

A cold, metallic object pressed against the back of the young man’s skull. “If you’ve got anything to say, say it now,” his master’s voice said behind him. A wet and warm spot began to soak his pants in the front. Khaled’s mind went blank. He was so scared he nearly forgot his owner had asked for his last words. He caught his trembling lip between his teeth before shaking his head. Whatever he could say for his last words would go unheeded anyway, lost in the winter’s chill and the indifferent New England woods. He hung his head in resignation, ready for the explosive pain followed by sudden oblivion and nothingness, or whatever it was that lie ahead.

He had at least hoped he would see his father’s face before the end. But the only image his shielded eyes could conjure up before he died was a pair of sharp, steel gray eyes.

Click.

Nothing happened.

The gun lowered, and heavy footsteps crunched in the snow as his would-be executioner walked around to the front of him.

Khaled was still alive. Somehow, he was still alive. There was a light brush of hands reaching behind his head before the blindfold fell away, revealing a familiar face staring down at him with those same steel gray eyes. Khaled’s breath shimmered in the cold moonlit night. He was alive. He wasn’t going to die. He was alive.

All the fear and tension left his body like his vaporous breath in the night as he slumped forward, crying tears of relief into his master’s shoulder as he caught him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,” he sobbed between each breath.

“Shhh, shhh, it’s alright, it’s alright,” Thomas soothed as he reached behind Khaled to untie his hands. “I believe you for now, it’s alright.” As soon as his hands were free, Khaled wrapped them around the older man’s neck, hugging him close as he bawled into his shoulder. “I thought about it, but there is no way I can definitively prove it was you.” A muscular pair of arms wrapped around him and held him close, drawing him into the warmth. “And besides, my favorite fuck toy, plotting to kill me?” His master laughed. “No way you’re smart enough for that! I didn’t buy you for your brains, you know!”

“Yes, yes, I’m stupid, I am so fucking stupid, thank you!” Khaled cried. He nuzzled his cold wet face into Tom’s warm neck and peppered the man’s jawline with kisses, murmuring his gratitude between every kiss. He was alive, he didn’t die, and that was the only thing that mattered in that moment.

“Let’s go home,” Thomas said, hoisting Khaled onto his feet. “The takeout I bought is getting cold, and you need a change of pants.”

He led the young man through the woods back to side of the road where he had parked his car. “I was completely serious about you never seeing anybody else again, by the way,” he reminded him as he opened the passenger side door. Khaled slid gratefully inside, happy to be in the heated part of the car. “You are relieved of your duties to the organization from now on,” Tom continued as he joined him on the driver’s side, “You are demoted to domestic service. You will stay at home and keep the penthouse spotless, welcoming me to it every evening with warm food and your warmer body. You will stay in the apartment and not leave for anything unless it is with me or a trusted associate. You will never see anybody again. That’ll keep you from conspiring to kill me, or from spreading your legs for anyone else but me, and only I will decide when it’s time to bring you back out again.” He pushed the button and started up the vehicle, setting the heaters to full blast.

Khaled nodded. What did he care about being stuck at home and never seeing anybody again? He was alive, and right now, as he held his freezing fingers close to the vents, that was all that mattered.

Le Tag List: @kabie-whump @rainydaywhump @whumped-by-glitter @skittles-the-whumpee @generic-whumperz @bamber344 @there-will-always-be-blood @morning-star-whump @a-la-whump @watermelons-dont-grow-on-trees @defire

[girlactionfigure]

(1) The Axis Powers’ concentration camp network extended past the borders of Europe.

The Nazis and the Axis powers created a network of 17 concentration camps in North Africa. Some prisoners were also taken to concentration camps in West Africa. Jews were forced into slave labor, starved, tortured, and murdered. Many died from diseases. Many prisoners in North African labor camps were tasked with the completion of the Trans-Saharan Railroad, a project that was never completed. Though it was a French project, the Nazis were highly supportive of it.

(2) The Mountain Jews of the Caucasus were ultimately saved from extermination because the Nazis considered them “religious,” rather than “racial” Jews.

When the Nazis occupied the North Caucasus in 1942, the Mountain Jews of Na’alchik, Russia, were quick to think on their feet. With the help of their Muslim neighbors, with whom they had good relations, the Mountain Jews promoted the lie that they were ethnic Tat converts to Judaism. 

The Nazis took the issue to the Reich Genealogical Office, which ultimately ruled in their favor, and thus the Mountain Jews were left alone. 

That said, before the Reich Genealogical Office reached their final verdict, the Mountain Jews were treated just as poorly as their Ashkenazi counterparts. On August 19 and September 20, 1942, a total of 850 Jews were executed point-blank with machine guns in Menzhinskoe and Bogdanovka.

(3) The Catholic Church could’ve possibly put an end to the Final Solution. Instead, Pope Pius XII chose silence – and, at times, complicity.

In August of 1941, the Nazis put an end to their Aktion T4 “euthanasia” program – a euphemism for “eugenics” – in response to public uproar. The Catholic Church, in particular, was at the forefront of the protests against the Aktion T4 program. The effect of these protests was enormous, especially within Germany. In Hof, Germany, an angry crowd openly jeered at Hitler over his eugenics policies, the only time this ever happened during 12 years of Nazi rule.

By contrast, the Catholic Church refused to publicly condemn the German persecution of Jews, even after the Nazis’ plans for the Final Solution had long become public knowledge. Claiming “neutrality,” Pope Pius XII rejected the desperate pleas of the Jewish community and even refused meetings with rabbis. This despite the fact that the Vatican was well-aware of the Nazis’ plans for the Final Solution as early as 1942.

(4) The Nazis primarily targeted the Scientific Humanitarian Committee because Magnus Hirschfeld was Jewish.

There’s recently been an attempt to reframe trans individuals as the “first victims” of the Holocaust because the Nazis burnt down the library and archives of the Scientific Humanitarian Committee in 1933. The Scientific Humanitarian Committee provided a plethora of medical services for LGBTQ folks, including contraceptive treatment, gynaecological examinations, treatment for STDs, marital and sexual therapy, and other treatments, such as treatment for alcoholism. Most significantly, the organization pioneered gender-affirming surgeries, including one of the earliest sex-reassignment surgeries in 1931. Other surgical and medical services included facial feminization and masculinization surgery and early forms of body hair removal.

What’s imperative to understand is that the Committee was targeted, above all, both because Hirschfeld, its founder, was Jewish, and because the Nazis associated homosexuality and “sexual deviance” with the “Jewish race.”

(5) The Nazis devised of the gas chambers because Nazi soldiers found it too “psychologically taxing” to execute millions of Jews face-to-face.

Early during the Holocaust, Jews were predominantly murdered via machine gun execution. However, the Nazis considered the method too slow and inefficient. Frustrated with the “inefficiency” of shooting Jews, the Reich Security Main Office soon ordered the use of gas vans for murder on a mass scale. The first extermination camp to use gas vans was Chelmno; by June of 1942, there were 20 gas vans in operation, with many more being prepared. Some gas vans could hold up to 60 people, while others held around 30.

Soon the Nazis found that gas vans, too, were not efficient enough. A big problem was that gas van operators experienced high levels of mental distress due to their proximity to the victims. Sometimes gas vans broke down due to bad roads. Ultimately, they simply couldn’t exterminate Jews quickly enough, so the Nazis built permanent gas chambers.

(6) Before the Nazis’ rise to power, Jews in Germany were the best-integrated in continental Europe.

One of the most historically shocking facts about the Holocaust is that it was devised of in Germany as opposed to somewhere like Eastern Europe, where Jews were much less assimilated into general society. Before World War II, Jews elsewhere in Europe often joked that German Jews were “more German than the Germans.”

In 1929, for example, Dr. M. S. Melamed wrote for The Jewish Criterion, “The German antisemites have a much deeper hatred against the Jew than the Russians, but the German antisemites do not pogrom the Jew. They write articles and books to prove that the Jew has no right to live, that he is wicked, that he is dishonest, and that he should not enjoy any rights and privileges but it would not enter his mind to embark upon a policy of murder, loot and rape.”

Yet by 1945, the German antisemite had exterminated 2 out of every 3 Jews in Europe.

(7) The international community did not assign a day for Holocaust remembrance until 2005.

The Jewish community began memorializing the Holocaust yearly as early as 1949. The Israeli Knesset officially observed a Holocaust remembrance day for the first time in 1951; by 1958, the observance of Yom HaShoah had been codified into Israeli law. 

By contrast, the United Nations did not assign a day to Holocaust remembrance until 2005, when it passed Resolution 60/7, establishing International Holocaust Remembrance Day to coincide with the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27th.

(8) There was one group of Jewish partisans that sought revenge after the Holocaust.

As the Allies closed in on Germany, the German population listed “Jewish revenge” as their biggest fear, owing largely to over a decade of Nazi antisemitic propaganda about how Jews were a threat to Germany. In reality, Jewish acts of revenge in the aftermath of the Holocaust were extremely rare, especially in comparison to vengeful acts from other groups like Poles and even the Allied forces. Jews were far more concerned with finding family members and rebuilding their lives. 

There was one group of Jewish partisans, however, that did devise a plan for revenge. The group was named “Nakam,” meaning revenge in Hebrew. Their plan? To murder six million Germans. 

In the end, the plan was obviously entirely unsuccessful. Only about 2000 SS members got ill with food poisoning, but none died. Many Nakam members reflected many years later and were thankful their plan failed, calling it “a Satanic concept” and “an utterly lunatic idea.” Simcha Rotem said in hindsight that he guilt of murdering so many children would've driven him to suicide.

For a full bibliography of my sources, please head over to my Instagram and  Patreon. 

rootsmetals

please support my fundraiser for Holocaust survivors living in poverty, especially today as it’s Yom HaShoah 🙏🏼

[androgynealienfemme]

At the direction of the Trump administration, the federal Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies are purging its websites of information and data on a broad array of topics — from adolescent health to LGBTQ+ rights to HIV.

Several webpages from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with references to LGBTQ+ health were no longer available. A page from the HHS Office for Civil Rights outlining the rights of LGBTQ+ people in health care settings was also gone as of Friday. The website of the National Institutes of Health’s Office for Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office disappeared. (Most of these pages could still be viewed through the Internet Archive.)

The changes at the CDC and NIH are examples of a broad push by the Trump administration on gender issues under an executive order titled "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." That order directs agencies throughout the government to stop offering "gender identity" as a choice on government forms and to end funding of “gender ideology.”

Another order, signed by Trump, takes aim at “diversity, equity, and inclusion” across the federal government.

On Friday, however, many pages that did not seem related to “gender” or “diversity” had also been taken down, such as AtlasPlus, an interactive tool from CDC with surveillance data on HIV, viral hepatitis, STDs and TB. Also gone missing: a page with basic information about HIV testing. The CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index, a tool that assesses community resilience in the event of natural disaster was also taken down.

“The removal of HIV- and LGBTQ-related resources from the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies is deeply concerning and creates a dangerous gap in scientific information and data to monitor and respond to disease outbreaks," the Infectious Disease Society of America said in a statement. "Access to this information is crucial for infectious diseases and HIV health care professionals who care for people with HIV and members of the LGBTQ community and is critical to efforts to end the HIV epidemic. This is especially important as diseases such as HIV, mpox, sexually transmitted infections and other illnesses threaten public health and impact the entire population."


What the fuck is going on.

[booboodaddysblog]

Evan Peters will star in and executive produce Ryan Murphy’s “The Beauty” for FX!

The 11-episode first season begins filming in November. Adapting the comics of the same name, the show follow detectives investigating a fatal STD that turns its victims beautiful.

📝twitter: AHSZone

[antiterf]

I'm scared and the only way I can do things is share why I'm scared so here we are. I'm going to need to refill my anxiety tranquilizers sooner rather than later.

All public schools in the US can now be denied federal funding if they address a trans student by their identified gender. It specifically names socially transitioning, so it forcibly closests trans students and can even dictate dressing certain ways.

"It requires parents of students to be notified if students request to use a different name or pronoun"

Being able to get a passport at all is a hit or miss for trans people at this point. Some have gotten them with the wrong gender and others have their legal documents withheld and no passport given at all. If you do try to renew your passport, do not send the actual documents and instead copies in case the latter happens.

The second one also mentions forced detransition for transgender prisoners and I have not seen much news commentary on that

LGBTQI+ has been changed to LGB for travel advisories. Which I guess doesn't matter too much because they don't want to allow trans people or intersex people with X to travel anyway *nervous laughter*

The article is behind a paywall, the second link is to a paywall jumper. There are very few news stories on this one. To the point where I went to check the website myself and sure enough it was only LGB.

Then there's the CDC removing the very little we have about trans and LGBTQ+ health from the website along with data surrounding the mental health of teens and data about STDs and HIV/AIDs.

Contact your legislators and see which human rights groups are considering taking these actions to court. If anything you can make noise.

[exploderizing]

hey here are some theories I made (to my knowledge, if you have a similar one feel free to compare :) ), copied from my notes app:

Four Jews and March of the Falsettos are from the perspective of Trina / are inside Trina’s head:

In both songs, the men are being immature, wearing costumes, and have very repetitive lyrics (“Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch // funny, funny, funny, funny” and (“March, march, march of the Falsettos, March of the Falsettos”). Jason is portrayed as helpless/ needing Trina’s help (“In case of smoke please call our mothers on the phone…” and the covering of his eyes in MOTF, showing he is blind (or Trina what perceives him as) to the ‘struggles’/ problems in the family.

Marvin faked the STD’s (Love is Blind)

In In Trousers, Marvin, by Trina (or ‘Marvin’s Wife’, as she is referred to then), says “We lay in bed, he plays dead” so he doesn’t have time to have s3x with/ humour Trina.

In Love is Blind (MOTF), Marvin is said (again, by Trina, but also Marvin this time) to have syphillis and hepatitis, but in a following line she says “Which appears now… [hepatitis and syphillis are] …well forgotten” meaning that Trina herself never had them.

Now, that could be because Marvin used it to not have s3x in the first place, or that they did have s3x, and he used it as an excuse after to not do it again (going off of the line “I am probably diseased”). So, that means 1; that Trina never certainly knew that she had an STD (or two), or 2; she either didn’t go to the doctor, which doesn’t seem like, as they’re all described as neurotic — prone to worrying (especially considering my previous theory; Four Jews went on inside Trina’s head, the men say “we’re neurotic”, showing she also considers herself neurotic too). And so if she did go to the doctor, they didn’t find anything, because she isn’t certain. The doctors probably said to forget about it, or that’s how she interpreted her words, so she still had the inkling, but not the confirmation.

Chess — Whizzer; Queen to King

Whizzer is portrayed to resemble the queen when he and Marvin play chess, saying “I fear I’ve lost my head” used as an execution method for royalty (moreso queens), and picking up the queen instead of a pawn (this is important in my opinion because he could’ve picked up any other piece; a bishop, a rook, a knight, or even the king. I find it interesting that it was the Queen specifically).

Another thing to mention is that Whizzer is shown as the narrator (moreso in MOTF) and less of the family. He moves around the most, narrating in places that he isn’t physically in, instead metaphorically to narrate to the audience. A similarity to the Queen in chess; moving anywhere on the board, in any direction (besides the knight).

However, in act 2, when Whizzer falls ill, he stays on the hospital bed; in the hospital; in one place. In his solo (“You Gotta Die Sometime”), he moves from the bed, yes, into the chair; one square on the board. Like the King.

Cool thing I also found: in “The Chess Game”, Whizzer moves his h2 pawn to h4 and Marvin moves his h7 pawn to h5 :)

[mariacallous]

Doctors and public health advocates were once able to imagine the end of the HIV epidemic in our lifetime. The last four decades of scientific advancements had delivered new treatments and preventive medications that significantly curbed the rates of transmission and impacts of the once deadly virus. The number of new infections has dropped from more than 130,000 in the mid- 1980s to 37,000 by 2022 — and mortality rates have steadily dropped.

Millions in federal funding — supported by Democratic and Republican leadership alike ― had helped buoy a swath of programs and research into new injectable drugs for HIV prevention and treatment, which are long-lasting and less burdensome than daily medication, and can be used to address HIV disparities across race, gender and sexual orientation both in the United States and internationally.

“With the advent of injectables and how successful they’ve been, I think for many of us, for the first time in a long time, we could actually see what looked like the beginning of the end,” said Tori Cooper, the director of strategic outreach and training at Human Rights Campaign.

But in March, that glimmer of hope began to fade as the Trump administration decimated the nation’s HIV prevention programs as part of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s drastic overhaul of the Department of Health and Human Services agency.

The Office of Infectious Diseases & HIV Policy, which oversees the federal strategy on HIV prevention, shuttered its doors. Ten thousand federal health employees were laid off, including staff at five branches of the HIV prevention division of the Centers for Disease Control, who are tasked with tracking new infections and conducting research on strategies to reduce infection risk.

Top staffers, including Jonathan Mermin, the director of the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention ― which lost a quarter of their staff ― were reassigned to the Indian Health Service.

A preliminary HHS budget, obtained by The Washington Post on Wednesday, offers a window into the Trump administration’s priorities, and paints a picture of an even slimmer and reorganized health agency. The proposed budget slashes one-third of the agency’s spending, and eliminates funding for HIV services, including the Minority AIDS Initiative, several Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs, the CDC’s HIV/AIDs prevention and surveillance activities, and preventive services for elderly people and people living with disabilities.

“It’s spelling out a situation where we’re going to see more people get HIV and die from AIDS in the U.S. and internationally,” said Jeremiah Johnson, the executive director of PrEP 4 All, an HIV advocacy organization pushing for a nationwide program to boost access to preventive medication to underinsured communities.

[nezoriy]

List of "normal" things that always baffled me as a person on the aro/ace spectrum:

Disclaimer: A lot of this is based on the feelings and perception of my teenage self when I started to feel people around me were weird but didn't have the language or concept yet to understand what was wrong. So, give me a break if it sounds edgy sometimes. I don’t have the energy to sugarcoat every statement so it doesn’t offend anyone. If you're part of the mainstream and feel attacked by a random dude on the internet questioning things you find "normal," maybe ask yourself why you’re upset instead of coming for me.

1. "Love at first sight."

Even as a kid, this felt like a scam. I get friendship, and I can imagine love developing out of it. But for that, you need to know the person. You can't know someone instantly. So how on earth is this supposed to work? (The answer is, most ppl can feel sexual attraction instantaneously and it gets sold as love for the kids.)

2. Finding someone "attractive" = you’d like to fuck them.

I honestly was like 20something when I realized that actually yes, when ppl talk about someone, even celebs, being "attractive," they do mean they’d like to have sex with them and not just compliment them on their looks.

Like, I can honestly say that many of my friends, Cate Blanchett, and Hugh Jackman are "attractive." But to me, that’s like talking about a painting. Like, sure, Singer Sargent's Madame X is "attractive," but no one's trying to, uh, get it on with the painting… right?

3. The whole concept of dating (to find a romantic partner.)

So, you’re telling me people meet up specifically to see if they might develop feelings for each other when they don't have those feelings yet? 

Like, what even makes you say yes to a date if you don't know a person at all? (The answer is: once again, sexual attraction, obviously.) 

On the other hand, if you’re already friends with someone and just wanna see where it goes, why bring the flowers and fancy dinners into the equation?

4. Why people (especially women) would even risk sex back when it could have had major consequences for them

The list includes (but isn’t limited to):

Women before reliable contraception in societies where an unplanned pregnancy could be socially catastrophic;

Brothel visitors once STDs were known;

(Here’s the tricky one bc I myself kinda feel guilty for not being empathetic enough) gay people, especially men, in times and places where they could literally be imprisoned or executed for having sex

I need to be very clear here, this isn’t about moral superiority as I'm not feeling any, it’s about survival. Like, if sex could legit mess up your life, why not just… not do it? 

Yeah it's basically rip to “fallen” women but I’m different.

5. The culture of one-night stands, cruising, club hookups, etc.

This is still a bit uncomfortable in my head because this is a very prominent part of gay culture specifically, and I’ve always felt incredibly disconnected from it. But I can't edit it out.

Okay, so someone’s hot. I can maybe get that there’s a spark. But if you don’t know them… what if they open their mouth mid-action and reveal they voted for trump? Instant deal-breaker, my genitals are shriveling in terror.

6. The need to have a partner / actively searching for one.

I give it to you, if you vibe with someone, getting into a relationship may make sense. But actually, putting in effort to find one? For what? There’s so much other cool stuff in life!

7. "I haven’t had sex in five minutes/a month/half a year 😱😭" / jokes about dry spells.

Do you actually keep track of the timelines? So what if you haven’t? I get it, orgasm is great and all, but your hand still works, right? Why do you need another person for that? 

8. Imagining yourself in place of a person/character in sex scenes.

This mostly applies to fanfics but also “regular” porn. Even if the scene is hot, I don’t picture myself as any of the characters involved. Even if I'm aroused, I like it precisely for the characters in a specific scenario, I would only be a third wheel there. 

9. Sexual fantasies with yourself as a participant.

I really don't want to imagine myself in any sexual scenarios, neither with fictional characters nor with real people, even if I might have a crush on them. 

10. Cheating in relationships/marriage.

I’m not even talking about the moral aspect of breaking trust/violating the negotiated agreements; it’s the fact that someone "just couldn’t help themselves," “accidentally” had sex. Like, you’re willing to break an agreement, feel all the guilt, and go all secret agent-level to hide the thing because you… what, couldn’t keep it in your pants?

11. Extreme jealousy over sex.

Alongside the last point, I don’t really get why people make such a big deal about someone sleeping with someone else. Sure, it’s not cool to break agreements, and it’s a valid reason to re-evaluate the relationship. But just because they hooked up with someone else? Why is it such a dramatic deal?

(Spoiler alert: I’ve grown up to be poly now, who’s surprised xD)

12. The sexualization of women in media, ads, and the outrage from cishet guys about female characters wearing realistic armor instead of metal bikinis in their games now.

What do you mean, people actually like this and it works on them? Do people actually appreciate having half-naked women in their media? Seriously?

13. The priority of romantic relationships over friendships and every other kind of relationship.

From "got a partner, disappeared for two months from their friend group" to the whole idea that romance is inherently more "serious" or "important" than friendship. Why? Who made that a rule?

Okay, that’s it off the top of my head. Might add something later. 

[chocolatepot]

Did just a little bookbinding project this weekend. A few days ago, I came across this prayerbook from 1895 by Lilian Montagu, an important figure in turn of the century Reform Judaism. It's a fascinating primary source and piece of ephemera - written for the needs of busy, young working-class Jewish women, with prayers for things they would expect to deal with such as going into service, having to work on the Sabbath, and getting engaged. The final prayer is for facing antisemitic persecution.

I really love trying to match historic typesets. I retyped this largely in Century Schoolbook, with the numbers in the publishing date and table of contents in Bembo Std in order to get them oldstyle, not on the baseline. (The back copy is also in Bembo Std. I don't know how I obliterated the Renegade Bindery logo.) The blackletter font in 2001 Rotunda Formata, which was the closest match to the original I could find, although it's still unsatisfyingly different in a few ways. And one little ornament on the cover from Sughayer Separates, a very very useful group of fonts for historical typesets.

Unfortunately I'm just noticing now that I messed up the cover! Forgot about the border and the "Price Twopence." But in general, I think this looks quite a lot like the original - a credible piece of late Victorian ephemera.

Because the original is in a nonstandard page size - very tall and thin - I decided to make this version out of a nonstandard page size. I used some paper I'd had cut down to "executive" size a while back ... although I'd forgotten that my printer gets stupid with smaller page sizes, and messes up the margins. Annoying.

[faerouzia]

✰ESCAPADE (TEASER)✰

𝑖𝑚 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑦...

✰✰pairing: badboy!seonghwa x multipontentialite!reader

✰✰Au: 80s, corporate/secret life

✰✰genre: queer-romance, melodrama

✩✰✰warnings: slow burn, angst, smut, homophobia (trigeering), mentions of STDs (the plight of HIV during the time) and many more

love hangover

✰✰overview: In the cutthroat world of the 1980s, where ambition and ruthlessness reign supreme, "fags" are fighting tooth and nail for survival in a society that thrives on discrimination. By day, she’s a high-powered executive, respected for her sharp mind and precision in a male-dominated industry that would chew her up and spit her out if she dared to show her true self. But when the sun sets, she transforms into a dazzling figure at the Star80 club—a sanctuary for the fabulous and fierce, where she dances, vogues, and celebrates life with her chosen family of fellow misfits and outcasts.

As she navigates the complexities of her double life, a chance encounter with a notorious bad boy known for making headlines throws her into a whirlwind of danger, desire, and deception. The collision of her two worlds threatens to unravel the carefully constructed facade she’s maintained, forcing her to confront the harsh realities of living in a society that often rejects those who dare to be different.

With her best friend Yeosang—a passionate voguer and fellow "queen"—by her side, she grapples with the stakes of love and acceptance in a time when being openly gay could mean the difference between success and being tossed aside like yesterday's trash. Together, they challenge the status quo, celebrating the beauty of being unapologetically themselves while dreaming of a future where acceptance isn’t just a fantasy.

But as secrets threaten to tear her world apart, she’s faced with a gut-wrenching choice: keep her hidden life under wraps or embrace the truth that could set her free. Will she find the guts to live authentically, or will the pressures of society drag her back into the shadows? This is a raw, unfiltered story of resilience, love, and the vibrant spirit of the LGBTQ community, set against the backdrop of a decade that changed everything. Get ready for a wild ride through a world where the stakes are high, and the only way to survive is to be fierce.

taglist:

@velvetdolor @ninjakitty15 @reverienymphslibrary @frenchkisstheabyss @fixx0nn @matzrionette @not4maddy @hwasstxr @twancingyunhao @manu2004 @m4n4-s4m4 @mingiswow @downbadpandora @nihil-essse @life-is-a-game-of-thrones @londonbridges01 @angy28-blog @sussurrandopiano @ewok7attack @exatse @egirlbyeol @debexo @dea-nimus @channiesjagi @flwroses @thetidesthatturn @yalos-world @sisakoekiee @cutejaeyunie @writers-thoughts09 @himeiromai @bruhmoonlight @powerpuff-girls4l

[3-2-whump]

The Scent of Jasmine

<prev next>

Who's in the mood for some carewhumping after the emotional rollercoaster of almost dying? I know I am!

Thank you @whumped-by-glitter and @generic-whumperz for being awesome beta readers

TW/CW: aftermath of mock execution, trauma aftermath, extremely dubious consent, nonverbal whumpee, whumper turned carewhumper, dubiously consensual nudity, death threats, chastity devices (yes, it’s back), forced domesticity, food whump (sort of) (tagging it anyway to cover my bases), intimate whumper

The boss noticed Khaled’s grateful enthusiasm slowly fade into a catatonic silence on the drive home. He didn’t think much of it, though. Poor boy is just shocked is all, he told himself, we can work on that. He parked, got out of the car and led Khaled out of the garage and to the elevator.

His first order of business was to strip Khaled when they got home. The poor thing was soaked in melted snow and cooled piss. He was barely responsive as Thomas pulled him into the laundry room and slowly peeled each layer of clothing off his shivering body. “You need a bath, Khaled.”

Khaled didn’t reply, instead opting to stare at his bare feet with empty, starless eyes. I can’t blame him for being quiet. Anyone would be a little messed up after a mock execution, he figured. He sighed, gently taking the slave’s hand in his and leading him to the master bathroom.

Once inside, Thomas deposited him at the entrance and turned on the lights and the fan. Khaled stood silently watching him by the door as he knelt by the large, deep bath tub. “Come on in,” he beckoned. Khaled inched closer to the bath tub as Thomas poured a generous glug of bubble bath solution into the marble expanse and cranked the water full-blast, making micro-adjustments to make sure the temperature wasn’t too hot. As a finishing touch, he uncapped a tiny bottle of jasmine oil and dripped a few drops into the tub. The floral scent rose on the plumes of steam coming from the frothing tub.

Once the tub was full enough, Thomas turned off the tap and pulled Khaled closer to the tub. He effortlessly scooped the young man’s cold body into his arms, settling him on the edge of the bath tub before gently lowering him in. “I’m going to help you wash your hair and body. Nod if you understand me.”

Khaled faintly nodded, eyes fully closing as he slumped into the soapy water. “Good boy.” Nothing but a small, contented sounding whimper answered him. At least he’s becoming verbal again.

Thomas methodically washed the young man’s body and hair, being mindful of not getting any soap in his eyes as he massaged his scalp with the shampoo. He noticed the newly forming chafe marks on Khaled’s wrists as he scrubbed his body. All the while he whispered sweet nothings into his ear, like “good boy, you’re being so good right now, we’re almost done, I gotta rinse you off and drain the tub next.”

The awareness in Khaled’s eyes was flickering back on once Thomas helped him out of the bath tub and began towel-drying him. “Back with me, beautiful?” he teased.

“Mmm.” Inky dark eyes glittered up at him from dark lashes and damp strands of black hair as Thomas wrapped a soft fluffy towel around his shoulders.

“Yeah, good. Very good.” He procured something small and metallic from behind his back.

Khaled instinctively backed away as soon as he saw what it was. “Khaled,” he warned. It was all he needed to say for the boy to stay rooted on the spot. “I haven’t forgotten about you running around and getting an STD,” he explained as he wrapped the cock cage around Khaled’s privates. “And I’m still mad about it. But maybe I will let you out once we’re both all better.” He padlocked it in place and held the small caged appendage in his hand. “Or once I put that dumpster lover of yours under, like the horndog he is. Whichever comes sooner.” He marveled at how it was but a microcosm of Khaled’s greater captivity. As he craned his gaze upwards, he saw Khaled pout. “Oh, don’t give me that look –I’m doing this for your own good!” The boy smoothed his frown back into a neutral expression of apathy as he hid his eyes behind his lashes.

“That’s more like it. Now, can you change into your pajamas and wait in the living room until Master is done in here?” He measured out his words slowly and carefully, explaining it as if Khaled was a child again. Another quiet hum answered him. “Good boy. When I’m done, we can eat, and then we’ll watch whatever you’d like.” He gestured him out with a small wave of the hand, then hopped into the shower for a quick rinse off himself.

When he got out of the shower, towel-dried himself, and changed into a fresh pair of flannel pants and a wife-beater tank top, Thomas made his way to the living room, where Khaled sat on the floor, at the foot of the couch, gazing down at the carpet with desolate eyes. He was still wrapped in the bath towel. Seeing him there brought back memories of when Khaled was younger, when he would lean against his shins and let him brush his thick black hair. The memory brought back fond feelings in Thomas’ chest. He turned around and went back to the bathroom for a hairbrush.

Once he was done brushing his slave’s hair, they ended up sitting opposite each other at the dining room table, each with a plate of reheated takeout from a new Indian restaurant Tom had wanted to try. While the boss himself ravenously devoured the bhuna ghost, Khaled kept tearing the same corner of buttered naan between his fingers while staring apathetically at the murgh cholay.

“Are you sure you don’t want any more food?” he asked again. “You hardly touched your portion.”

The boy merely shook his head.

“Come on, at least two more bites, Khaled,” he coaxed. “Give me at least two more bites before I put it away.”

Khaled cast him an empty, weary stare, not breaking eye contact as he tore off the weathered chunk of bread, dipped it into the curry, and ate exactly two more bites.

They ended up cuddling onto the couch together after dinner, a rarity in their household. Thomas man-spread on the couch and rested his arms outstretched along the back. Khaled, still wearing nothing but a damp bath towel around his shoulders, leaned against his side with his head resting on his chest. His hands curled around a steaming mug of chai, which he occasionally sipped as they watched a rerun of the AFC World Cup. Khaled didn’t cheer, or groan, or offer any commentary of any kind throughout the whole match. It was unusual for Khaled to remain this quiet and glum during a game. Thomas gently took the mug from his hands and set it on the table. “What’s wrong? Why are you so quiet this evening? Is it –oh, is it because of that little scare off the side of the road?” he guessed. Khaled pushed his weight up against him, just short of burrowing into the man’s side.

“I guess I scared you pretty badly, didn’t I? Look, I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I know now it wasn’t you, but I had to be sure. I promise I will never fake you out like that again.”

The young man remained silent as he leaned against his chest.

“If anything, you should be blaming that boyfriend of yours,” he continued. “I bet he never would’ve attempted that hit if he knew what I was about to do to you tonight. But, what’s done is done, and now you’ll never see him again.”

Khaled did not respond.

It took about an hour more of mind-numbing soccer footage for him to realize the boy had fallen asleep on him.

Oh. He softly smiled as he turned off the TV. He carefully got up and lowered Khaled onto the couch, disentangling the towel from his unconscious, nude form. He propped a throw pillow behind his head, then unfurled a fleece blanket and draped it over him, making sure his feet were covered and he was properly tucked in for the night. “Goodnight, Khaled,” he whispered, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on the side of the boy’s parted lips. “I… love you...”

Le Tag List: @kabie-whump @rainydaywhump @whumped-by-glitter @skittles-the-whumpee @generic-whumperz @bamber344 @there-will-always-be-blood @morning-star-whump @a-la-whump @watermelons-dont-grow-on-trees @defire

[studywithtarun]

Acadamenic come back

Hi guys I have note been posting on Tumblr because I was in complete social detox for a month and Tumblr was shut off basically it was for April but some how I felt good and it got extended but I am back hehe🥳

Academic comeback is well let’s be frank every one talks abt it like everyone, yet many can’t do it. Let do a retrospective how many time you have said to yourself that you wanted to increase your score and said “I will do it next time for sure” yet it never happens.

The main reason is we aim we create goals but we fail to execute the plan and make actual changes that is were the root of the problem lie which we neglect we try to fix superficial issues but nerves forget the core issue that is improper study system

Right now I am trying to have an academic comeback like switching form 11 to 12 std I have drastic lowering in scores so it time to grow besties.

Chapter 1 : mistake analysis

Let’s first dig up the root problem to identify first try what you did wrong through the time of studying there would be something , it could as simple as not taking notes try to identify some fault in the system. If you can’t ask your parents if they stay with you ( why ? You might ask) the thing is parents observe us more than we realize my mother randomly told me that I only studying 6 hours a day compared to my 7 and 8 hours before I haven’t said her nor have I shared any of my time stamps at tumblr yet she recognized it so the best is to ask someone for help to identify our mistake in the way we do things.

Chapter 2 : plan

It is very crucial since we identified our fault we have to plan to fix it so we plan. Now if your current planning system is the fault you might have to you know change system otherwise current way of planning is fine just plan !

Chapter 3 ( most forgotten part ) : execution

Now people seriously sometime do all the above yest simple forget to implement the changes even if they do implement it for short term it not a long lasting change that will help but it not as effective as a full change.

Now the thing is this repeat on and off so I suggest myself and others to you use your Sunday evening for this process so small mistakes which you think are neglect able might be the cause for your stagnating scores so yes let hope we all fix our issues and grow

Bye besties

Tarun

[live-blogging-enterprise]

the AIDS metaphore with the the vulcan telepathic std and the mind-melding minority is, while a little heavy handed, nicely executed. Let's see how it goes

[anime-lover-forever-1127]

Reasons I Hate Hayley

So people have been about some reasons to hate Hayley, so I made this:

Attitude. She kept going around acting like she as better than the Mikelsons - she wasn't - she wasn't better physically, financially, or intellectually. And the whole werewolves are "noble" and "strong" creatures, is complete BS.

they literally trigger there curse by killing someone - so their standing on sand in that moral ground

without witch intervention - their only deadly to vampires on full moons.

Killing. Her hands are just as bloody as anyone elses on the show, and she acts like she's completely innocent. Ex. Davina asked her to kill ONE witch, and Hayley decided she wanted to create another expression triangle.

Mother. Everyone treats her as if she was this standard for motherhood, when

she tried to kill her kid

She put the kid in danger multiple times during her pregnancy running into danger like an idiot - like why don't you drink some bear and smoke some pot on top of that - it would honestly do less damage than running around like an idiot.

I've done the math of when Caroline opens the school and Hayley sends Hope to boarding school and she literally did it as SOON as it opened! Like yeah, I'm going to send my kid who likely has a mountain of trauma alone over state lines.

Characters - They literally made other characters appear weak just so she could appear "badass".

Mikael, no, she can't take on the 1000 year old vampire that made the rest of the originals go running.

No, her enemies - hundred of years old vampire don't respect her - she ain't all that.

And NO, she's not someone Klaus fears, the only way she scares is him is his frightening sudden urge to get checked for supernatural STDs!

"Female empowerment" - She was supposed to be this strong female character who took charge, but she had no strong female qualities.

She was physically weak

relied on the mikaelsons for power, wealth, and housing

demanding and spoiled

relied on the men around her for her position: Klaus, Elijah, even Jackson

Quick Note: Caroline > Hayley On the other hand we have Caroline. Miss Mystic Falls, 4.0 GPA, Headed tons of committees and was a strong leader. Had tremendous growth and was relatable as a character.

Hayley was a pancake flat character. She had no growth, stayed the same throughout the show, it was always: Me, myself, and I with her, and on occasion "Elijah, Klaus, Jackson" look at me (that's why I said pancake - she had a slight curve in her character with which man she was screaming at for the week).

Queen - she called herself a werewolf queen which I hated. Werewolfs don't/shouldn't have queens! There werewolves, it means wild, a force of nature, pack animal. It should have been Alpha, not Queen! So her going around calling herself Queen just triggered me.

Overall, Hayley was an annoying, childish character, that brought nothing to the plot yet the writers insisted on shoving her down our throats. She was a poorly executed Mary Sue, unnecessary, cringy, and just painful to watch on screen. I have read Harry Potter and would honestly rather be in detention with Umbridge than in a room with Hayley.

Reasons I Do Not Hate Hayley: Klaroline. She was never a threat to the ship, she was a druken one night stand, nothing more. Like she may have been the reason Klaus went to New Orleans - because she got knocked up, but she was never a threat to the ship herself.

Well, whoever made it to the end, thanks for reading. Honestly, this rant was more for me, I've been seeing way to much Hayley content on my youtube page my tumblr for some reasons and I really needed to went.

KLAROLINE FOR LIFE, BECAUSE I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP!!!

[marta-bee]

So. Much. Newsing.

Immigration

Birthright citizenship: Next steps in the legal fight over birth-right citizenship. Trump explains why he thinks SCOTUS will side with him (12ft.io). US Senators introduce legislation to codify Trump's executive order into law. Federal judge issues nationwide injunction against the EO.

Deportations: Trump releases some immigrants arrested in ICE crackdown, due to lack of beds. (12ft.io) US military personnel are preparing a massive immigrant detention center at Guantanamo. (RP) And, private US citizens impersonated ICE agents and terrorized Hispanic people. (12ft.io) This was just vile.

Specifically with El Salvador: El Salvador agreed to accept violent criminal deportees from the US, including from other countries and even American citizen criminals. (12ft.io) Most experts consider the American citizen piece illegal. Trump himself likes the idea of letting them jail US citizens. Details about conditions at El Salvador's mega-prison.

Race, Gender and DEI

DEI: The NY Times looks at the racist undercurrent of Trump's pushback against DEI. (RP) NPR discusses how corporate America rushed into DEI after the George Floyd murders, the mistakes they made, and how their retreat from DEI is similarly rushed and flawed. For a blind worker, diversity programs and a focus on merit aren't at odds. (RP) Federal employees caught up in Trump's push to fire people working on DEI discuss its impact.

Anti-trans shenanigans: TIME discusses how the anti-trans EO's are affecting trans people trying to get government ID cards. (12ft.io) US hospitals suspend health care for trans minors after Trump EO. New York AG warns that denying care based on the order would violate state law. Federal judge blocks Trump's attempt to move trans women inmates to male prisons. (RP) They're also being forced to hand over female-identifying clothes and HBA products.

Anti-Muslim & Anti-Arab shenanigans: Trump admin opens investigation into anti-semitism on college campuses. Foreign students who join pro-Palestinian protesters can have their student visas cancelled and be deported. (RP)

Science and Energy

Sec. Health Hearings: Senators considering RFK Jr. for Sec. Health are concerned about his getting paid for his role in anti-vax lawsuits (RP) Republicans questioned his abortion positions. (RP) Kennedy discussed possible deep cuts to Medicaid funding. (12ft.io) He's now been approved by the committees and is expected to be confirmed by the full Senate.

Sec. Energy Confirmed: Doug Burnum was confirmed as Sec. Energy. He immediately announced orders to decrease regulation and increase drilling/mining of fossil fuels. Burnum was formerly governor of North Dakota. Not news, but John Oliver did an episode on North Dakota's energy industry years back that's still an important warning (VIDEO) Trump admin is also considering redrawing national park boundaries to allow for more drill baby drill.

Science communications blackouts: Federal websites touching on HIV, transgender issues, climate change etc. were removed. (RP) CDC guidelines on vaccinations, STD prevention were also removed. (12ft.io) CDC researchers were also ordered to retract papers containing "forbidden terms" from journals. (12ft.io)

Foreign Affairs

Tariffs (what a beautiful word!) : Trump enacts then pauses tariffs against Mexico, tariffs against China and Canada still in place. (12ft.io) Canada and Mexico tariffs were both paused for thirty days by end of day on Monday. Economist Lawrence Summers explains why tariffs are bad for the US. (RP) Wall Street falls in response to tariff news, though improves somewhat after Mexico tariff pause. China pushes back. Trump gains very little in Mexico, Canada deals over tariffs. (12ft.io) The BBC talks about Canada's reaction (interesting stuff!).

Gaza: Trump withdraws from UN Human Rights Council and forbids future humanitarian aid for Gaza. He's also studying withdrawing from the UN full stop. (RP) He wants the US to take ownership of Gaza and the Palestinians to be "permanently resettled" in Jordan and Egypt. Because such a brazen plan would almost certainly upset the ceasefire, here are the Americans still held hostage by Hamas.

Ukraine: Trump discusses extending Ukraine funding in exchange for mineral resources. (12ft.io)

Iran: Trump reimposes "maximum pressure" on Iran, aims to cut off all oil exports. (RP) He also wants to hold talks on a nuclear deal with the country. He also tells his advisers to "obliterate" Iran if they assassinate him. This casts new light on his recent cancelling the security details of Pompeo, Bolton,  and other past security advisers from his first term (RP), who were considered insufficiently loyal to Trump but still faced active assassination threats from Iran.

Oligarchy & Autocracy

USAID: Funding is still not being distributed. Programs affected include girls' schooling in Afghanistan and treatment and prevention programs for tuberculosis, HIV and malaria. (RP) Trump has alleged fraud and put Sec. State Rubio in charge of the agency. Nearly 400 USAID employees and contractors have been laid off. The building is literally shuttered. Foreign USAID employees are being pulled back from the field and will return to the US by this weekend. For context: USAID is an independent program created by Congress. Doing all this by executive order and just Elon being Elon is almost certainly illegal.

Domestic funding freeze: Some nonprofits say they still can't access their funding (12ft.io), despite a judge ordering Trump admin to release the funds temporarily. A new judge extended the block against holding back funds approved by Congress permanently. Dem. Senate leader Hakeem Jeffries plans to use upcoming funding bill to prevent Trump from doing something similar in the future. (RP) Head Start programs serving 20,000+ children still cannot access payments. (RP) Elon Musk has gained access to the federal government's payment-processing system, personnel files and other sensitive systems. (RP) NY Times discusses why he is so focused on controlling the payment system. (RP)

DOJ & FBI Firings: Trump personally ordered the firings of DOJ attorneys who worked on Jack Smith's investigations of him. FBI turned over list of over 5,000 agents who worked on January 6th investigations. (RP)

Other Stories

Russell Vought: Mr. Project 2025 clears committee and moves on to the full Senate confirmation vote. Wall Street Journal has a good overview of him. (RP) Several Democrats boycotted his committee vote in protest (RP), and are planning a marathon of speeches in opposition tonight. (RP)