#strict but has a lovely heart: the chief prosecutor

[thegalaxyoffice]

@moonlitsorceress

"Dog ears???" Miles well he not eure is she a good person. His daughter was in the same situation as him she goes behind his legs to search kind of protect.

"Sorry, she just do not trust at the first time, Well I am Miles Edgeworth and this is my Office what do you need?" He asked.

[danahmbisyosangdoktora]

Wow, I’m ten months behind in this supposed “drama list” ??? LOL why did I even try? I should just accept the fact that I am no longer capable of maintaining this blog. Just kidding! Of course... I still have to do this! 

Here’s the many dramas I have watched for the past months I’ve been... away... and working (wew! you know, I’m employed *winks*... but can still watch ofc ofc #asiandramaislife)

NOTE: I’m not gonna include the plot anymore because it takes so much characters and effort. Also I don’t have much luxury of time to rephrase each of them (because we don’t tolerate copy-paste here). I mean I only get them from Wiki! Anyway...

FEBRUARY Let’s Fight Ghost Rating: ★★★★☆ | Moderate plot Country: South Korea Genre: Horror, Mystery, Romantic Comedy No. of Episodes: 16 Thoughts: Watched this because of my number one bae, Kim So-hyun!!! This has been on my list since time immemorial but only decided to watch it this year and month. This is a breather from my usual high school drama (because I so dig this theme/genre) since it includes some uh, supernatural elements. Over-all, it was wrapped up nicely and the drama is such a good mix of different... flavors, be it horror, mystery, romance and comedy... I must say. Finished Watching: February 02, 2019 

Witch’s Love Rating: ★★★☆☆ | Light plot Country: South Korea No. of Episodes:12 Genre: Romantic Comedy, Fantasy Thoughts: I LITERALLY WATCHED THIS BECAUSE I SAW A CLIP ON FB AND THOUGHT THE LEAD ROLE GUY WAS CHANYEOL!!! #clown. It’s my first time to see Yoon So-Hee in a lead role. The last I saw her was in the Ruler: Master of the Mask. The drama is cute! I really ship the main actors!!! It’s kind of confusing in the middle but soon, you’ll get a hang of it... or is it just me?  Finished Watching: February 07, 2019.

SKY Castle Rating: ★★★★★ | Heavy plot Country: South Korea No. of Episodes: 20 + special Genre: Satire, Drama, Black Comedy, Family, School Thoughts: I HAVE NEVER SEEN A DRAMA THIS HEAVY??? Maybe it’s just me?? Coz this is the first time I shifted from the usual mood and age of the actors I watch??? I’ve only been seeing tweets about this drama during it’s airing that said “it’s a must-watch” and the like so I literally got curious and watched it. I don’t remember how exactly I felt during the earlier parts of the drama but I’m sure I never dropped it/delayed it until I was able to keep up with the weekly release of episodes. It’s a total page-turner if it is compared to a book. I really like how it was able to portray the side of education that most people with not-so-obsessed-with-merit-parents don’t understand; the manipulation, the strict competition and the emotional impact it brings to the family ganoin. I love how each family has their own issue and how it all got twisted together (I’m that obsessed with angst). It could really be just me because it’s my first time but I totes recommend!!!!!! Finished Watching: February 11, 2019

On Your Wedding Day (Movie) Rating: ★★ ☆☆☆ | Light plot Country: South Korea Genre: Melodrama, Romance Thoughts: Meh. Just kidding! I watched this during one of my night duties together with my workmate. She was actually the one who’s watching, naki-panood lang ako lol the plot really didn’t appeal to me... or because my attention wasn’t on it full time because I remember we stopped for a moment because I had to work hehe anyway, as someone who fancies... tragedies, it’s nice to see a drama which deviates from the usual happy ending of lead roles.  Finished Watching: February 20, 2019

MARCH Hwayugi Rating: ★★★★☆ | Moderate Plot Country: South Korea No. of Episodes: 20 Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Comedy, Horror Thoughts: I remember watching this because I was in the mood for a supernatural theme.This has been on my list since its release too but only found the mood to watch this month. It’s the right amount of every genre, I love how it turned out. I watched this alongside four other dramas hahaha la lung, just to put it out there. 

I wasn’t able to note what date I exactly finished this though.

Romance is a Bonus Book Rating: ★★★★☆ | Light plot Country: South Korea No. of Episodes: 16 Genre: Comedy, Romance, Life, Drama Thoughts: Watched this when it’s on-going because it’s my number one oppa and nation’s boyfriend, LJS! I was actually surprised he was paired with a noona but ofc ofc, he was able to carry it. I was kilig the entire time! This is actually very close to my heart; aside from it being the last drama of LJS before enlisting, he was actually a Chief Editor!!! He’s really out there outdoing the man of my dreams by taking all roles/professions I like for my man and myself be it a journalist, a doctor, a lawyer/prosecutor and here, an editor. It’s actually not that deep? It focused on how one found love in the middle of career development and adulting. I really admire Jong Suk’s character here because he’s not the type to shove his feelings to the woman and respected whatever decisions she has. Finished Watching: March 29, 2019

Cart (Movie) Rating: ★★★★☆ | Moderate plot Country: South Korea Genre: Life, Drama, Family Thoughts: This was just one of my ‘catching-up-with-EXO-dramas’ moment. Okay, I cried. The plot isn’t perfect but it’s super powerful, it was able to speak volumes. It’s not enough (for a movie) but it was able to talk about the struggle of the working class and was able to show the wicked side of employers and how the upper class together with the media and the government handle situations such as workers’ protest. Just a little eye-opener to those who can’t seem to understand this matter. Finished Watching: March 29, 2019

JUNE Criminal Minds Rating: ★★★★☆ | Moderate plot Country: South Korea No. of Episodes: 20  Genre: Action, Mystery, Detective Thoughts: I was randomly watching tvN via SKY Cable (yes free promo) when I stumbled upon its episode 12. My mom joined me and we got hooked and curious, she asked me to search for the drama so we can watch it from the start. I think this was the first time that I watched an investigative drama. Not sure if Terius Behind Me and Strong Woman Bong Soon count so this was probably a first. Also, based on my little research, there are cases incorporated in the drama that actually happened in real life in Korea. I really love this! Finished Watching: June 09, 2019

Her Private Life Rating: ★★★★★ | Light plot Country: South Korea No. of Episodes: 16 Genre: Comedy, Romance Thoughts: I HAVE NEVER RELATED TO A DRAMA SO BAD AS I DID HERE!!! Of course, it’s a fangirl’s story!!! This was a bit anticipated by stan twitter and I’m one of them. Watched this while it’s on-going. Although the fangirl life was put aside in the middle of the plot to give way for the romance, I was glad someone thought of making a drama out of a fangirl’s perspective. I must say, Deok Mi is one hell of a fangirl! I can only dream of being on her level. Of course, that’s understandable because her character is a masternim.

To conclude my thought on this drama in two words: SANA ALL! Finished Watching: June 10, 2019

Put Your Head On My Shoulders Rating: ★★★★☆ | Light plot Country: China  No. of Episodes: 24 Genre: Youth, School, Romance, Comedy Thoughts: My coming-of-age and high school romance fix! This was one of the many “Facebook made me watch this” because again, I saw a clip of this drama on FB and got curious so I watched it! Haha I seriously can make a list of this sort though. I was lucky to be able to catch it while it’s on-going hahaha so much for #TeamOnGoing. It’s cute, tamang kilig ba. Finished Watching: June 21, 2019

It’s not a lot because I only watch whenever I’m off duty, whenever I get off from work or whenever I can squeeze it during work hours while waiting for blood work he he he 

Some people ask how I manage watching this lot. 

Answer: just watch a lot. 

The past months, I realize I’ve been watching a minimum of five dramas at the same time. Since most of the dramas I watch are all on-going, it’s not that hard to watch all of them. I watch either which ever drama updates first or what I feel watching first. Actually, each drama has their own schedules naman... one drama I watch either updates on Wed/Thu, another Thu/Fri then one on Fri/Sat and so on kaya it’s really not that hard. It’s also the reason why I get to watch completed dramas because each episodes only run for maximum of 1 hour and 30 minutes so let’s say, 4 on-going dramas with 2 episode-updates wont really take a day for me to finish. Remember, we have seven days in a week! So while waiting for the on-going dramas to update, that’s when I watch the completed ones. I only mentally schedule my on-going and completed dramas so I can watch them all equally and just in time when I can still retain what happened on the last episode I left off. Pero there are also times when I like the completed drama so much, I finish it in two days. I stopped finishing dramas in 24hrs because I have commitment issues, ayoko yung iniiwan ako agad cHAROT HAHAHA ANUDAW 

Anyway, ayun lang naman! Let’s see each other again for the other half of this year’s Drama List!

[mikami]

Death Note Audio Drama 01

Disk 1: Pattern Recognition - a summary / partial translation

The Death Note audio drama is a German audiobook production that is officially licensed, but has been written and produced without any further involvement from the Japanese copyright holders. A Japanese release is, as such, not planned. An English release was announced in 2017 and has since never received any more news nor a release date announcement.

The audio drama starts of pretty benign as a retelling of the manga with some changed facts and dialogues.... and eventually full-on diverges from the plot and leads to a completely alternative ending. It’s pretty wild for officially licensed media. Wild enough to absolutely warrant being shared with the English-speaking fandom at large.

Since the whole drama is 12 hours in total in 12 disks (covering roughly one manga volume each), I won’t be able to provide a full translation and instead will summarize the less juicy bits while doing a full translation of anything funny or interesting. 

All future episodes will be found in this tag on my blog.

Without further ado, let’s begin.

We open to the sound of someone typing.

LIGHT: Something is rotten. Post-modern. Post-truth. Post-Justice. Day in day out, the same lies in endless repetition. Killers get away with murder. Drug dealers sell poison to children. The world is drowning in its own filth. The world is infected with corruption. I am the cure. I am the--

A knocking sound.

SACHIKO (muffled): Dinner is ready, dear!

LIGHT (groans, but then goes on): I am the surgeon who cuts out the cancer, I am the--

More knocking.

SACHIKO: It’s your favourite dish!

LIGHT: One second, mom! 

SACHIKO: Are you talking to your friends online again?

LIGHT: It’s fine, mom, I’m coming!

SACHIKO: Hurry up, it’s getting cold.

______

We cut to a scene of the task force entering the school in which Kuroh Otoharada has taken children hostage. The scene is fairly simple. Someone (I think Matsuda?) is pretty violently insistent on shooting Otoharada if necessary. They find Otoharada dead in the bathroom. 

______

Ryuk, who has a voice like a friendly fat little man narrating fairytales, tells us the rules of the Death Note. We cut to Light coming home and giving Sachiko his test results. They cut out the whole ‘number one in the nation’ and simply changed it to top grades in a nation-wide test exam. Probably because Germany doesn’t have ranking lists like that at all.

_______

A TV report about Otoharada is playing. A lady named Noriko Takai is trying to interview Matsuda about the incident. Matsuda refers her to the upcoming pref-conference, but admits that Otoharada died of a heart attack.

_______

Typing noises again.

LIGHT: To all those who are interested... If you are reading this text, something went wrong. If you are reading this, I might even be dead. In that case, dear me, dear Light Yagami. This is your younger self. In case you’ve forgotten everything, this story may be hard to believe, yet every word is true. Yeah... You found a notebook on the school grounds. Yeah... It claimed to have the power of bringing death to anyone you name in it. And yeah... you laughed about it. You were thinking of a prank. However... you couldn’t resist, am I right? You wrote the name of this guy from the school hostage taking and he died. But it could have been a coincidence. So you tried again. And what you saw, scared you. But in the same moment, you understood the power you had. So you ran home into your room and the confirmation was already waiting for you. With his claws, and glowing devil’s eyes.

________

Ryuk is indeed in Light’s bedroom. The meeting dialogue is largely very similar to the manga. However, this snippet happens....

LIGHT: I didn’t expect something so---

RYUK: Something so demonic? I’m hurt. I’m quite the catch for a denizen of the netherworld. I could be a sex god, if I wasn’t so good with death.

Ryuk elaborates that the notebook now belongs to Light, that nobody can see him, that he wasn’t chosen, that the shinigami world is boring... yadda yadda, we know this from the anime already. Light says his famous “if someone dies, does that make me a murderer?” line and Ryuk just says “of course it does.” Another funny Ryuk line: “You killed someone else too? Awww, you’re my man.”

________

In a flashback Light walks Shinjuku. Takuo Shibuimaru shows up and Light kills him, hurray. 

Back in the present:

RYUK: Fantastic. You killed this guy for flirting with a woman?

LIGHT: She wanted to be left alone.

RYUK: Alllright, social justice warrior. But isn’t that a little... strict?

Light launches into a speech about his ambitions. Ryuk keeps pointing out that he is afraid. Light gets annoyed at being condescended, since Ryuk is the one who gave him the weapon in the first place. However, he also admits to being scared. But still, someone needs to do it. But who else could do it, if not him? Etc, etc, etc. HE WILL MAKE A BETTER WORLD.

_______

A TV segment about the early Kira deaths. The chief prosecutor is under fire for treating prisoners badly, since people assume the prisoners died of bad food in prison. Other people deny that this is how it is, because they assume that bad food would have more than 3 victims. Someone else assumes it is the will of God. Some other guy is praising whoever does the killing in a flippant and humorous tone. The interviewer criticizes him for these views.

________

L: Come in, Watari, come in. 

WATARI: I thought you might already be in bed, Mr. L. It’s fairly late.

L: No sleep, no, not sleeping. Can’t sleep. 

WATARI: How much coffee did you...

L: There’s a killer on the loose, Watari!

WATARI: That is always the case, Mr. L.

L: No, this time it’s different. Different, you understand? I looked at the data, check it out. Heart attacks going through the roof.

WATARI: The deaths among criminals? Wasn’t that about the food?

L: No, it can’t be the food, when it’s taking place so hand-picked and world-wide. These people can’t all have been poisoned by the same dose. What do the deaths have in common...? The only connection really appears to be that all of them are criminals...

WATARI: You are a master in pattern recognition, L. You’re famous for it. 

L (laughs): Famous, yeah. We have to contact interpol. I looked at the data. Someone is killing criminals by the dozens. We need to talk to interpol.

WATARI: They had a conference announced for later today anyway. Well... tomorrow. In their time.

L: Time? Time zones, of course! 

WATARI: Mr. L...? 

L: Let’s look back at the data for a moment. 

_______

Ryuk is impressed by how many people Light killed. Light admits to getting nightmares due to it, but he also is determined about his mission. He explains his idea of heart attacks leading to recognition of the pattern. Ryuk is pretty flippant about Light’s plan, saying he is the only danger to mankind.

_______

Nature noises.

WATARI: Are we working in the park now, Mr. L?

L: I need to stay on the move. Change wifi hotspots.

WATARI: Isn’t that a little... paranoid?

L: In the face of a killer who can kill from a distance? No, it’s only appropriate. Completely appropriate. Watari... You need to create a filter. Something to distort my voice over the phone. 

WATARI: That’ll be done in no time, Mr. L.

L now explains his initial idea of how to catch the killer. He asks WHEN someone would use their power to kill and concludes that they’d do it after work before bed, in free time timeframes. L assumes someone would likely kill between 4pm and 2am, but which timezone? 78% of people die in that timeframe, in GMT-10. Thus L narrows it down to countries in that timezone for a start. And he also wants to factor in weekends, holidays, other free time events... for all those countries, to narrow it down with reference to the 32% of killings done at other times. 

_______

The interpol meeting is in session. The French representative argues that if the assumption is that this is black magic or something, then it isn’t under their jurisdiction. After all there are no laws about magic or cursing people. The US representative and meeting leader explains that there weren’t any laws about cyber crimes (or even a concept of cyber crimes) either before there were computers. Thus she argues in favor of investigating. 

________

RYUK: I mean, I love it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a god of death and you are basically my dedicated intern.

LIGHT: Can’t you just---

RYUK: I will just do what I feel like. You can’t write my name into my own book. I am practically the only living being on this planet that is pretty much safe from you. And that’s exactly why I’m asking: when is it over? I look at you, putting on airs full of significance, how you’re killing the killers, the rapists, the serial killers.... You declared yourself the highest arbiter. 

LIGHT: Someone has to do it. Someone has to tidy up!

RYUK: And what happens when you’re done with murderers? Tax evaders? Jaywalkers? Two hairdressers having a brawl at a bar? Where do you draw the line after which the world is cleansed? Let me tell you something. This world has always been a cesspit. 

LIGHT: I’ll know it when it happens.

RYUK: Or when someone stops you.

LIGHT: Oh come on, who’s supposed to find me?

______

Back at Interpol, they’re debating the need for an international task force. Soichiro suggests bringing in L. French representative is just like “oooh, you’re calling a mystery to solve a mystery?”. Who L is gets explained.

Watari comes in and explains that L is already on the case. L’s message is played. He wants cooperation from the police.

______

A TV report about further killings. A different channel, a religious speaker claims the final days have come. A different channel again, a stand-up comedian talks about the Kira case and jokes that if all killers gets killed nobody would be left to run the government. Says he’d love to do it, but he smoked weed as a college student, so he’s probably on the list too....

Yet another channel recalls that the most popular theory about the killing has religious qualities and that people online are talking of “Kira, the saviour”. 

Light turns off the audio on the TV and Ryuk complains.

RYUK: They assume Kira is male... How sexist.

Light is currently busy googling ‘Kira’. Light complains that people don’t manage to spell ‘Killer’ correctly, if that is what they mean to say. Ryuk is the one who brings up how ‘you Japanese’ swap L and R and thus explains the name.

Then the Lind L. Tailor broadcast happens and Ryuk tells Light to put the audio back on.  

______

The Task Force is discussing the broadcast. Matsuda thought L would be more self-assured and less... reading his text off flash cards. He then realizes the name sounds familiar to him and looks it up. 

______

Light talks to Ryuk about writing Tailor’s name and does so. He dies.

LIGHT: Oopsiedaisy, heart attack.

L’s voice picks right back up. Light is confused and angry. L explains the scheme. The taunt proceeds as in the manga.

_____

Matsuda is just like ‘I tried to tell you, boss. Tailor was on death row’.

______

There is actually noises of Light breaking things in his room as he gets mad about this. Ryuk tells him to calm down. L disconnects on TV.

RYUK: Mic drop. Rock ‘n’ Roll.

LIGHT: Shut up.

______

Matsuda and Soichiro have their conversation about L’s stunt and also Kira lowering crime rate while Soichiro is rushing to catch the train home.

______

SAYU: Oh no, not curry again....

SACHIKO: Sayu, you love curry, you---

SAYU: That was when I was 6, mom! It makes you fat.

SACHIKO: Don’t be silly, dearie.

LIGHT: Everything makes you fat, if you eat too much of it.

SACHIKO: Thanks, Light. At least one person in this family uses his brain. You get that from your dad.

As if on cue, Soichiro comes home. He is delighted about the curry. Talks about the Kira case. He also brings up the idea of Kira being a teenager. Light chokes on his curry quite lengthily at that. 

______

Ryuk expresses his surprise at Soichiro leading the investigation. Light comes up with his plan to change the time of death.

______

L calls Soichiro and Soichiro gives him the news that Kira now kills hourly. L declares people connected to the investigators to be suspects.

______

The US Interpol representative and Watari are meeting for coffee, though Watari does not get coffee because it messes with his heart-rate. Watari requests the FBI to supervise in Japan. Specifically the FBI because the CIA might include a mole. The FBI meanwhile is meant for inland and thus not yet related to the case and can function as external. The representative is pretty shocked and initially refuses, based on the rules for the FBI. 

______

Three detectives leave the case because they don’t want to risk their lives by fighting Kira. 

______

Watari informs L that the FBI has agreed to investigate. L has already looked into the suspect pool via social media. Related to investigators, 16-24, only in the Kanto region.... 

______

Ryuk informs Light of someone tailing him. It’s a lengthy dialogue but very canon-close and not super interesting.

LIGHT: If this is the police....

RYUK: You’ll put up your hands and surrender?

LIGHT: I’m going to have to kill them. All of them.

RYUK: Yeah, that’s what I thought.

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/lori-lightfoot-what-challenges-lie-ahead-for-chicagos-new-mayor/

Lori Lightfoot: What challenges lie ahead for Chicago's new mayor?

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Media captionNew Chicago mayor’s message on race, love… and height

Chicago made history on Tuesday by electing Lori Lightfoot, the city’s first openly gay, black female mayor.

In a historic battle between two black female candidates, the 56-year-old Democrat defeated Toni Preckwinkle, a longtime Chicago politician who has led the local Democratic party.

Ms Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor who has never held political office before, will replace Rahm Emanuel, former President Barack Obama’s chief of staff and the city’s mayor for nearly a decade.

Mr Obama, who once served in the Illinois state legislature, congratulated Ms Lightfoot.

Skip Twitter post by @BarackObama

Great to see Chicago’s historic mayoral race between two highly qualified candidates. Congrats to our next mayor, Lori Lightfoot—and Toni Preckwinkle campaigned hard and did us proud. I know that with our city’s heart and Lori’s leadership, Chicago’s best days are still ahead.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 3, 2019

End of Twitter post by @BarackObama

Ms Lightfoot also carries the mantle of Harold Washington, the city’s first black mayor who served from 1983 to his death in 1987. And with African Americans making up around 30% of the city’s population, it’s notable that Chicago hasn’t seen a black mayor since the 1980s.

“She inspired hope, even optimism, but she’ll face pressure to deliver, or risk disappointing the people who backed her,” says Peter Slevin, a professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and former Chicago bureau chief for the Washington Post.

“In Lightfoot, Chicago voters placed a big bet that a political outsider can do what a long line of professional politicians could not, and that’s deliver a safer city with better schools and more investment in forgotten neighbourhoods.”

Chicago elects black gay woman as mayor

But the job of leading the country’s third largest city comes with its challenges. Here are some of the issues Ms Lightfoot will face when she takes office.

Corruption

A February report using Department of Justice data by the University of Illinois found that Chicago was the most corrupt US city, based on the number of corruption convictions from 1976 to 2017.

Over 30 city council members have been linked to corruption cases in that time. In January, the city’s longest-serving alderman Edward Burke was charged with attempted extortion for allegedly trying to use his political position to drive business at his private law firm.

The 14th Ward Democrat, who has denied the allegations, won his re-election in February despite the charges.

His case, however, had a big impact on the mayoral race. Ms Preckwinkle’s association with Mr Burke hindered her prospects, Lynn Sweet, the Chicago Sun-Times’ Washington Bureau Chief, told the BBC.

“There is this unfolding corruption scandal that’s taking place at the same time as the mayoral campaign, and that also has been a factor that has helped Lightfoot emerge from the crowded field.”

Ms Sweet adds that this new mayor will need to foster productive relationships with a city council with many new members – including some new faces who “may feel emboldened, creating a new dynamic”.

During a debate last month, Ms Lightfoot promised Chicagoans she would send the city’s corrupt political machine “to its grave, once and for all”.

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption Supporters listen as the new mayor celebrates her win

Gun and gang violence

Despite strict gun laws within Illinois, Chicago’s gun violence continues to make national headlines as weapons pour in from neighbouring states. The city’s shootings have long been used by gun-rights advocates as proof that strict laws do not stop violence.

Chicago Police announced a 24% reduction in shootings so far this year, building on trends from 2018.

The department’s report for 2018 saw a 15% drop in the number of murders – the biggest reduction of any major US city. Murders as a result of a shooting have declined 31% in the city since 2016, police said.

As a part of an initiative between police and Mayor Emanuel, in the last two years, the department has hired over 1,000 more officers, obtained new technology and opened new strategic decision support centres across the city.

But there’s still a sense of frustration that Ms Lightfoot will need to address – particularly given her former role as head of Chicago’s police board and accountability taskforce.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Media captionLife and death on the lost streets of Chicago

Police reform

“As the city’s murder toll rose, an increasing number of Chicagoans, especially African Americans, lost faith in the police department,” Prof Slevin says.

In 2014, the killing of Laquan McDonald, a black teenager, by a white police officer sparked nationwide outrage and protests of police brutality. The incident led to a federal investigation of the city’s police that found a pattern of racial discrimination and use of excessive force by Chicago police.

This January, a federal judge approved a plan for dozens of reforms for Chicago’s police force that was compiled by the city and the state attorney general, with input from the public and police. The areas of reform include officer training, crisis intervention, mental health and use-of-force policies, WBEZ reported.

“Lightfoot was prominent in calling for police reforms and now she’ll have to find a way to follow through,” Prof Slevin says. “She told voters that she wants police to work more closely with residents and to be held accountable when they break the rules.”

While she chaired the Chicago Police Board, the civilian group fired around 75% of officers accused of misconduct – compared to 40% in prior years, according to the Chicago Tribune.

And in the wake of the Jussie Smollett alleged hoax case, the national eye has once again turned to Chicago’s police and justice departments.

Ms Sweet says the new mayor will probably be tasked with helping move forward in a productive way from that case.

“The next big decision will be whether or not the current police Superintendent, Eddie Johnson, is kept on.”

Image copyright The Washington Post via Getty Images

Image caption Nearly half of Chicago’s schools ranked as underperforming last year

Failing schools

In 2018, close to half of Chicago schools were underperforming by the state’s new accountability system, according to the Illinois Report Card.

Of those, 40% were high schools, and nearly all of the underperforming schools were on the city’s South Side, which is primarily populated by the African-American community, education news site Chalkbeat reported.

“Tens of thousands of black residents moved out of the city, in fact, to escape violence and substandard schools,” Prof Slevin says.

But in fixing schools along with other aspects of Chicago’s public services and infrastructure, Ms Lightfoot will have to work with a tight budget, he adds.

“She won’t have much money to play with, given the city’s budget deficit and its underfunded pensions.”

And the mayor’s office is still recovering from public backlash over the 2013 decision to shutter 50 public schools in predominantly African-American neighbourhoods – the largest school closure in the city’s history.

Image copyright SAUL LOEB/Getty Images

Image caption As mayor, Rahm Emanuel had a certain “star power” given his connection to former President Barack Obama

Public image

As the third largest US city, Chicago boasts global name recognition, but views of the Windy City are not always favourable, marred by associations with gun violence and corruption.

“One of the jobs of the mayor is to sell the city to the world,” Ms Sweet says. “Chicago is going to lose star power with the departure of Rahm Emanuel.”

Mr Emanuel, who was former President Barack Obama’s first chief of staff, “has a larger than life personality” in addition to being a mainstay on national television, Ms Sweet notes.

“It remains to be seen whether the new mayor can add some pizzazz on their own to be able to sell – to continue to sell – Chicago to the nation and the world.”

Chicago’s voters have indicated they’re ready for big changes.

Moving forward now, Ms Sweet says: “The challenge of the new mayor is to unite the city behind her.”

[deniscollins]

How a Ship’s Coronavirus Outbreak Became a Moral Crisis for the Military

The military has a strict chain-of-command decision making process. If you were the Secretary of the Navy, what would you do if the captain of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a coronavirus outbreak submitted a letter to Navy officials pleading for help that was leaked to the media and criticized by President Trump as demonstrating military weakness: (1) remove him from command immediately to ensure discipline or (2) first investigate the situation? Why? What are the ethics underlying his decision?

President Trump’s acting Navy secretary, in a profanity-laced reprimand delivered Monday, criticized sailors aboard the stricken aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt for cheering their captain, who was removed after he appealed for help as coronavirus spread throughout the warship.

The Navy’s top civilian, Thomas B. Modly, delivered his message over the ship’s loudspeaker system and deepened the raw us-versus-them atmosphere that had already engulfed the carrier. It also exposed the schism between a commander in chief with little regard for the military’s chain of command and the uniformed Navy that is sworn to follow him.

Like much in the Trump administration, what began as a seemingly straightforward challenge — the arrival of coronavirus onboard a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier — has now engulfed the military, leading to far-reaching questions of undue command influence and the demoralization of young men and women who promise to protect the country. At its heart, the crisis aboard the Theodore Roosevelt has become a window into what matters, and what does not, in an administration where remaining on the right side of a mercurial president is valued above all else.

The crew of the Roosevelt had already registered its discontent with the Trump administration’s decision to remove the commander, by cheering for Capt. Brett E. Crozier as he walked down the gangway last week and left the ship.

His letter to Navy officials pleading for help became public, prompting Mr. Modly to say he had lost confidence in Captain Crozier for both leadership failures and for going outside the chain of command with his critique.

Mr. Modly, Navy officials say, then was angered about what he viewed as a public rebuke from the crew, and flew 8,000 miles to Guam to vent his ire to the sailors himself, according to audio recordings of the address that members of the crew shared with The New York Times and other news organizations.

By airing his concerns in a letter through unclassified channels, Captain Crozier showed that he was either “too naïve or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this,” Mr. Modly told the crew, some of whom said later that they were stunned by the remarks. “I understand you love the guy. It’s good that you love him. But you’re not required to love him.”

He complained that Captain Crozier’s letter about coronavirus on the ship caused a political headache in Guam.

“Think about that when you cheer the man off the ship who exposed you to that,” Mr. Modly said, according to the recordings.

In an emailed statement late Monday, Mr. Modly apologized “for any confusion” his choice of words during his remarks to the Roosevelt crew may have caused. “I do not think Capt. Brett Crozier is naïve or stupid,” Mr. Modly said in the statement.

But his earlier remarks had echoed comments by the president, who on Saturday had lashed out at Captain Crozier as well.

On Monday, Mr. Trump again criticized Captain Crozier for writing the letter, saying it unwisely showed military weakness. But he also said he had heard good things about the carrier’s former commander.

“His career prior to that was very good,” Mr. Trump said. “So I’m going to get involved and see exactly what’s going on there because I don’t want to destroy somebody for having a bad day.”

In the close-knit world of the American military, the crisis aboard the Roosevelt — known widely as the “T.R.”— generated widespread criticism from men and women who are usually careful to steer clear of publicly rebuking their peers.

Mr. Modly’s decision to remove Captain Crozier without first conducting an investigation went contrary to the wishes of both the Navy’s top admiral, Michael M. Gilday, the chief of naval operations, and the military’s top officer, Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“I am appalled at the content of his address to the crew,” retired Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said in a telephone interview, referring to Mr. Modly.

Mr. Modly, Admiral Mullen said, “has become a vehicle for the president. He basically has completely undermined, throughout the T.R. situation, the uniformed leadership of the Navy and the military leadership in general.”

The Trump administration’s handling of the crisis aboard the Roosevelt reflects a growing divide between senior uniformed commanders and their civilian bosses.

“At its core, this is about an aircraft carrier skipper who sees an imminent threat and is forced to make a decision that risks his career in the act of what he believes to be the safety of the near 5,000 members of his crew,” said Sean O’Keefe, a former Navy secretary under President George Bush. “That is more than enough to justify the Navy leadership rendering the benefit of the doubt to the deployed commander.”

In the days after Captain Crozier’s letter for help was made public, Admiral Gilday, the Navy chief, argued that, per usual Navy procedures, an investigation into what went wrong on the Roosevelt should be allowed to play out. But Mr. Modly overruled him, saying Captain Crozier had cracked under pressure.

Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said on Sunday that he supported Mr. Modly’s decision. General Milley, for his part, told Fox News, “I trust Secretary Modly in his judgment, and I am going to support him.”

Several current and former Navy and national security officials said the Roosevelt episode illustrated how civilian leaders in this administration made questionable decisions based on what they feared Mr. Trump’s response would be.

“Modly got involved in the day-to-day deliberations to a greater degree than Navy tradition and the chain of command would expect precisely because Modly was obsessed with how the story might be playing inside the White House,” said Peter D. Feaver, a political-science professor at Duke University who has studied military-civilian relations.

The Roosevelt issue is the second in just five months in which the views of Mr. Trump and his political appointees have precipitated a crisis in the uniformed Navy. Mr. Modly, a Naval Academy graduate and former helicopter pilot, would not be in his current acting position were it not for the last political imbroglio, which involved the firing of the previous Navy secretary, Richard V. Spencer, by Mr. Esper in November.

Mr. Spencer had publicly disagreed with Mr. Trump’s intervention in an extraordinary war crimes case involving a member of the Navy SEALs, Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, who was accused of murdering a wounded captive with a hunting knife during a deployment to Iraq in 2017.

Chief Gallagher had caught the president’s eye. Mr. Trump saw the commando as a victim of political correctness that he said hamstrings the warriors the nation asks to defend it.

When the Navy prosecuted Chief Gallagher, Mr. Trump intervened several times in his favor. When the chief’s court-martial ended in acquittal on most charges, Mr. Trump congratulated him and criticized the prosecutors. After the Navy demoted Chief Gallagher for the one relatively minor charge on which he was convicted, Mr. Trump reversed the demotion.

Finally, the commander of Naval Special Warfare, Rear Adm. Collin P. Green, started the formal process of taking away Chief Gallagher’s Trident pin, symbol of the Navy commandos, and expelling him from the SEALs. But Mr. Trump overruled the move — and Mr. Esper fired Mr. Spencer, who had supported the process of taking away Chief Gallagher’s Navy SEAL pin.

“The Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter in November. “This case was handled very badly from the beginning. Get back to business!”

Coronavirus hit the Roosevelt as Mr. Trump was seeking to project a confident message of the United States getting through the pandemic with relative ease.

The acting Navy secretary “knew the president had sacked his predecessor when an internal matter of military discipline became the fodder for Fox News morning shows, and so was keen to manage — some would say, micromanage — the political optics,” Mr. Feaver said.

Mr. Modly arrived aboard the Roosevelt around 1 p.m. Monday with little warning. Eight bells signaled his arrival, and he quickly made his way to an area near one of the hangar bays, where he addressed thousands of the ship’s crew over the public address system.

Though some of the crew from the Roosevelt are quarantined in hotels in Guam, many were still aboard when Mr. Modly arrived.

When the network of small talk boxes wired across the cavernous network of passageways — common on a thousand-foot nuclear-powered aircraft carrier — clicked on, crew members craned their necks to listen. Someone important was talking.

“I’ve been wanting to come out to the ship since we first found out you had Covid cases on here,” Mr. Modly began. He talked about how China was responsible for the virus, and accused the Beijing government of worsening the crisis by failing to disclose how bad it was. And he went into his message, which alternated between criticizing Captain Crozier and admonishing the crew.

When his 15-minute speech was over, signing off with a tepid “Go Navy,” Mr. Modly had effectively drawn an invisible line between him and the more than 4,800 crew members of the Roosevelt, one crew member said. This sailor added that many of the crew thought Mr. Modly had called them stupid for putting so much faith in their commanding officer. After Mr. Modly’s speech, junior sailors approached the crew member, he said, looking to leave the service after their first enlistment.

Mr. Modly did not tour the ship, and practically no one, especially those in the lower ranks, even saw him. He was gone in less than 30 minutes.

Some crew members said they thought Mr. Modly’s tone derived from the questions submitted by the crew before his arrival. Even though the questions were screened for professionalism and appropriateness, crew members said, many of them centered on Captain Crozier’s firing.

In the end, the questions may not have mattered anyway. Mr. Modly did not answer a single one.

[bushiiido-blog]

(CHARACTER NAME)’S RP PLOTTING CHEAT-SHEET

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicyjumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog!Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun name: AlyBrittny “Aly” Loire OOC Contact: Tumblr IMs, Skype, KiK, Snapchat, & Discord. Though I’d recommend the last four of them beside the IM because it’s easier tbh (for mutuals only.)

Who the heck is my muse anyway:

This smexy, sassy, warrior monk DILF is Sir Auron (Final Fantasy X™) himself. 

In Kingdom Hearts 2/2.5 FINAL MIX, Auron was a guardian and a former warrior of Hades as he was assigned to assassinate his nephew, Hercules. But he turned his down by saying, “This is my story, and you’re not part of it.” And yes, he is dead and just a fucking ghost, mind you.

In Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice, he’s the Legendary Prosecutor, Auron Sahdmadhi. His fraternal twin brother is Dhurke, and if you played the game and read this verse, well you know how this goes so far my dudes and yes he’s alive and fine whoo. ┐_(ツ)_┌━☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Points of interest:

Auron is a strong, silent, and wise warrior monk, saying what he thinks is the best for the scenario before the outcome. He can be strict, but his habit is insulting others with quick comebacks and dry wits. He carries a sword called Battlefields of War, which is a cool huge zanbatou-like sword. He also likes to think of himself as a “Guardian”, protecting his family or friends before himself. Auron likes eating cranberries which is good for your kidney kiddos and his coffee black, nothing else.

What they’ve been up to recently:

KH 2.5 Aftermath: After he was sent to the light, he came to Radiant Garden and met up with the world’s powerful wizard, Merlin. After a cup of tea and meeting with human-like fairies, The Gullwings, he declined the offer, but Merlin convinced him with some “negotiations”. He’s now a member of Radiant Garden Restoration Committee, helping the town from the Heartless... until he can find a job soon, to be honest.

PW: AA - SOJ Aftermath: Auron Sahdmadhi is now the Chief Prosecutor of Khura’in, as he gathers more prosecutors and helps his brother’s children restoring the legal system. He reads the case reports of the regent and his student, Nahyuta. Sometimes, he’ll travel the world and be in the meetings of his old friends. 

Where to find them:

KH 2.5: You can find him in the Underworld (previously cuz he IS dead.) or postly, he’s roaming around in Radiant Garden preventing the Heartless and whatnot. Or you can find him in the small house on the hill the Committee lend it to him, just chilling there. 

PW: AA - SOJ: You can find him in his office at the Palace, since Amara watched over his old office for 23 years. He goes everywhere around the world just to gather more prosecutors (but sometimes he goes into the cases in a foreign country), so keep an eye out my dudes.

Current plans:

Hmmm... nothing much, I guess??? I guess putting him in SOJ verse is fine with me, and talking to other AA RP blogs is what I wanted (And thanks so much, lovelies! You guys are hella okay?), soooooo kinda wondering if you KH RP blogs wanna talk with this old man??? ｡(*^▽^*)ゞ

Desired interactions:

I do want Auron to have more friends and more enemies. Perhaps I wanted him to tease others just for fun and no reason because he’s a fukin jerk??? Or maybe him talking to Sora, Donald, and Goofy and just make thIS DILF SO HAPPY PLEASE GUYS ANYTHING ¯\(◉‿◉)/¯

Offered interactions:

KH 2.5 Aftermath: I just want him to help the Committee the best he can before he can find a job for real. (Also if your muse wants to offer him a job, please do.)

PW: AA - SOJ: Not sure, but hey anything is fine just as long as you read his about page.

Current open post/s:

тнιѕ ιѕ мy ѕтory and yoυ're noт parт oғ ιт. ( ;;OPEN ) <-- no one has talked to him cuz he scary lookin lol 

Anything else?:

I want you all to have fun and just follow the guidelines. Thanks for reading! ♥

Stolen From: @iustitaex​ & @theburgermaster​ (okay one last time and I love you all I’m sorry)

Tagging: ALL OF YOU  ♥

[thegalaxyoffice]

Miles hope Vera get still somehow Friends she is in the orchestra right now the worry about her is writing in his Face.

"Uhm... " He was shocked as someone step in.

"What is it?" He look strict now.

[thegalaxyoffice]

@ama-tcra-su

"A dog?" Miles was confused but this dog look kinda strange with these colours. A lucky he has a dog himself at home. "Well do you need something?" He ask.

[thegalaxyoffice]

@fodlansbestmom

"Welcome to the Edgeworth Office how can I help?" Miles just greeting the guest his child goes to her Father. "Uhm, sorry hope is ok my daughter is here." But she is shy and do not talk much with strangers.

[thegalaxyoffice]

Starter call for Veras Dad

[deniscollins]

Huawei Executive Took Part in Sanctions Fraud, Prosecutors Say

In response to Iran’s continued illicit nuclear activities, the United States and other countries (but not China) have imposed unprecedented sanctions to censure Iran and prevent its further progress in prohibited nuclear activities, as well as to persuade Tehran to address the international community’s concerns about its nuclear program. As a result, China has become Iran’s largest trading partner. If you were an executive of Huawei, a Chinese technology company, would you use Skycom Tech, a Hong Kong company, to import American-made computer equipment into Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions: (1) Yes, (2) No? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

The reasons that the United States asked the Canadian authorities to arrest a top executive of the Chinese technology company Huawei last week had been shrouded in mystery.

On Friday, the details of the arrest and what led up to it came out in a Canadian courtroom.

At a bail hearing in Vancouver for Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei and a daughter of the company’s founder, Canadian prosecutors said she was accused of fraud. The heart of the charges related to how Ms. Meng may have participated in a scheme to trick financial institutions into making transactions that violated United States sanctions against Iran, they said.

Ms. Meng had “direct involvement” with Huawei’s representations to banks, said John Gibb-Carsley, an attorney with Canada’s Justice Department.

The hearing shed light on an incident that has rattled the relationshipbetween the United States and China as they prepare to enter negotiations to cease a brutal trade war. While changing planes in Vancouver on Dec. 1, Ms. Meng was arrested at the behest of the United States, which has for years looked into potential ties between Huawei and the Chinese government or Communist Party.

Because of Ms. Meng’s stature in China as a top executive and part of its elite, news of her arrest has rippled through the country.

A Huawei spokesman said late Friday, “We have every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion.”

With Ms. Meng, 46, seated inside a glass box at British Columbia’s Supreme Court, Mr. Gibb-Carsley laid out what had led to her arrest. He said that between 2009 and 2014, Huawei used a Hong Kong company, Skycom Tech, to make transactions in Iran and do business with telecom companies there, in violation of American sanctions. Banks in the United States cleared financial transactions for Huawei, inadvertently doing business with Skycom, he said.

The banks were “victim institutions” of fraud by Ms. Meng, Mr. Gibb-Carsley said.

In 2013, articles by Reuters alleged that Huawei used Skycom to do business in Iran, and had tried to import American-made computer equipment into the country in violation of sanctions. Several financial institutions asked Huawei if the allegations were true, Mr. Gibb-Carsley said.

At the time, Ms. Meng arranged a meeting with an executive from one of the financial institutions, he said. During the meeting, she spoke through an English interpreter and presented PowerPoint slides in Chinese, saying that Huawei operated in Iran in strict compliance with United States sanctions. Ms. Meng explained that Huawei’s engagement with Skycom was part of normal business operations and that Huawei had sold the shares it once held in Skycom.

But there was no distinction between Skycom and Huawei, Mr. Gibb-Carsley said. Huawei operated Skycom as an unofficial subsidiary, making efforts to keep the connection between the companies secret.

Skycom employees used Huawei email addresses and had badges and a letterhead featuring the Huawei logo, he said. Skycom documents showed that an entity to which the company was sold in 2009 was also controlled by Huawei until at least 2014, according to an affidavit read in court.

Ms. Meng’s presentation to the financial institution constituted fraud, Mr. Gibb-Carsley said. Her attorney, David Martin, said the bank was HSBC.

A global bank based in London with operations in the United States, HSBC has repeatedly landed in trouble with the American authorities for violating anti-money-laundering rules. As a result, HSBC had officials from a consulting firm, Exiger, stationed inside the bank to monitor its compliance. Exiger officials noticed suspicious Iranian-linked transactions involving Huawei and flagged them to the United States Justice Department, according to two people familiar with the matter who weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

Mr. Martin said Ms. Meng’s PowerPoint presentation to HSBC had been prepared by Huawei’s legal team and disclosed the sale of Skycom. He added that the American government had provided only a “skeletal description” of the accusations.

Stuart Levey, the chief legal officer at HSBC, said, “The U.S. Department of Justice has confirmed that HSBC is not under investigation in this case.”

Marc Raimondi, a spokesman for the Justice Department, declined to comment on the charges revealed in court on Friday.

The accusations against Ms. Meng and Huawei are similar to ones that the United States government made in 2016 against ZTE, another large Chinese technology company. In that case, American officials released internal ZTE documents in which executives had described creating “cutoff companies” that would do business with Iran, North Korea and other nations placed under sanctions by the American government.

A warrant for Ms. Meng’s arrest was issued in the Eastern District of New York on Aug. 22, Mr. Gibb-Carsley said. A Canadian justice then issued a warrant for Ms. Meng on Nov. 30 after it became known that she would change planes in Vancouver on her way from Hong Kong to Mexico.

Ms. Meng had traveled to the United States regularly in 2014, 2015, 2016, Mr. Gibb-Carsley said. Her last trip was in February and March 2017. In April 2017, Huawei found out about the United States investigation into the company when its subsidiaries were served with a grand jury subpoena, he said.

Ms. Meng and other executives then stopped visiting the United States, even though she has a 16-year-old son — one of three sons from a previous marriage — at a school in Boston, Mr. Gibb-Carsley said. Ms. Meng, who remarried, also has a daughter, according to an affidavit.

Mr. Martin pushed back on the idea that Ms. Meng had avoided the United States because she feared prosecution. After AT&T canceled a deal to distribute Huawei smartphones in the United States in January and the federal government banned the use of Huawei products in government contracts, Huawei essentially abandoned the market, Mr. Martin said.

“An entity would have to be tone deaf to not understand that the United States had become a hostile place for Huawei to do business,” he said.

Mr. Gibb-Carsley argued against bail for Ms. Meng. He said that she had vast financial resources and no strong ties in Canada, and that China had no extradition treaty with the United States or Canada.

Mr. Martin offered two properties in Vancouver and a cash deposit to secure Ms. Meng’s bail. Ms. Meng would not breach a court order, he said, adding that doing so would “humiliate and embarrass her father, who she loves,” and embarrass Huawei’s thousands of employees. Ms. Meng’s father is Ren Zhengfei, Huawei’s founder.

“She would not embarrass China itself,” Mr. Martin said. When he later repeated that point, Ms. Meng touched her eyes and the sheriff gave her tissues.

By the end of the day, no bail had been set, and the judge in the case said the hearing would continue on Monday morning.

Any extradition process can take weeks or months, depending on the rules of the country that arrests the suspect and whether the suspect chooses to fight the extradition request. The United States Justice Department must now present evidence to the Canadian court that supports its request and has 60 days from the arrest to make a full request for extradition.