#NOT blaming Daniel as has been reported
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Lance Stroll post race interview | Chinese GP 2024
#f1#lance stroll#formula 1#chinese gp 2024#Yeah basically what he said#NOT blaming Daniel as has been reported#Shocking that f1 journalists are trying to stir the pot never seen before 🙄
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Not A Verstappen: Sibling Rivalry {2}
Pairing: F1 drivers (platonic) x fem!reader
Summary: Alcohol leads to some bad decisions and a big fight threatens to tear the family apart.
Warnings: 18+ only, lots of bad language, protective big brother, alcohol, daddy issues, angst
WC: 2.9k
F1 Masterlist
NAV: Sibling Rivalry One || Two || Three
NAV: Gridlocked One || Two || Three
Round Twelve - Belgium 2022
A sponged microphone was shoved in your face and you barely stopped yourself from smacking it away out of reflex, but you did startle back a bit before recovering.
“You look a little wound up, Spitfire,” Lando commented with a laugh. “Ready to call a truce.”
“You wish, Norris. You may have won the battle but I’m going to win the war.”
The microphone picked up the exchange and the reporter cast a glance between the two of you. “Is this battling on the track?”
“With his tractor? No way,” you laughed, nudging Lando with your elbow and a smile to ease the blow. “Someone thought it would be funny to wake me up with a fire extinguisher, which I am totally blaming on Charles because I know you couldn’t come up with that on your own.”
“Hey!” Lando whined with a pout. “I…can’t come up with a lie right now.”
“That’s what I thought. Charles, watch your back and you both better sleep with one eye open.” You turned your attention back to the reporter and signalled with your hand for them to do their thing while you dutifully did yours for yet another Media Day.
“We know you and Max have a, some would say, unhealthy amount of competitiveness on the track but outside of that you are very protective of each other…so, how has he reacted to finding out you’re on the dating app Raya?”
You winced at the question and saw the guys get whiplash with how fast their heads turned your way. All along the line the question echoed. Lando, Pierre, Charles, Daniel and finally Max, ten beady eyes staring at you with a mixed array of emotions.
“What? You all get to date, why can’t I?” you asked defensively as you crossed your arms. “Gotta find something to do for summer break.”
“Hiking in the Alps,” Charles offered.
“Or sunbathing in the Maldives,” Pierre suggested.
“Please never refer to dating someone as ‘something to do’,” Max huffed. “Or better yet, never mention dating at all. Adopt some cats.”
You looked at Lando and quirked an eyebrow. “Do you have anything to add? Since everyone else seems to think they actually have a say in what I do.”
His eyes darted around the guys who were expecting him to pitch in but all he had was a squeaky and unsure, “No?”
“And that’s why you’re my favourite.”
“Why do you want to date anyway?” Daniel asked, and you swore there was more than just curiosity in his tone.
“You guys have girlfriends, and I want one too.”
“A girlfriend?” he asked with far too much enthusiasm.
“Maybe,” you replied with a wink. “I’m not ruling out 50% of the dating pool.”
“So how have you been finding the app,” the reporter asked, “any connections made?”
You huffed and shook your head, a few sighs of relief sounding down the line but you didn’t see who they came from. One was definitely Max.
“I’m an athlete. I train and I sweat so the last thing I want to do when I get home is do the laundry or cook a healthy meal. But my experience so far is that men think it’s the woman’s job to do that, so I need a guy that’s up for sharing responsibility. Is that too much to ask?”
“I’d cook for you!” A man called from the crowd and you sat up straighter trying to see where it came from.
“What about laundry?” you fired back.
“Security,” Max called with a finger pointed to the good looking man who put his thumbs up in the air.
“Ignore him. What’s your name?” you asked as you pulled out your phone. It only took ten seconds to find Martin’s social media accounts and you rolled your eyes in annoyance. “This is why I have trust issues. I hope your girlfriend sees this and dumps you.”
Three days later
You had failed to finish the GP after an embarrassing pitstop left one of your wheels rolling down the lane. The replay footage kept popping up wherever you went, even at the restaurant before the afterparty, and Max had the audacity to laugh. “Nice trike, zusje.”
“Shut up and get me another drink,” you grumbled as you drowned your sorrows.
He soon returned with two gin and tonics and huffed as you took them both. “I’m not carrying you back to the hotel if you pass out,” he warned before going and getting another drink for himself.
“That’s fine, I can always call my new friend, Martin,” you said with a grimace as he took your phone off the table and shoved it in his pocket. “Bonnie Tyler was onto something. Where have all the good men gone?”
“They aren’t at the bottom of your glass,” Max said as you tipped the drink back. “So you can stop looking there.”
“You’re right. I’ll see you later, bro.”
“Where are you going?” he asked as he watched you push your chair back and head for the door.
“Taking a page out of P’s favourite book,” you said over your shoulder.
Christian sat back in his chair as you left and asked Max, “What’s P’s favourite book?”
“We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.” Max sighed and rubbed his temples, making Christian laugh with a shake of his head.
“Should I send someone to keep an eye on her?”
“It’s fine, we have family share so I can see her location-fuck! I have her phone!” Max leapt from the table and rushed out of the restaurant. He looked up and down the busy street but he couldn’t see you anywhere and combed a hand through his hair, wondering what he should do.
He hardly used his social media accounts, leaving it to his PA to monitor that side of things, but this would be the exception. Opening twitter, he put out the message asking that if anyone spots you to send him the location. Almost immediately he got bombarded with replies of concern and his anxiety spiked when he realised he would waste his night with the time it would take to go through and find any messages that were actually helpful.
A familiar face spotted you on the dancefloor of the club you found yourself in and you grinned when he made his way through the crowd to you.
“Dance with me, Lando,” you shouted over the music.
“Your brother’s looking for you,” he replied, leaning closer so you could hear him.
“Please don’t tell him where I am.” You could already feel your mood deflating and he bit his lip as he was torn between loyalties.
“Okay, I won’t,” Lando promised, earning a bright smile that made him feel better. “But I’ll let him know you’re with me so he can stop freaking out.”
You didn’t bother to correct him, because Max would never stop worrying. He took his role as older brother too seriously, something you often found stifling since you had grown up without it and still struggled to accept it.
“I’m getting a drink, do you want one?” you asked as while he was busy on his phone, messaging Max.
“Uh, yeah, rum and coke, please.”
You slipped away to the bar, stumbling more than you would like to admit, and leaned against the bar top as you waited for some service. You hadn’t been there for more than a minute when an arm draped over your shoulders and you spotted the Forza Ferrari bracelet on the wrist.
“You have got twitter going crazy, chérie,” Charles said with a chuckle. “There’s quite a few people out hunting for you.”
“And I found her first,” Lando said as he brushed the arm off your shoulder and stood at your other side.
“Well,” you chuffed as you draped your arms over their shoulders and pulled them closer, “I’m on a hunt of my own and I could do with some help. A girl has needs and you two are going to be my wingmen.”
They both looked at each other and you could see the mental conversation they were having, each long passing second leading you to pull back. “No, don’t call Max. Lando, you promised.”
“We can’t just let you go off with some random,” Charles said as he caught your hand before you could escape the bar, “what if they are a serial killer?”
You tugged your hand back angrily and struggled to keep your balance when you were suddenly freed. “If I were a guy we wouldn’t be having this argument. Why can’t I have fun too?”
“We just want to keep you safe.”
“Safe?” you laughed bitterly and held your hand out. “Fine, give me a condom, I know you carry them around in your wallet.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Lando argued as he pushed your hand away. “You’re not sleeping with a stranger.”
“Is that you offering then?” You looked between Charles and Lando, watching their necks turn pink as you crossed your arms. “That's what I thought. I’m going to another bar, this one’s full of assholes. Hasta luego, pendejos.”
“Great, she’s been hanging out with Carlos,” Charles grumbled as you walked away.
“He’s better company than you two,” you shouted over your shoulder before you hit the exit.
Cold air rushed into your lungs and you realised two things. One; you should have worn more clothes, and two; you were sobering up. There was only one way to solve both problems so you marched your way down the street to find another bar.
Your head was pounding and your stomach turned when you woke up to the first day of summer break. The hotel room was elegant and luxurious, but it wasn’t yours and you didn’t know how you had come to get here.
“Coffee?”
“Oh, thank fuck,” you sighed with relief as Lando walked into the bedroom with two cups in his hands. “Where’s my clothes? Did we have sex? Wait, no, you wouldn’t cheat and I’d definitely remember that.”
“They’re in the dryer, and no we didn’t have sex,” he said as he handed you one of the cups. “You were soaked when we found you.”
You frowned as you tried to remember what happened but came up blank. “We?”
“You went for a swim in the fountain of love in the city centre. It was a ‘part of your hunt’, apparently. Charles helped me get you back here before anyone called the police.”
“Oh, great,” you muttered as you pulled the sheets higher. “Hey, you’re doing my laundry. It’s a shame you’re not single. Then again, you can’t cook for shit.”
“Be glad you’re single. The grass isn’t always greener on this side of the fence,” he said with a sigh.
“Wanna talk about it?”
“I’d rather not.” Lando suddenly looked guilty as he took the half drunk coffee back and placed it on the side table. “I should probably warn you, I called Max after you took off from us last night.”
“I was with you and Charles?” Your brows pinched together as you started to recall being angry at them before embarrassment followed. “Shit, I called you assholes.”
“It’s fine, but the only reason we found you again was because of some clips on Instagram.”
You could imagine another lashing from the Red Bull PR, it wasn’t the first time you were involved in drunk misadventures and it was caught on camera. Usually it was some dare or competition involving Max where neither of you wanted to admit defeat and things just got out of control. He’d probably enjoy hearing you get ripped a new one by Christian while he got a pat on the head for being the golden child.
“What did I do this time?” you asked, knowing it was easier to just rip the bandaid off.
“It isn’t what you did,” he said with a wince. “It’s what you said.”
“Well?” you prompted when he shifted awkwardly on his feet.
“You said Charles’ listens to Nickelback.”
Your head fell back with a laugh and the sheet fell down as you let go of the cotton to clutch your nauseous stomach. “Well at least I wasn’t spouting off a bunch of bullshit.”
“And that there were three drivers you would date if you got the chance.”
“Ah, well…” you cleared your throat and scrunched the bedding into your hands, ignoring the way his eyes trailed over your bra that was on display. “That is a lie. There’s only two. It’s just my luck they are both in relationships. Did I really use the word date?”
“You said fuck but the meaning was there.”
You pulled your knees up to your chest and rested your chin on them with a heavy sigh. “I’m a mess. I’m surprised you didn’t try to prank me while you had the chance. Or is there a dick in permanent marker on my face?”
“You wouldn’t have been coherent enough to appreciate it,” Lando teased as he took a seat at the edge of the bed. “I told you this last night and I know you’re lonely, but you're looking for love in all the wrong places. You’re not going to find someone who will treat you right in a shitty nightclub when you’re too drunk to even give consent.”
Tears of embarrassment stung your eyes and you swallowed the lump in your throat before climbing off the bed and wrapping the sheet around you. “Thanks for the concern, but I’m not going to take dating advice from the guy who clearly isn’t happy in his own relationship.”
There would be no way to erase the image of how hurt he was by the words so you turned your back and left the room, grabbing your damp dress from the dryer and pulling it on. Thankfully your shoes were beside the door so you swiped them up as you left, the heels dangling from your fingers as you pushed through the sickening feeling and left the hotel to break into a run.
People stared in the street, some even pulled out their phones when they recognised you but there would be no autographs. You focused on your breathing, focused on the cold slap of your bare feet on the pavement, focused on anything but the look in Lando’s eyes.
“Where the fuck were you!” Max shouted as you reached your room and found him already there, rising from one of the armchairs like the godfather. “I have been worried sick.”
“Jesus, you sound like Jos when you shout. Relax before you have a heart attack and leave me with no competition.”
“You’re more likely to lose your seat the way you’re going, and leave me without any competition.”
“Dream on, I just had a moment.”
Max cocked an eyebrow up and crossed his arms. “Yeah, and what was last weekend and the one before that?”
You sucked your teeth at the reminder and dropped your shoes to the floor. “That wasn’t my fault, I didn’t start the prank war. And I really didn’t think the smoke bomb would set off all of the sprinklers, just the one in Charles’ room. Plus, I paid for the damages and repairs.”
“Throwing money around doesn’t mean you can act like a spoiled brat,” he said as he fell back into the armchair.
“I am not a spoiled brat,” you growled. “I didn’t grow up with money like you and Vicky. I was the dirty little secret, just a bi-product of Jos' affair, that had to scrounge around for second hand parts just so I could have a working kart. So, fuck you, I’m allowed to enjoy the money I have earned.”
“And what about your mother? Do you think she doesn’t see those videos going viral of you drunk out of your mind, letting some klootzak take body shots off you? Does that make her proud?”
Fire burned deep in your gut as you felt attacked from all sides and the angry words spilled over before you could stop them, “I hate you.” Your feet stomped across the carpet to swipe your phone up from beside your stunned brother before you grabbed your backpack from the race which still had your passport and wallet inside. "I never needed a big brother, so you can stop fucking trying and just leave me alone."
“Where are you going?” he asked as he watched you head to the door. “The plane doesn’t leave until this afternoon.”
“Fuck you and fuck your plane. I’ll find my own way home.”
There was only one person you knew you could always count on, the first teammate you had when you made it into F1, and you were already dialling his number as you walked out of the hotel in tears.
“Pierre,” you sobbed as he answered. “I need you.”
Click here for part three.
#formula one imagine#formula 1 fanfic#formula one fanfiction#formula 1 x reader#formula 1 x you#formula one x reader#f1 imagine#f1 fanfic#f1 rpf#max verstappen x you#max verstappen x reader#max verstappen imagine#lando norris x reader#lando norris imagine
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Can I request an angst fic where reader is charles sister and she gets into accident (car accident or like wrong place wring time robbery, anything really) while he's in a race (lorenzo, arthur and their mother is with them) and xavi (🤢) is the one who answers charles' phone and decided not to say anything even after charles finishes the race and then the entire leclerc family find out after a reporter tells charles that "your nerves must be made of steel" and then everyone is confused and the reporter is all like "did no one tell you about your sister?" And like full angst when they find out that the accident hurt reader really bad (has problems with sight or maybe walking permanently, only if you're comfortable writing that) end it however you want, only if you want and if you are comfortable with this kind of stuff
Like Steel
Platonic!charles Leclerc x Sister!Reader
Genre: angst to fluff
Summary: Charles and his twin sister have always been close. Even being able to sense when something is wrong with the other. When Charles get confirmation after a race he was right, someone is to blame for his not knowing.
Warnings: car accidents, driving under the influence, hospitals
Notes: Xavi needs to get fired so my boy can have a chance. Also I don’t care if people smoke weed, but the amount of times I’ve almost been hit because someone was hotboxing their car is absolutely ridiculous.
Masterlist
To say Charles is close with his twin is an understatement. They are practically glued at the hip. They know what the other is thinking or feeling before any communication is had. Their connection to each other was concerning at first. But anyone could see that the Leclerc twins are just close.
Charles had been there through all of her breakups. Both with guys he did and didn’t like. She had been there through every step in his racing career.
It’s funny to say steps now, he thinks. Since his sister can no longer take any.
She’d gotten a job as the admin for the Ferrari instagram. She loved chasing around Charles and Carlos so the fans could see what they got up to in their down time.
She has a contagious smile that everyone can’t help but love. Her and Daniel were menaces to the paddock while he did media things for Redbull.
She’d been on her way to the paddock for her brothers home race. Monaco was the only race on the calendar where she got to wake up at home to go to work in the morning. She had a few PR things to do around the city first before she could head to the track. So she’d left pretty early. Deciding to walk since everything is so close together.
Charles knew she hated being late. Maybe that’s why the alarm bells were going off before he got in the car.
He’d waiting for her to show at the meetings. Then again while he was getting ready. He search before he got into his car. Then looked for her when her when he got to his grid box.
He felt it in the pit of his stomach that something had happened.
He’d managed to end the race in in first. Something that didn’t happen often so he was ecstatic. The thing every driver craves was once again in his hands. His family was there when he got out of his car. All except the one person he wanted to celebrate with most. Maybe she’d just gotten caught up in her duties?
It was his turn to interview. The smile on his face and cheers of the crowd made the endorphins in his brain skyrocket.
“Congratulations Charles! You must have nerves like steel out there!”
Nerves? Why nerves? He’s not nervous.
The reporter caught onto his confusion. “We’re you not made aware of your sister?”
“No what happened? Where is she?”
The reporter signaled to turn the camera elsewhere. Then walked to Charles to let him know in a normal conversation fashion. He’s grateful because not many would do that. “She was hit by a car this morning and is in the hospital.”
His heart sank. He looked to his family and by their shocked expressions they also didn’t know.
“Your race engineer Xavi said he got word off it right before the race. We figured you’d been told already. I’m sorry for the mix-up.”
“No it’s okay that’s not on you.” The he’s walking away. His team doesn’t try to stop him and he tells Carlos to stand in his place on the podium. He’s lost to many people already. He refuses to also lose his sister.
He doesn’t remember the car ride. Only the angry feeling knowing at his insides. He saw the call Xavi had answered in his call log. They didn’t call anyone else since technically, he picked up.
The rage towards his race engineer is not helping him think clearly. If she dies and Charles isn't there for her, he's never going to forgive himself.
~
He broke.
He saw her in the bed with machines and tubes everywhere, and he broke. He sobbed into his mother's arms. Lorenzo and Aruther trying to console each other next to them.
It's ridiculous, he thinks, how one person can attract so much death. Maybe it's to soon to say she's dead but by the look of things, she's halfway there.
He stays with her. Her hurts for her. Their stupidly strong connection makes this all the more difficult.
Pascale has forced him to leave her bedside on multiple occasions. But he always goes begrudgingly and under the stipulation that someone will get him if there are any updates.
It’s a month before she finally wakes up. Coughing and panicking. Charles is at her side immediately. Fate is certainly on his side today.
“What happened?” She asks after she could finally talk again. Though her voice is raspy and dry.
“You were walking to the track and got hit by a car. They were smoking marijuana so they didn’t see you.” Oh how Charles raged about that too when he found out. The stupidity of people sometimes amazes him.
The next words out of her mouth make him think that fate is just playing games with him at some point.
“Charlie, I can’t feel my legs.”
~
Turns out the car they hit her shattered a part of her spine, leaving her paralyzed. Now bound to a wheelchair.
Charles had to go back to traveling while she was doing physical therapy. She’s doing her best to learn how to do life now with her new set of circumstances. She did think it was funny getting to zoom around in her wheelchair and whizzing past her brother.
Her first appearance back at the paddock is a surprise to all. Mainly because she intended it to be that way.
She navigates down the busy path towards the Ferrari hospitality, her mother trying to keep up.
She missed being here. Seeing everyone so excited about the sport.
She came to a skidding halt at the door. Curse the stairs. Why don't they have a ramp? She'll be having words with Charles about this later.
"Maman! Can you help me please!"
It takes effort. She's still not quite used to everything but she's learning.
She successfully gets inside the door and into the main area of hospitality. Hugs greet her as some of the staff make their way over.
Now, the next part of this plan. Her mother calls Charles and puts it on speaker.
"Hello?"
"Charlie, I just got word about your sister. I'm in hospitality-" She puts on her best worried parent voice.
"I'm on my way."
It takes approximately three minutes, and Charles is barreling through the door of security. His oblivieness becomes obvious as he misses her sitting in the middle of the room and is worriedly hugging his mom and asking her frantic questions.
"Is she- why are you laughing?"
Pascale is crying from laughing so hard. She gestures to where her daughter is waving and trying to get her brothers attention.
"Oh my god. You scared me so bad! Don't ever do that again!" He scolds them both. Then her embraces his sister.
"I'm excited to see you here!"
"Any news about Xavi?"
"He finally quit a couple days ago. I basically ignored him the last few races."
"And you've been doing better? You've won twice this month."
"And if I ever see him again, I'll make sure he never wants to be near an F1 car again."
#x reader#fanficion#f1 fic#formula one#formula 1#racing#angst#max verstappen#f1 fanfic#charles leclerc x reader#lando norris#max verstappen x reader#charles leclerc#charles leclerc x you#redbull racing#formula racing#charles leclerc fic#lando norris x reader#max verstappen x y/n#fluff#max verstappen x you#mclaren formula 1#ferrari#mclaren racing#f1#scuderia ferrari#ferrari racing#ferrarri#f1 imagine#charles leclerc x y/n
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I ask this question from a curiosity standpoint, and don’t mean to seem rude or anything, but why don’t you like Daniel Ricciardo? Am I missing something?
He’s far less offensive than a lot of the other drivers. He has a tendency to awkwardly laugh rather than say “that’s a shitty joke. Not okay”, which is frustrating, but not even in the same universe as something like Lance Stroll physically assaulting his trainer.
Like all F1 drivers, he wants to be WDC and talks a big talk, but he’s still nowhere near as obnoxious as a lot of the other drivers, who all think and say the same.
Maybe my understanding isn’t correct? As far as I know, his only really shit time as a driver was with McLaren in 2022, and words like “scapegoating” and “sabotage” get thrown around a lot. In 2021, he gave McLaren its only win in over a decade, and it wasn’t team orders based, and he hauled Renault back up into the podium as well, for their first time in almost a decade. I don’t think he should have left Red Bull, and I don’t think he’s necessarily an Alonso or Verstappen level talent, but he also made those Red Bulls and Renaults that he drove look a lot better than they were.
It's not just about what a driver's like on the track; it's his attitudes off the track too and Ricciardo has really bad form. As for dragging the Renault into the points, and the Red Bull when it was underperforming - that's his job and the cars weren't that bad. If he'd swapped with one of the back markers at the time, they'd likely have performed just the same. Plus, if he made the Red Bull look better than it was, why wasn't he the one winning championships in it? Why did Vettel get all that action when all Ricciardo got was a handful of race wins?
Anyway, here's (just some of) why I firmly believe that Daniel Ricciardo is every bit as obnoxious as the most obnoxious drivers on the grid. If you don't read right to the end, and I wouldn't blame you, please at least take in the part I've highlighted in red; it pretty much sums up the type of character he is and why I - along with many others - really do feel that he's most definitely obnoxious.
“I don’t watch the news and feel better about my day so I choose not to watch it.” Just one direct quote regarding his complete and shameless ignorance about the extreme humans rights abuses prevelent in some of the countries F1 travels to. What it amounts to is that the “drama and negativity” (his own words) of news reports on out-dated and abusive attitudes to women and LGBTQ people is a buzz kill so he’d rather not know about it, thanks all the same.
His attitude to the sexist objectification of the (now thankfully defunct) Grid Girls: "It's kind of like part of the attraction of the sport, fast cars and fast girls,". In his opinion, because it’s a male dominated sport it’s “a cool thing” so “let’s keep them”. If that's not obnoxious, I don't know what is.
On “Your Mom’s House” (a lowest common denominator podcast aimed at pathetic little boys who think they’re men) he laughed along with deeply sexist, misogynistic ‘jokes’ about women. There are plenty of drivers who would, at the very least, have kept their reactions neutral, making it clear they didn’t think it funny, but not Ricciardo; he was more than content to chuckle away at their vile comments about women.
Tricking Yuki Tsunoda into trusting him to come closer on a boat so he could throw him overboard, because it’s funny to force someone to face a very real phobia of sharks by throwing them into a body of water that’s widely known to contain them. I don’t care what Tsunoda’s reaction was to it (it's common for the victim of bullying to make light of their ordeal) or that Ricciardo threw himself into the water too; it’s still an appalling way to treat someone when they’ve been brave enough to be in such close proximity to one of their greatest fears. It’s the behaviour of a bully and Ricciardo is the worst kind of that particular species – a charming bully. The reason he gets away with so much of his crappy behaviour is because so many people are taken in by a cheeky smile, a twinkle in the eyes, and the friendly disclaimer that it’s just a bit of fun; they’re just trying to lighten the mood and make people laugh. It’s always at someone else’s expense though.
Given he was in a highly competitive Red Bull for all those years, he won precious few races, and left because he wasn’t getting the attention he thought was his right. I know athletes have to have an enormous amount of self-belief but to have looked at a racer like Verstappen and sincerely felt that he was his equal? That’s delusional. But is that really how he felt? Or did he – like so many who can’t face real competition when they know someone else is going to come out on top – jump ship because being a big fish in a small pond is preferable to being outperformed and therefore second best? I don’t know which it is but if he really, genuinely, sincerely thought he was on the same level as, first, Verstappen and then Norris, surely he’s just not very bright?
Monza 2021 absolutely was a team orders win for Ricciardo. Have you listened to Norris’s radio? He was faster; he wanted to pass; he asked if he could pass; he was told to maintain position. Either the team were concerned that the two might take each other out (although I am absolutely certain that Norris could have made that move with ease so was it more a case of Ricciardo taking Norris out if he tried to overtake?) or Ricciardo’s ego was so fragile by that point (Norris had been wiping the floor with him) that they decided he needed the win to boost his confidence and get a few more much needed points for McLaren. Either way, Norris was robbed of his maiden victory because he’s a team player who obeyed team orders rather than saying “screw this; I can win and I’m damn well gonna win”. I respect him for playing the team game but I hate the fact that Ricciardo got an undeserved win at his considerable expense (that’s not hyperbole; a driver’s first F1 win really is huge).
You're probably sorry you asked now.
#anti-Daniel Ricciardo#Yuki Tsunoda#Max Verstappen#Lando Norris#McLaren Racing#Renault racing#Red Bull Racing#just my opinion#Formula One
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Anyone who truly thinks Logan is at risk of being replaced in the year of 2024 hasn't been paying attention to his race craft.
James doesn't care if their cars are back markers because he knows there are no points for them with Hass/VCARB holding 10th on lock, and 2026 is James (everyone's focus). Williams has been open about their status money wise, status parts/tool age wise, mindset, and everything.
All this noise and rumors are being propagated by "reporters" who are bored that the rostermania expected from Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull drama didn't actually happen, so they are picking on people at the back.
First it was "Daniel Ricardo at Miami for Liam" but then in China with the new chassis he pulled up the pace and results, so now they are pivoting to "Logan for Kimi at Emilia" cause he is the only ever driver specific they can target. Alpine and Sauber as teams are struggling with pace and pitstops so they don't blame the drivers.
All that to say the talking heads causing this drama is stupid and I hope Logan can continue to prove them wrong.
#f1#f1 2024#logan sargeant#williams racing#f1 news#f1 analysis#daniel ricciardo#liam lawson#kimi antonelli#f1 fake news#f1 rumours
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by Daniel Greenfield
The Associated Press recently made headlines by falsely claiming that the Israeli campaign against Hamas “sits among the deadliest and most destructive in recent history” and was even worse than “the Allied bombing of Germany in World War II”.
The Washington Post argued that “Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars in Gaza” while The Wall Street Journal contended that it was “generating destruction comparable in scale to the most devastating urban warfare in the modern record.”
That’s all the more impressive since even accepting the Hamas casualty figures (tainted and inflated numbers in which there are no terrorists, only civilians, and fighting age men are really children) as the media does, this is still probably one of the least violent conflicts in the region.
In 2016, the Washington Post described the Syrian Civil War, with a possible 250,000 deaths, as “the most destructive conflict in the region”. In 2020, the UN had called the Yemeni Civil War, with 150,000 deaths, “the most destructive conflict since the end of the Cold War”.
And then there’s the current phase of the war in Sudan (which the media is currently uninterested in) in which 15,000 people have been killed over the course of last year, as part of a larger conflict that may have claimed as many as 2 million lives.
The Tigray War in Ethiopia over the last three years (which you may have missed because the media chose not to hysterically cover every single bomb dropped and protesters stayed home knitting instead of blocking traffic) may have cost the lives of between 80,000 to 600,000 people.
(El Pais, Spain’s newspaper, which did report on Ethiopia’s civil war, described it as “the deadliest of the 21st century” and then had to pivot to argue later that Israel was worse in, “25,000 deaths in Gaza: Why the destruction of this war exceeds that of other major conflicts”.)
In reality, every significant war and civil war in the region had a much higher death toll than the Hamas war: including the Iraq-Iran War with an estimated 500,000 to 2 million deaths. And in nearby Africa, the Congo War has been blamed for 6 million deaths since 1996.
How does the media justify arguing that 25,000 is more than 2 million?
There are plenty of statistical gimmicks available to anyone who wants to argue that 2 + 2 is really 5. Media “analyses” that claim that Israel’s campaign against Hamas is the deadliest and most destructive, and might even be worse than WWII, adjust their claims accordingly.
As the author of every dubious research study knows, to get the results you want, you manipulate your parameters. Media analyses selectively compare Israel’s campaign to battles, rather than wars, they narrowly focus on very specific timetables, they try to estimate per capita rather than gross figures. But drawing a circle around a particular area and going per capita works both ways. The Hamas attack of Oct 7 killed 10% of the population of Kibbutz Be’eri making it far worse per capita than anything in Israel’s response to those atrocities.
But statistical fudging is all in where the line is drawn to achieve a particular agenda.
For example, the New York Times declares that, “Gaza Deaths Surpass Any Arab Loss in Wars With Israel in Past 40 Years”. Of course the last major Arab-Israeli war took place 50 years ago.
The 40 year figure is based on the Lebanon War, but the actual numbers for that war vary wildly from the thousands according to Israel, 10,000 according to the CIA, 18,000 according to Lebanon and 30,000 according to Arafat and the PLO.
While the media at the time emphasized the highest estimates, in order to criticize the Israeli campaign against the PLO, they now use lower estimates to attack the Gaza campaign.
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Heavily armed gangsters have stormed the studio of a major television station in Ecuador during a live broadcast[...]
The newspaper El Universo said panicked reporters and camera operators flooded messaging groups with pleas for help as the outlaws rampaged through the building. “They want to kill the lot of us. Help us,” one message read. The news program, El noticiero, was reportedly on air when its studio was overrun by more than 20 men with their faced covered, and armed with pistols, shotguns and automatic weapons.
The channel broadcast live for at least 15 minutes before the signal was cut off. While the transmission was on, the men could be seen on camera while some employees laid down on the floor and someone was heard yelling: “Don’t shoot!”[...]
Ecuador’s national police force announced on social media that special forces had been deployed to the crime scene “to deal with this emergency”.
The invasion came as criminal groups launched a wave of terror across Ecuador, kidnapping police officers and detonating a string of bombs, as prison inmates seized dozens of guards hostage. The attacks came hours after the country’s new president, Daniel Noboa, declared a state of emergency following the escape of the country’s most dangerous gang leader.[...]
Noboa, who was elected in October on the promise to crack down on violent crime, declared a two-month state of emergency late on Monday, vowing to take back control of the country’s prisons[...]
Dozens more prison guards were believed to have been taken hostage in jails across the country on Tuesday, adding to a number on Monday, though Ecuador’s prison authority has not given further details.[...]
Noboa has said he will not negotiate with “terrorists” and his government has blamed the recent prison violence on its plan to build a new high-security prison and transfer jailed gang leaders.
The president also plans to hold a referendum proposing strengthened crime-fighting measures such as seizing assets from suspected criminals and lengthening prison sentences.
9 Jan 24
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This story is part of a joint investigation between Lighthouse Reports and WIRED. To read other stories from the series, click here.
Mitch Daniels is a numbers guy, a cost-cutter. In the early 2000s, he tried and failed to rein in congressional spending under then-US president George W. Bush. So when he took office as Indiana governor in 2005, Daniels was ready to argue once again for fiscal discipline. He wanted to straighten out Indiana’s state government, which he deemed rife with dysfunction. And he started with its welfare system. “That department had been rocked by a series of criminal indictments, with cheats and caseworkers colluding to steal money meant for poor people,” he later said.
Daniels’ solution took the form of a $1.3 billion, 10-year contract with IBM. He had lofty ambitions for the project, which started in 2006, claiming it would improve the benefits service for Indiana residents while cracking down on fraud, ultimately saving taxpayers billions of dollars.
But the contract was a disaster. It was canceled after three years, and IBM and Indiana spent a decade locked in a legal battle about who was to blame. Daniels described IBM’s sweeping redesign and automation of the system—responsible for deciding who was eligible for everything from food stamps to medical cover—as deficient. He was adamant, though, that outsourcing a technical project to a company with expertise was the right call. “It was over-designed,” he said. “Great on paper but too complicated to work in practice.” IBM declined a request for comment.
In July 2012, Judge David Dryer of the Marion County Superior Court ruled that Indiana had failed to prove IBM had breached its contract. But he also delivered a damning verdict on the system itself, describing it as an untested experiment that replaced caseworkers with computers and phone calls. “Neither party deserves to win this case,” he said. “This story represents a ‘perfect storm’ of misguided government policy and overzealous corporate ambition.”
That might have been an early death knell for the burgeoning business of welfare state automation. Instead, the industry exploded. Today, such fraud systems form a significant part of the nebulous “govtech” industry, which revolves around companies selling governments new technologies with the promise that new IT will make public administration easier-to-use and more efficient. In 2021, that market was estimated to be worth €116 billion ($120 billion) in Europe and $440 billion globally. And it’s not only companies that expect to profit from this wave of tech. Governments also believe modernizing IT systems can deliver big savings. Back in 2014, the consultancy firm McKinsey estimated that if government digitization reached its “full potential,” it could free up $1 trillion every year.
Contractors around the world are selling governments on the promise that fraud-hunting algorithms can help them recoup public funds. But researchers who track the spread of these systems argue that these companies are often overpaid and under-supervised. The key issue, researchers say, is accountability. When complex machine learning models or simpler algorithms are developed by the private sector, the computer code that gets to define who is and isn’t accused of fraud is often classed as intellectual property. As a result, the way such systems make decisions is opaque and shielded from interrogation. And even when these algorithmic black holes are embroiled in high-stakes legal battles over alleged bias, the people demanding answers struggle to get them.
In the UK, a community group called the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People is trying to determine whether a pattern of disabled people being investigated for fraud is linked to government automation projects. In France, the digital rights group La Quadrature du Net has been trying for four months to find out whether a fraud system is discriminating against people born in other countries. And in Serbia, lawyers want to understand why the introduction of a new system has resulted in hundreds of Roma families losing their benefits. “The models are always secret,” says Victoria Adelmant, director of New York University’s digital welfare state project. “If you don’t have transparency, it’s very difficult to even challenge and assess these systems.”
The rollout of automated bureaucracy has happened quickly and quietly, but it has left a trail of scandals in its wake. In Michigan, a computer system used between 2013 and 2015 falsely accused 34,000 people of welfare fraud. A similar thing happened in Australia between 2015 and 2019, but on a larger scale: The government accused 400,000 people of welfare fraud or error after its social security department started using a so-called robodebt algorithm to automatically issue fines.
Another scandal emerged in the Netherlands in 2019 when tens of thousands of families—many of them from the country’s Ghanaian community—were falsely accused of defrauding the child benefits system. These systems didn’t just contribute to agencies accusing innocent people of welfare fraud; benefits recipients were ordered to repay the money they had supposedly stolen. As a result, many of the accused were left with spiraling debt, destroyed credit ratings, and even bankruptcy.
Not all government fraud systems linked to scandals were developed with consultancies or technology companies. But civil servants are increasingly turning to the private sector to plug knowledge and personnel gaps. Companies involved in fraud detection systems range from giant consultancies—Accenture, Cap Gemini, PWC—to small tech firms like Totta Data Lab in the Netherlands and Saga in Serbia.
Experts in automation and AI are expensive to hire and less likely to be wooed by public sector salaries. When the UK surveyed its civil servants last year, confidence in the government’s ability to use technology was low, with around half of respondents blaming an inability to hire top talent. More than a third said they had few or no skills in artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automation. But it’s not just industry experience that makes the private sector so alluring to government officials. For welfare departments squeezed by budget cuts, “efficiency” has become a familiar buzzword. “Quite often, a public sector entity will say it is more efficient for us to go and bring in a group of consultants,” says Dan Sheils, head of European public service at Accenture.
The public sector lacks the expertise to create these systems and also to oversee them, says Matthias Spielkamp, cofounder of German nonprofit Algorithm Watch, which has been tracking automated decision-making in social welfare programs across Europe since 2017. In an ideal world, civil servants would be able to develop these systems themselves and have an in-depth understanding of how they work, he says. “That would be a huge difference to working with private companies, because they will sell you black-box systems—black boxes to everyone, including the public sector.”
In February 2020, a crisis broke out in the Dutch region of Walcheren as officials realized they were in the dark about how their own fraud detection system worked. At the time, a Dutch court had halted the use of another algorithm used to detect welfare fraud, known as SyRI, after finding it violated people’s right to privacy. Officials in Walcheren were not using SyRI, but in emails obtained by Lighthouse Reports and WIRED through freedom-of-information requests, government employees had raised concerns that their algorithm bore striking similarities to the one just condemned by the court.
Walcheren’s system was developed by Totta Data Lab. After signing a contract in March 2017, the Dutch startup developed an algorithm to sort through pseudonymous information, according to details obtained through a freedom-of-information request. The system analyzed details of local people claiming welfare benefits and then sent human investigators a list of those it classified as most likely to be fraudsters.
The redacted emails show local officials agonizing over whether their algorithm would be dragged into the SyRI scandal. “I don’t think it is possible to explain why our algorithm should be allowed while everyone is reading about SyRI,” one official wrote the week after the court ruling. Another wrote back with similar concerns. “We also do not get insight from Totta Data Lab into what exactly the algorithm does, and we do not have the expertise to check this.” Neither Totta nor officials in Walcheren replied to requests for comment.
When the Netherlands’ Organization for Applied Scientific Research, an independent research institute, later carried out an audit of a Totta algorithm used in South Holland, the auditors struggled to understand it. “The results of the algorithm do not appear to be reproducible,” their 2021 report reads, referring to attempts to re-create the algorithm’s risk scores. “The risks indicated by the AI algorithm are largely randomly determined,” the researchers found.
With little transparency, it often takes years—and thousands of victims—to expose technical shortcomings. But a case in Serbia provides a notable exception. In March 2022, a new law came into force which gave the government the green light to use data processing to assess individuals’ financial status and automate parts of its social protection programs. The new socijalna karta, or social card system, would help the government detect fraud while making sure welfare payments were reaching society’s most marginalized, claimed Zoran Đorđević, Serbia’s minister of social affairs in 2020.
But within months of the system’s introduction, lawyers in the capital Belgrade had started documenting how it was discriminating against the country’s Roma community, an already disenfranchised ethnic minority group.
Mr. Ahmetović, a welfare recipient who declined to share his first name out of concern that his statement could affect his ability to claim benefits in the future, says he hadn’t heard of the social card system until November 2022, when his wife and four children were turned away from a soup kitchen on the outskirts of the Serbian capital. It wasn’t unusual for the Roma family to be there, as their welfare payments entitled them to a daily meal provided by the government. But on that day, a social worker told them their welfare status had changed and that they would no longer be getting a daily meal.
The family was in shock, and Ahmetović rushed to the nearest welfare office to find out what had happened. He says he was told the new social card system had flagged him after detecting income amounting to 110,000 Serbian dinars ($1,000) in his bank account, which meant he was no longer eligible for a large chunk of the welfare he had been receiving. Ahmetović was confused. He didn’t know anything about this payment. He didn’t even have his own bank account—his wife received the family’s welfare payments into hers.
With no warning, their welfare payments were slashed by 30 percent, from around 70,000 dinars ($630) per month to 40,000 dinars ($360). The family had been claiming a range of benefits since 2012, including financial social assistance, as their son’s epilepsy and unilateral paralysis means neither parent is able to work. The drop in support meant the Ahmetovićs had to cut back on groceries and couldn’t afford to pay all their bills. Their debt ballooned to over 1 million dinars ($9,000).
The algorithm’s impact on Serbia’s Roma community has been dramatic. Ahmetović says his sister has also had her welfare payments cut since the system was introduced, as have several of his neighbors. “Almost all people living in Roma settlements in some municipalities lost their benefits,” says Danilo Ćurčić, program coordinator of A11, a Serbian nonprofit that provides legal aid. A11 is trying to help the Ahmetovićs and more than 100 other Roma families reclaim their benefits.
But first, Ćurčić needs to know how the system works. So far, the government has denied his requests to share the source code on intellectual property grounds, claiming it would violate the contract they signed with the company who actually built the system, he says. According to Ćurčić and a government contract, a Serbian company called Saga, which specializes in automation, was involved in building the social card system. Neither Saga nor Serbia’s Ministry of Social Affairs responded to WIRED’s requests for comment.
As the govtech sector has grown, so has the number of companies selling systems to detect fraud. And not all of them are local startups like Saga. Accenture—Ireland’s biggest public company, which employs more than half a million people worldwide—has worked on fraud systems across Europe. In 2017, Accenture helped the Dutch city of Rotterdam develop a system that calculates risk scores for every welfare recipient. A company document describing the original project, obtained by Lighthouse Reports and WIRED, references an Accenture-built machine learning system that combed through data on thousands of people to judge how likely each of them was to commit welfare fraud. “The city could then sort welfare recipients in order of risk of illegitimacy, so that highest risk individuals can be investigated first,” the document says.
Officials in Rotterdam have said Accenture’s system was used until 2018, when a team at Rotterdam’s Research and Business Intelligence Department took over the algorithm’s development. When Lighthouse Reports and WIRED analyzed a 2021 version of Rotterdam’s fraud algorithm, it became clear that the system discriminates on the basis of race and gender. And around 70 percent of the variables in the 2021 system—information categories such as gender, spoken language, and mental health history that the algorithm used to calculate how likely a person was to commit welfare fraud—appeared to be the same as those in Accenture’s version.
When asked about the similarities, Accenture spokesperson Chinedu Udezue said the company’s “start-up model” was transferred to the city in 2018 when the contract ended. Rotterdam stopped using the algorithm in 2021, after auditors found that the data it used risked creating biased results.
Consultancies generally implement predictive analytics models and then leave after six or eight months, says Sheils, Accenture’s European head of public service. He says his team helps governments avoid what he describes as the industry’s curse: “false positives,” Sheils’ term for life-ruining occurrences of an algorithm incorrectly flagging an innocent person for investigation. “That may seem like a very clinical way of looking at it, but technically speaking, that's all they are.” Sheils claims that Accenture mitigates this by encouraging clients to use AI or machine learning to improve, rather than replace, decision-making humans. “That means ensuring that citizens don’t experience significantly adverse consequences purely on the basis of an AI decision.”
However, social workers who are asked to investigate people flagged by these systems before making a final decision aren’t necessarily exercising independent judgment, says Eva Blum-Dumontet, a tech policy consultant who researched algorithms in the UK welfare system for campaign group Privacy International. “This human is still going to be influenced by the decision of the AI,” she says. “Having a human in the loop doesn’t mean that the human has the time, the training, or the capacity to question the decision.”
Despite the scandals and repeated allegations of bias, the industry building these systems shows no sign of slowing. And neither does government appetite for buying or building such systems. Last summer, Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance adopted a decree authorizing the launch of an algorithm that searches for discrepancies in tax filings, earnings, property records, and bank accounts to identify people at risk of not paying their taxes.
But as more governments adopt these systems, the number of people erroneously flagged for fraud is growing. And once someone is caught up in the tangle of data, it can take years to break free. In the Netherlands’ child benefits scandal, people lost their cars and homes, and couples described how the stress drove them to divorce. “The financial misery is huge,” says Orlando Kadir, a lawyer representing more than 1,000 affected families. After a public inquiry, the Dutch government agreed in 2020 to pay the families around €30,000 ($32,000) in compensation. But debt balloons over time. And that amount is not enough, says Kadir, who claims some families are now €250,000 in debt.
In Belgrade, Ahmetović is still fighting to get his family’s full benefits reinstated. “I don’t understand what happened or why,” he says. “It’s hard to compete against the computer and prove this was a mistake.” But he says he’s also wondering whether he’ll ever be compensated for the financial damage the social card system has caused him. He’s yet another person caught up in an opaque system whose inner workings are guarded by the companies and governments who make and operate them. Ćurčić, though, is clear on what needs to change. “We don’t care who made the algorithm,” he says. “The algorithm just has to be made public.”
Additional reporting by Gabriel Geiger and Justin-Casimir Braun.
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ughhh. same as the presser with lance valtteri and hulk :( i hate how the press/social media have lumped in misinformation, gossip, max to merc, jos v christian etc with serious sexual harassment allegations. combining the actual crisis with the sensationalist bullshit just muddies the water when it needs to be clear the most. these reporters need to be more specific about which “distractions” they are asking these drivers about because there is a huge difference between rumor mill and inappropriate behavior allegations and the questions and answers need to reflect that
Others may find this opinion misplaced, but I agree that the press holds a large part of the blame for what this situation has become. Their reporting around an already opaque situation has made it even murkier. They’ve rushed to publish unsubstantiated things for the sake of sensationalism. Certain journalists have allowed themselves to be the conduit in the power-play of others and that’s the true extent of the unethical reporting around all of this.
I think, in a way, we’re also responsible for what the situation has become because we’ve all fed into the sensationalism with our clicks and the way we’ve speculated on each rumours and despite what we all want to say about our own moral high ground, we’ve all played a role in this.
I know it’s very reductive to say they’re all rich white men and they shouldn’t be our moral compass and all, but at the end of the day, sometimes this is all it is, unfortunately. I’m not going to sit here and justify what Daniel’s said. In all the circumstances, it was a terrible thing totally devoid of compassion and regard for the victim to say. But to see the way some of you can’t seem to criticise him without turning it into some oh my fave could never. Yes, your fave could. Your fave would. They would have as easily said the bullshit Daniel’s said if it was their team boss involved, and if you disagree, then you’re deluding yourself. At the end of the day, these men will always choose themselves.
Also, all the drivers would have been extensively briefed by their communications and PR team coming into this weekend and all their comments about I’m just concerned about my racing IS their PR hardline. It just goes to show no one at the teams truly care and I personally will point fingers at certain people for turning this situation into the whole ‘just distraction and noise’
#it’s a shitty and untenable situation all around#and turning this into fandom discourse makes it even worse#anon.txt
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Isnotreal attacked the Iranian consulate in Syria, killing an important general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, among others (1) (2). Isnotreal hasn't confirmed or denied blame for this attack (2).
Iran declared, Wednesday last week, that it would respond (1) (3).
my sources disagree (slightly):(NRK: The Iranian response was sending over 300 missiles and drones (3). ) (Reuters: over 200 drones and missiles, according to Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari(2))
Most of them got cut off, according to isnotreal (3). Iran also said it was a response to multiple crimes by Israel (not just the criminal attack on the consulate) (3).
Iran's allies, including Hizbollah (according to themselves) and the Houthies (according to media), are also supposed to have attacked isnotreal (3).
The USA (Biden) is saying they are assisting isnotreals defence and side with Isnotreal strongly against Iran (3) (2) (link to statement). Donald Trump says he thinks the USA is not doing enough to support isnotreal (2). The Norwegian foreign minister condemned isnotreals attack on Iran (3). Iranians celebrate Irans attack on Isnotreal, saying "death to Israel", "death to usa", according to AFP (4). Iran warns isnotreal not to commit further crimes, or else they will respond stronger, but say they consider the matter concluded (2). Isnotreal wants the UN to move to condemn Iran's retaliation (3). Isnotreal says they will retaliate grandly (2).
Multiple news bureaus report having seen drones from Iraq (3).
The British, Usamerican and Jordanian defenses all report having shot down Iranian drones that were heading to isnotreal (3).
The NRK correspondent in Jerusalem reports having seen missiles being shot down, this being the first time in a while there's been any bombing in the area, videos from Hareetz also show this (3).
For most of the bombing isnotrealis were told to sit in bomb rooms (3). The bombings we're warned about in the app Red Alert (3).
slight disagreement between my sources here, but: (NRK: According to isnotreali ambulances there has been one injury, a ten year old was critically hurt (3).) (Reuters: According to isnotreali authorities there has been one injury, a seven year old girl was critically hurt (2))
edit: Addition that Norwegian newspaper The Class Struggle (Klassekampen) made a two pager on the attack on Iran (published Saturday 13.04.2024), predicting Irans attack and supporting the claim that 7 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. They also added that the UK David Cameron said it would be a misstep for Iran to retaliate. (5)
Sources:
1 NRK link published april 1 2024 18:59 (Norwegian time). No author listed. language: Norwegian bokmål. Accessed April 14 11:12.
2 Reuters link . Published April 14 2024 10:45 GMT+2 (edited 3 hours ago). Written by Dan Williams in Jerusalem, Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, Timur Azhari in Baghdad, Jeff Mason, Eric Beech and Doina Chiacu in Washington and Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman and Lidia Kelly in Lisbon; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Daniel Wallis, Chizu Nomiyama, Howard Goller and William Mallard. Accessed April 14 13:54.
3 NRK link published april 14 2024 13:18. Written by Øyvind Bye Skille, Åse Marit Befring, Milana Kenžević, Julia Kirsebom Thomassen, Aud Darrud, Hedda Kurseth and Eivind Molde. language: Norwegian bokmål. Accessed April 14 13:20.
4 NRK link published april 14 2024 12:37. Written by Ida Kristin Rønning, Aid Darrud and Amanda Iversen Orlich. Language: Norwegian bokmål. Accessed April 14 13:22.
edit:
5 Klassekampen. Published April 13 2024. Written by Amal A Wahab. language: Norwegian bokmål. Accessed April 17 2024.
Note about the quality of sources:
NRK generally seem a lot more critical of isnotreal and don't seem to fit the criticisms that have been raised about "western media", I mean I assume most of the people complaining don't even speak Norwegian so yeah, I trust NRK, NRK is btw Norway's official news agency "Norsk rikskringkasting", which is free. NRK doesn't have a rating, but Norway is considered to have "excellent freedom" of press, ranking first globally (MBFC).
Reuters is English language Western media, so I assume they are more biased in favor of isnotreal, however they have a relatively high factuality score and are said to have low bias, though with being from the UK they are only mostly free media (MBFC). Their trust principles are linked here.
Also note about this post, I am mostly translating the NRK article, I skipped some parts (mostly to make this more strictly news) and restructured some parts. This is mostly the work of the journalists in source 3.
edit:
Klassekampen is a left wing paper that I personally consider fairly reliable for Palestine. They have from the start just written more about Palestine, simply enough. Again there's no MBFC score for this paper. This article has not been debunked in the Norwegian fact checker Faktisk.no. Klassekampen has failed fact check before (at faktisk.no), usually about Norwegian politics.
#Palestine#free palestine#source: nrk#source: reuters#txt#ink.post#ink.journalism#ink translates#ink.journalism/palestine#ink.palestine#ink.palestine/journalism#ink.post/palestine#source: Klassekampen
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by Gerald M. Steinberg
Until now. Two major revelations have ripped away the curtain from HRW's moral facade, and revealed a thoroughly corrupt organization. The first was in the form of an email sent to all 600 staff members by senior editor turned whistleblower Danielle Haas on her last day on the job (November 14), which condemned the deep hostility to Israel that permeates every aspect of HRW. The second revelation was the publication by the authoritative Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) of a secret January 2018 letter allegedly authorizing the transfer of 3 million Euros (about US $3.75 million at the time) from Qatar to HRW.
Haas's email provided confirmation and examples of the "years of politicization" that stained all of HRW's activities related to Israel, violating "basic editorial standards related to rigor, balance, and collegiality." She noted that HRW's response to the October 7 Hamas massacre invoked "the 'context' of 'apartheid' and 'occupation' before blood was even dry on bedroom walls" and "could easily be construed as blaming the victim." Blaming Israel and its Jewish supporters for terrorism and antisemitism has been one of HRW's frequent themes. Although Haas did not mention Roth's name, his 29 year obsession with Israel was apparent in her depiction of the "shattered professionalism, abandoned principles of accuracy and fairness," and the ways that HRW "surrendered its duty to stand for the human rights of all."
HRW's moral decay is also reflected in the malicious campaign to label Israel as the world's only "apartheid state" – that, as in the case of South Africa, has no right to exist. In launching a 2021 campaign on this theme, HRW sent advanced copies of a 217-page pseudo-research report filled with legal-sounding jargon and propaganda to allied journalists as part of its standard media manipulation strategy. Haas notes that HRW's leaders (i.e. Roth and acolytes) knew the text "would rarely be read in full. And there is little doubt it has not been by those—including Hamas supporters—who now bandy about the term with appalling ease." For those who worked hard to avoid seeing the extensive rot at the core of HRW, the evidence is now inescapable.
A week later, a second earthquake ripped through HRW's carefully manicured curtain of secrecy. On November 22, 2023, MEMRI posted a letter in Arabic apparently showing that Qatar – the petroleum-rich Gulf kingdom that supports Hamas, runs Al Jazeera's propaganda, and buys influence through multi-million dollar donations to universities, the prestigious Brookings Institution and elsewhere -- secretly funds HRW. The letter, dated January 15, 2018, refers to a payment in the amount of 3 million euros made to the Human Rights Watch organization, signed by Abdullah Bin Khalaf Hattab Al Ka'bi, director of Qatar's Office of the Prime Minister and addressed to Finance Minister Ali Sharif Al-Emadi.
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Hi, I saw you were asking for requests and I thought I'd give you an idea for Max Verstapppen x reader fic. I don't request much so if it's too detailed I'm sorry, you can change anything you want, it's just a scenario I've had in my head for a while. I was thinking about enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine (also I'm a sucker for angst with a happy ending) ❤️❤️❤️
Ok, so imagine this: Reader is a new redbull media person/photographer and Max has an instant crush on her but acts like an a**hole cause he can't understand his emotions towards the reader. Other drivers tease him about it. I imagine someone ask why he doesn't like her and Daniel just straight up says "cause he loooves her" and Max gets all flustered. The reader is an absolute sunshine and tries to make him like her, even tho she is hurt by his behaviour. At some point (maybe right before a race or smth) he says something about her and she overhears and is heartbroken and suddenly stops talking to him.
I don't have an idea for an ending except that if you are up to I would love some smut 😂
Behind your walls
Max Verstappen x Reader
Genre: grumpy x sunshine, smut, angst if you squint.
Request: yes and it made me so happy. I hope I did your idea justice! My requests are open (specifically for Charles, Max Lando, and Oscar). Please don't hesitate to send in an idea!
Summary: Max knows he loves you but can't admit it to anyone, including himself. What happens when you over hear something he say? Will he be able to finally be vulnerable?
Warnings: Max is a jerk (blame is on Jos), pining, mentions of anxiety and a panic attack, smut, fingering, oral (female receiving)
Notes: second pov, I got a bit carried away, and I've never written smut before, so figured crossed it's not as cringe to you as it is to me. I think I changed like one or two things about the request but tried to follow it as much as I could.
If you have the chance, please check out my other work. likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated. I've started posting small snippets relating to my novel I'm currently editing, support for that is also always appreciated.
Masterlist
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Max has never been the best at dealing with his emotions. Sure he’s had his fair share of girlfriends, but all of them ended in confusion and heartbreak because of father wanting him to dedicate his entire being to racing.
So he did the only logical thing and walled himself off. Only having the occasional fling and never letting himself get to attached.
Then everything changed when he met you. Your sweet personality hired to drag him around all of his PR duties.
He'd made several of his PR managers quit. Ironically, not because he was an asshole to them, but because he had a talent for hiding from the press. It drove his managers insane. Redbull hoped that hiring someone warm and gentle was that you could coax him into fulfilling his responsibilities.
Everyone seemed to love you. Wherever you went, smiles followed. You'd even managed to convince Daniel into being productive and out of whatever his next shenanigan was. Not that you minded them, often laughing along with him if the situation arose. And to everyone's surprise, Max did spend more time with the reporters.
This, however, came at a price. For some reason that nobody could understand, Max Verstappen despised you. Or that's what you thought.
Max himself just thought he was doing the right thing for himself. No matter how many delicious coffies you brought him for early mornings. No matter how many of his jokes caused you to laugh. No matter the praises for wins and comforts for losses. Not even the look of admiration and respect you had for him and how he wanted nothing more than to sweep you away from this terrible world. He would not fall in love.
So he became a jerk to you. Giving you the cold shoulder. He always made sparky remarks at your expense. He even went as far as verbally telling you to 'piss off' even though deep down it hurt him too. Yet you still never wavered. Merely brushing it off and going back to whatever you were previously.
One day during a race weekend, Max found himself with Daniel during his downtime. The two of them eating lunch and chatting about life. The conversation was pleasant until Daniel brought up you.
"I don't understand why you don't like her, mate." Daniel chuckled a little, but there was genuine curiosity behind his eyes. Then, a realization hit the Australian. "I bet you love her! Like a crush from a schoolboy!" He announces for everyone in the vicinity to hear.
Was he wrong? No. But Max wasn't going to tell him that.
"You're wrong, mate. I personally find her incredibly annoying." He scoffed. He was also trying to convince himself of this. It wasn't working like he'd been intending.
"Why do you think? She's like the sweetest person I've ever met." Daniel gives a confused look to Max, who is struggling to find a reason why.
He finally gives the Aussie and awnswer. "She thinks anyone will do whatever she wants cause she's so nice. It's aggravating to see people flit around at her beck and call like she owns the place."
Daniel's face falls, a frown now gracing his lips. "Damn, that's too bad, I think you would've liked her if you'd giver her the chance."
It's at this moment that Max felt a looming presence behind him. The grimace if Daniel's face apparent.
"Sorry for interrupting, Christian is looking for you, Max." Came your voice. Not the one he was used to, you sounded on the verge of crying.
You turned on your heels and swiftly left to find somewhere secluded to compose yourself.
You hadn't intended on eaves dropping. You caught the tail end of their conversation as you were walking up. There wasn't much other noise around, and it's not like either male knows the definition of quiet.
Max, on the other hand, knew he messed up. He placed his hands over his face, shaking his head repeatedly. "I am stupid. I am stupid." He mumbled.
After the race that he managed to win, despite a rough start, he found himself immediately looking for you. Then he looked for you from the podium. And again, when it was time to be harassed from the media.
When he couldn't find you anywhere, he decided to ask Christian. He was hoping to get the chance to explain himself. Maybe even opening up a little because you deserved it after what he said.
Christian looked at him skeptically when he asked. "I thought you'd been told. She went back to the hotel. Security found her hyperventilating, so I had Daniel drive her back."
The rest of the day went by in slow motion for Max. Daniel mentioned a couple of times that you had anxiety. He'd mentioned that you are a people pleaser. You just wanted everyone to smile.
He hadn't realized how much damage his statement had done at the time. The guilt is now settling into the pit of his stomach.
He had someone else following him around. Definitely not as nice as you. He knew he'd fallen for you but couldn't admit it to himself. He needed to make this right. He didn't care if you hated him forever, but he wasn't going to let you think he hated you any longer.
Finally he was able to escape the cameras and locate Daniel. "I need your help."
You had spent your time in the hotel watching the race under your blankets and calming yourself down. You wouldn't lie that you genuinely liked Max. He started as an aquintance, but then you picked up on any grain he would give you. Any story he would tell to fill the silence. You wanted him to enjoy your presence as much as you enjoyed his. You knew you couldn't force it, but it wasn't going to stop you from at least being nice. Had you pushed it too far anyway?
Daniel knew about your crush. He said he saw that way you would listen to his long wonded explanations with patience and understanding and new only someone who loved him could manage that.
However, Daniel had also given you a false sense of hope. The Australian said that he saw how Max wanted to make you laugh. How he followed every PR obligation so you could keep your job. He wanted you around, too.
The tears started rolling again at the thought.
It's evening now. You hadn't eaten since this morning, but your stomach had no intention of letting you nourish yourself. Your anxiety over needing to make everyone happy getting the best of you. You hadn't had a panic attack like that in awhile. Even going as far as to dry heave because of the intensity.
You were exhausted, to say the least.
You wanted to sleep, but Daniel had texted, saying he didn't care if you wanted it or not, he is on route to bring you comfort food.
You did your best to make yourself look presentable. Though when you looked in the mirror, you definitely didn't look happy.
The inevitable knock came. You didn't hesitate to swing open the door, ready to be greeted by a cheeky smile.
What you got was a Dutch with a sheepish smile holding your favorite food and some flowers.
"Before you say anything, please let me explain." He rushed out. He needed to, though, since you were trying to close the door on him. Instead, you pause, considering his offer, and let him inside without a word.
He steps in the door. Finally taking in your appearance and the state of your room. Both are in dissaray. You sit on the edge of the bed and patiently wait for him to gather his thoughts.
You'd always been patient with him. Another reason he loved you.
"I'm sorry for what I said."
You didn't want to believe him, but there was a genuine look behind his blue eyes. You don't say anything. Opting to just listen to him instead.
"I know I fucked up." Max continues. His voice shaking more than you'd ever heard. "And I know you may never forgive me for what I've done to you. But I am truly in love with you." He stares at the floor. Anxiety making him cast his eyes to the floor.
You are shocked, rendered completely speechless at the confession. "Why?" Wat the only thing you could get out.
Max sets down what he is holding and finds the spot next to you on the bed. "I know I treated you poorly. I thought that in pushing you away, I would protect myself. But I fell for you anyway."
He inhales sharply. Staring at your glassy eyes. How were you so calm? He felt exposed and vulnerable. "You don't have to talk to me ever again. But I couldn't let you go without telling you I love you."
"I love you too." You whisper. His head snaps up in surprise. Is he hearing things? "I have for a while."
Nope, he definitely heard right. He watches your lips twist upward into a small smile and let's out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"I know it'll take time, but please stick around. Let me show you hard I've fallen."
"It dosen't excuse how you treated me, but I'll give you a chance."
(AN: You can end here if you're not in the mood for spicy things or want to leave it at cute and fluffy... or not. Your choice )
The proximity between you two is so close now. Your foreheads practically touching.
Giving into the intense pull towards you, Max gives in and places his lips on yours. You taste sweet, exactly how he'd imagined. He could already tell he was going to become addicted. "Can I start tonight?" He might be pushing boundaries, but he'd be damned if he didn't at least ask.
He didn't hesitate to kiss you again when you gently nodded your head, yes. Giving him permission to continue for now.
This kiss was much more heated. Both of you hungry to act on all the pent-up emotions you had for each other.
You had one or two partners before Max. You know how to please. So immediately you moved to straddle him. Your inate need to put others first taking over.
It shocked you when Max pulled you off. Suddenly not knowing what to do with yourself. "Tonight is about you." He whispered in your ear. Planting kisses on your jaw as he lays you on the bed. "I'm going to show you how I've fallen for you." Kiss to your nose. "How much I love you." Kiss you your forehead. "And how much I need you." Puncuated by a slow sensual Kiss to your lips.
His lips move against yours with passion and lust. You open your mouth to give him access to your mouth, and he instantly begins exploring.
His hands gently caress the insides of your thighs and run up along your sides. Pulling your shirt up little bits at a time.
Your hand find themselves underneath his shirt. Your fingers are trying to memorize the feeling of his skin.
Max pulls away for you, panting heavily. "Can I take off some of your clothes?" He asks. His voice laced with new found confidence.
You'd never been treated like this. Often take advantage of because you are a giver. You gave constent sure, but this is a whole new level. You nod your head yes again, though looking skeptical.
Max picking up on this stops everything he's doing. "Are you ok? Your face is telling me something different."
"Yes, sorry, this is just a little new to me." You explain.
The shock hits Max once again. "Are you a virgin?!" His mind reeling that he was possibly going to take your virginity and he wouldn't have known.
He's more confused when you start laughing. "No, no! It's just that nobody has treated me so well before!"
"Oh, well if that's the case." A smirk finds its way onto his face as he straps you your shirt, then his. Then he takes your pants, your bra, and finally pauses. Laying kisses to every party of your body.
"I wish I hadn't closed myself off for so long. You're so beautiful. I've wanted you to myself like this for so long."
You pratically moan at his words. "Are you going to finish undressing?"
"What do you not get about me taking care of you." He places a finger over your lips to shush you. You sigh and comply. Letting him take control of the rhythm.
Max is over the top of you. Inching his way down. Sucking and leaving little marks as he goes.
He makes a pit stop at your chest. Gently taking your nipple and rolling it between his fingers. His tongue then finds the other one. Swirling it around, then sucking. Listening to you whimper beneath him.
"Do you like that lovely?" The cockiness in his voice not going unnoticed.
He trades sides with his hand and mouth. Trying to give equal attention to both your tits. His free hand now placed firmly on your hip to keep you still.
When he felt he'd given ample attention in one area, he made his way down lower. He stopped at your still clothed lower half. "Can I take these off you now?"
"If you don't I might cry."
Max has them off seconds layer. Now discarded with the rest of your clothes.
His gaze burns into you. His breathing erratic just looking at you. "Your are the most gorgeous thing on the planet."
You swallow hard as he finds a comfortable position. His head now in-between you thighs.
His finger gently rubs where you need him, and he places love bites to the insides of your thighs. "Glad to know I'm doing good so far." He smiles. His fingers are now coated in your slick substance.
You whimper again. His name falls from your lips like a prayer.
He licks the finger that was previously touching you. Savoring every bit of the tast he can. "Exactly like how I dreamed."
It was your turn to chuckle now. "You dreamed of me?"
"Almost every night. I got off in the morning to the memory."
You want to dwell on his dirty confession, but Max's tongue doesn't let you.
It doesn't take him long to have you writhing. His tounge unrelenting.
His fingers find their way inside of you. The act alone almost sends you off the edge. Instincts take over as you find yourself closer to utter bliss. Your arms struggle to push max away. His arms hooked under your thighs to hold you close keep you from doing so.
Your back arches as you release. Max is slowly coming to a stop as your ride out your high.
Both of you are breathing heavily. Max's fingers are still caressing your hips as you both catch your breath.
Realization hits you. "Don't you need something too?" You ask, voice laced with anxiety over not pleasing him also.
Max only smirks, laying his head against your leg. "I fine, don't you worry. Tonight, we cuddle, and tomorrow I take you for round two."
And that's exactly what you did. Max helped clean you up and put on your pajamas. Then you two curled up in bed together. Him telling you everything he had been wanting to since he laid eyes on you.
You know this road worh Max certainly wouldn't be easy. But you're patient, and you'll wait for him. As long as he needs to let himself fully tear down his walls.
#x reader#f1 fic#formula one#max verstappen#max verstappen x reader#max verstappen x y/n#fanficion#smut#grumpy x sunshine#max verstappen x you#daniel riccardo x reader#daniel ricciardo#formula 1#f1 fanfic#redbull racing#redbull#super max#orange army#open requests#please request#I have a thing for his tongue#have you watched him speak?#it does things to me#max#maxy#emotional constipation#jos verstappen#i blame him#racing#daniel is the best wingman
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Daniel Boris, Vladimir Putin's Nesting Dolls
* * * *
LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN
April 8, 2024
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON
APR 09, 2024
On Sunday, Representative Michael R. Turner (R-OH), chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said it is “absolutely true” that Republican members of Congress are parroting Russian propaganda. “We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor,” he said on CNN’s State of the Union.
Turner was being questioned about an interview in which Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Russia specialist Julia Ioffe that “Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it’s infected a good chunk of my party’s base.” McCaul blamed right-wing media. When asked which Republicans he was talking about, McCaul answered that it is “obvious.”
Catherine Belton and Joseph Menn reviewed more than 100 internal Kremlin documents from 2022 and 2023 obtained by a European intelligence service and reported in the Washington Post today that the Russian government is running “an ongoing campaign that seeks to influence congressional and other political debates to stoke anti-Ukraine sentiment.” Kremlin-backed trolls write fake “news articles, social media posts and comments that promote American isolationism, stir fear over the United States’ border security and attempt to amplify U.S. economic and racial tensions” while claiming that “Biden’s policies are leading the U.S. toward collapse.”
Aaron Blake pointed out in the Washington Post that Republicans are increasingly warning that Russian propaganda has fouled their party. Blake notes that Russia specialist Fiona Hill publicly told Republicans during the 2019 impeachment inquiry into Trump that they were repeating “politically driven falsehoods that so clearly advance Russian interests,” but Republicans angrily objected.
Now Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and John Cornyn (R-TX) and a top aide to Senator Todd Young (R-IN), as well as former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and even Trump’s vice president Mike Pence, have warned about the party’s ties to Russia. Former Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) has said the Republican Party now has “a Putin wing.”
Trump has hinted that he has a plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine in 24 hours. Yesterday, Isaac Arnsdorf, Josh Dawsey, and Michael Birnbaum reported in the Washington Post on the details of that plan: he would accept Russian annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea and the Donbas region. He refuses to say how he would negotiate with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been adamant that Ukraine will not give up its territory to an invader, or Russia president Vladmir Putin, who has claimed all of Ukraine, but after meeting with Trump last month, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán said Trump told him he would accomplish “peace” by cutting off funds to Ukraine.
Trump’s team said Orbán’s comment was false, but it is worth noting that this plan echoes the one acknowledged by Trump’s 2016 campaign director Paul Manafort as the goal of Russian aid to Trump’s campaign.
Fiona Hill told the Washington Post reporters that Trump’s team “is thinking…that this is just a Ukraine-Russia thing…rather than one about the whole future of European security and the world order.”
Trump’s MAGA loyalists in the House of Representatives have held up funding for Ukraine for six months. Although a national security supplemental bill that would fund Ukraine has passed the Senate and would pass the House if it were brought to the floor, House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) refuses to bring it to the floor. The House returns to work tomorrow after a two-week recess but is so backed up on work that Johnson is not expected to bring up the Ukraine measure this week.
Clint Watts, the head of Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center, told the Washington Post’s Belton and Menn: “The impact of the Russian program over the last decade…is seen in the U.S. congressional debate over Ukraine aid…. They have had an impact in a strategic aggregate way.”
The Trump loyalists echoing Russia who have taken control of the Republican Party appear to be hardening into a phalanx around the former president, but even as they do so, Trump himself appears to be crumbling.
In the week since Trump posted a $175 million appeals bond, halting the seizure of his properties to satisfy the $454 million judgment against him and the Trump Organization, multiple problems with that bond have come to light. It is possible the bond isn’t worth anything at all, and New York attorney general Letitia James has filed papers to require Trump’s lawyers or the bond underwriter to show that it’s good within ten days. A hearing is set for April 22.
Meanwhile, Trump’s trial for election interference in 2016, when he paid people with damaging information to keep quiet before the election and falsified business records to hide those payments, is set to begin on April 15. Evidently very worried about this trial, Trump has already tried eight times to delay it until after November’s election, and today his lawyers tried yet again by requesting a delay so he could fight to get the trial moved to a different venue, but an appeals judge rejected the attempt.
Aside from Trump’s personal problems as a presidential candidate, the Republicans face strong headwinds because of their deeply unpopular opposition to abortion rights. Trump has openly bragged about being the instrument for ending the rights recognized in the United States since the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Since then, abortion bans are galvanizing opposition, and the Republicans are trying to find a message that can bring back angry voters without antagonizing the antiabortion white evangelicals who make up their base.
After months of waffling on the issue, Trump today released a video trying to thread that needle by echoing the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Trump said in the video that states will decide the issue for themselves, a statement that simply reflects the Dobbs decision.
This was a dodge. In the video, Trump appealed to the antiabortion loyalists by telling the ghoulish lie that women are “executing” their babies even after birth. He also ignored that Republicans are already calling for a national ban, extremist antiabortion Texas judge Matthew Kacsmaryk has tried to take the common abortion drug mifepristone off the national market by challenging its FDA approval, and legislatures in many Republican-dominated states are refusing to implement the will of the people to protect abortion rights even after they have voted for such protections.
Still, antiabortion leaders, including Mike Pence, immediately slammed Trump’s statement.
The video did, though, make an enormously interesting and unintended point: Trump is communicating with voters outside his carefully curated bubble almost exclusively through videos, even on a topic as important as abortion. At rallies, his speeches have become erratic and wandering, with occasional slurred words, and observers have wondered how he would present to more general audiences. It appears that his team has concluded that he will not present well and that general audiences must see him in carefully curated settings, like this apparently heavily edited video.
The Trump takeover of the Republican National Committee (RNC) also appears to be in trouble. This weekend, Trump claimed to have raised $50 million in a single night from billionaires, but that number is conveniently a little more than double the new record of what President Joe Biden raised at an event last week with former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and it is long past time for everyone to stop believing anything Trump says about money.
More to the point, The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell reported today that the RNC’s aggressive purge of the staff to guarantee that positions are held only by Trump loyalists means that “the RNC has been left without people with deep knowledge of election operations at the Republican party’s central committee.” Lowell notes this lack is especially apparent on the RNC’s data team, which is being moved from Washington, D.C., to Palm Beach, Florida, near Mar-a-Lago.
And yet Trump loyalists continue to block aid to Ukraine, threatening the existence of the rules-based international order that has helped to prevent war since World War II. Last week, even Trump’s former secretary of state Mike Pompeo warned Speaker Johnson against “abandoning our Allies at this time of great need, when they are staring down enemies of the free world.”
LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON
#political cartoons#Daniel Boris#nesting dolls#Putin#russia#collusion#Letters From An American#Heather Cox Richardson#Ukraine#war in Ukraine#House Republicans#Russian Propaganda#election 2024#election interference#funding for Ukraine
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QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — A bomb threat sent an anti-explosives unit scrambling into a bustling area of Ecuador’s tense capital Thursday while authorities in an eastern city reported a nightclub arson killed two people as the South American country staggers under a spike of violence blamed on drug gangs.
Police in the capital, Quito, said they evacuated people from the area surrounding the Playón de la Marín bus station when they were alerted about a backpack with an alleged explosive placed in a garbage can.
The backpack turned out to not have any explosives, authorities said, but it followed five similar incidents in the capital Wednesday with actual explosives. Those bombs — in two vehicles, at a pedestrian bridge and near a prison — caused minor damage but no deaths or injuries.
Meanwhile, authorities said unknown suspects set fire to a nightclub in the Amazon city of Coca, killing at least two people and injuring nine others. The blaze, which spread to 11 nearby stores, is under investigation, officials said.
Ecuador is in the grips of a crime wave tied to drug trafficking gangs. Ecuadoreans worry the violence will only escalate in a country where a presidential candidate was assassinated last year.
President Daniel Noboa, who earlier this week declared an emergency and a virtual war on the gangs by authorizing the military to act against them, said Thursday that Ecuador needs “tougher laws, honest judges” and the possibility of extraditing dangerous criminals in order to fight terrorism and organized crime.
“We are not going to let a group of terrorists stop the country,” Noboa said in a recorded message sent to media outlets in which he also presented the design of two new prisons. He said the corrections system has been “controlled by mafias” for decades and is in urgent need of new facilities.
Noboa said prisons will be built in two provinces and each will have super-, maximum- and high-security units and will be equipped with technology to block cellphone and satellite signals. He previously said the new prisons would be ready in 10 to 11 months.
Many people are staying at home and schools and stores have been shuttered as soldiers patrol the streets of Ecuador’s biggest cities.
Tensions heightened Tuesday when a group of men wielding explosives and guns invaded a television station’s live afternoon newscast in Guayaquil, the Pacific port city that has been the epicenter of a surge in violence that began roughly three years ago. Ecuadorians watched as the intruders threatened and assaulted employees at the station. No one was killed and 13 suspects were arrested, but the violent broadcast stunned much of the region.
Ecuadorian authorities attribute the country’s spike in violence to a power vacuum prompted by the killing in 2020 of Jorge Zambrano, alias “Rasquiña” or “JL,” the then-leader of the local Los Choneros gang. Members carry out contract killings, run extortion operations, move and sell drugs, and rule prisons.
Ecuador’s neighbors, Colombia and Peru, are the world’s largest cocaine producers. Los Choneros, one of the country’s most violent gangs, and similar groups linked to Mexican and Colombian cartels are fighting over drug-trafficking routes and control of territory, including in prisons, where more than 450 inmates have been slain since 2021.
A February 2021 riot among rival gang members at Ecuador’s most violent prison left at least 79 inmates dead. The following September, 116 inmates were killed in another gang battle at the same Litoral prison, with several of them beheaded.
The violence has spread from prisons to the streets, turning the once-peaceful Ecuador into one of the most violent countries in the region. Last year was Ecuador’s bloodiest on record, with more than 7,600 homicides, up from 4,600 in the prior year.
Gang members in prisons throughout the country have taken corrections personnel hostage since Sunday, when the current leader of Los Choneros vanished from prison.
On Thursday, inmates managed to increase to 178 the number of corrections personnel they are holding hostage, according to the prisons agency. A union that represents prison employees has asked officials to guarantee the “physical and psychological integrity” of the hostages.
Noboa, who took office in November, won a special presidential election with the promise of reducing the terrifying, drug-driven crime wave within 1 1/2 years in office. His anti-crime campaign proposals range from turning ships into floating jails to getting police more equipment.
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I’m going to need you all to indulge in my Vlad/Harriet hyperfixation for a second, because if I have to make this much space in my head for this then so do you *watches helplessly as you scroll away from my rambling post.*
Alright, well, that’s not going to stop me. I’ll talk to an empty room. Just you wait.
Anyway, so, I love the idea that while Vlad is just one big red-flag wrapped up in a tailor-made suit (and Harriet hasn’t run away screaming yet) he’s still reticent to let on that he’s a half-ghost. Because that’s GOT to be the final straw, right? The last of what she’s willing to put up with? So he keeps it secret. And while there’s a whole host of hilarious ways that can go down (especially because Harriet’s a reporter, and sharp, and Vlad has been a ghost for 20-some-odd years, and doesn’t spend a lot of time around humans, so probably has some bizarre and unnatural little habits) the specific thing I can’t stop thinking about is how Danny would tie into all of this. If Harriet doesn’t know Vlad’s a half-ghost, she certainly doesn’t know Danny’s a half-ghost, and the potential here is just KILLER.
First of all, this has got to be the absolute most confusing set of interactions Harriet has ever seen in her life. While she knows her man-child boyfriend has the emotional maturity of a damp washcloth, it’s bewildering just how much the son of their college friends drives Vlad CRAZY. Muttering under his breath about the Fenton boy, their weird silent stand offs whenever they’re in the same room together, the way Vlad blames absolutely anything that goes wrong on Danny. Car gets totaled in a random ghost encounter while he’s in Amity? Daniel. Something goes wrong at Vlad Co.? Daniel. Coffee maker doesn’t work? Daniel.
This could also potentially shift the power dynamic in a really fun way. Danny’s shocked, and frankly, a little nauseated, to figure out that Vlad’s dating someone. Don’t get him wrong, he’s thrilled the Fruitloop is finally off his mom, but it just doesn’t seem right that anyone could LIKE Vlad. However, he can tell the dude hasn’t told/doesn’t want his girlfriend to know he’s the literal thing of nightmares. And, as much as he’s doing a terrible job of it, Vlad is trying to act like he doesn’t have an ongoing rivalry with a fourteen year old whenever Harriet is around. Plastering on the dead-eyed smiles, offering polite platitudes through gritted teeth, etc., etc. Danny takes every advantage of this to drop in unannounced and pretend that Vlad’s just his weird uncle. Oh yeah, he absolutely definitely routinely has Danny over for dinner and movie nights, buys him expensive gifts, helps him with his homework. You know. The usual. And Vlad can’t say anything to the contrary because he can’t otherwise explain why Danny keeps showing up, not to mention the fact that Danny has made it VERY clear he’s willing to spill Vlad’s secret. Danny likes to pull Harriet aside with a deep and serious “I need to tell you something important,” then pause dramatically before he goes off about the frog he found at lunch or some such whatever. Vlad figures Danny probably won’t actually tell his secret, because the boy must know he’d be outing them both to a reporter if he says anything, but Vlad’s not entirely sure. After all, Daniel is an incompetent child who has done worse for less cause. So Vlad tries to be on his very best behavior. TRIES being the operative word. Anytime Harriet leaves the room, Danny and Vlad are at each other’s throats, wielding cutlery like weapons, exchanging heated barbs back and forth, threatening each other. Vlad’s got an arm wrapped around Danny’s neck when Harriet returns with a mug of tea. Vlad laughs good-naturedly, forces a smile, rubs his knuckles against Danny’s scalp. Ahaha, see, they were just playing around. Good ol’ Uncle Vlad, what a kidder, amiright? Nothing suspicious happening here.
Bonus points if Harriet thinks Danny is adorable and keeps inviting him over, despite the weird animosity between these two losers.
Harriet: Oh, Vlad, you know how Maddie and Jack are. I’m sure the poor kid hasn’t had a decent meal in weeks. And he’s so attached you. Tell him he can come for dinner.
Vlad *under his breath*: I would rather throw myself into a pit of scorpions than put up with that insolent brat for another-
Harriet: What’s that?
Vlad: I said...Daniel would you *chokes* like to join us for dinner?
Of course, this arrangement does sometimes backfire on Danny when he’s inevitably around while Vlad and Harriet are being *gag* coupley.
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all the danny haters keep bringing up his poor performances in response to us being angry at how this situation has been handled, but if the contract was signed on 4th july, then negotiations were clearly ongoing for a while beforehand, especially when you add in all zb’s comments which seemed to start way back in miami.
it just makes me think of what happened to stoffel (also at the hands of zb’s managing team let’s not forget) in 2018, where the team were talking with carlos and lando (“It’s not easy to drive at your best when you know the team is negotiating with other drivers behind your back,”), but also with the internal politics within the team (Asked a few months later if McLaren’s focus on Alonso had hampered his own career, Vandoorne told Ziggo Sport: “Yes. Unfortunately, I have never been able to tell 99 per cent of what happened.” It is a point of view the 29-year-old stands by. “You didn’t see everything that happened behind the scenes, all the politics,” GPBlog reports him as having told Brussels daily Dernière Heure.).
also its important to remember that this is the team that blamed honda for the fact they were so slow during the mclaren-honda years, then when they switched to renault it became clear that the chassis was the problem, but rather than admitting the car wasn’t good enough, got rid of their driver. the whole situation is repeating itself all over again, as mclaren once again produced an underperforming car. unlike with honda, its not as if they can blame the merc engine now bc mercedes’ factory team is the benchmark for that engine and is a semi-frontrunning car, whereas the mclaren tends to be fifth best but still off the pace from the front. it’s not hard to see that mcl over promised this year, and have only admitted that a couple of times (in fact i only think i’ve seen as talk about it, zb doesn’t seem too have addressed the issue at all).
tldr: the team seems incapable of admitting when they as a team have fallen short, rather blaming others for their failings, and this has become a repeating pattern of the last few years. honda, stoffel and daniel are all victims of this, even alonso, magnussen and perez to a point, and i wonder who or what comes next
https://www.planetf1.com/news/stoffel-vandoorne-mclaren-politics/
you spoke, you spilt, you ate and left no crumbs
#long post#it’s annoying for other to firstly police our emotions as if they won’t crumble if this is happening to their driver#that team has been shady all these times yet WE get called delusional#i really hope the worst for them#msg*
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