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ussjellyfish · 4 years

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fic: Work-Life Balance pt 3 | AoS | Philinda | mature

(this chapter is still barely teen, mature things next chapter)

Melinda and Phil attend a fancy fundraiser, which has dancing, which isn't that terrible. They also get to see Mack and Yo-yo.

Many thanks to @plechka for your help with DC stuff.

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Espionage 218 - the Dance Elective

He makes her breakfast, which involves running out for bagels, but she sleeps in, contented and calm. She slept better in Tahiti than he's ever seen her to, so maybe it's just being free from the encroaching danger. Nothing's coming to get them. There's no giant conspiracy out there waiting to destroy the world, just classes and field reports, seminars and exams.

Mack, Director Mack, said he can do some recruitment, when he's up for it. Phil's read the file a few times. Part-time, very flexible, based at the Hub which is right near the Academy. Very short drive, shorter still in Lola. Sounds ideal if he wants to stay involved. There are plenty of things to do at the Academy too. May has a full course load, plus extra fitness training classes, and she's mentoring the newest crop of SOs in the field. Just looking at her calendar is headache worthy. No wonder she doesn't have anything in her fridge.

That morning Phil lets her eat her bagel in the car on the way into campus, even though usually eating in Lola is strictly forbidden. He didn't have the heart to wake her, especially when she'd shut off her own alarm three times. Must be making up for years of lost sleep, or teaching exhausts her in a way flying the Bus and saving the world did not.

After he drops her off, he spends the morning in kitchen stores, and then buying his own clothes. He has one bag, and a handful of old stuff in storage in Wisconsin, but he keeps dying and leaving the planet and getting his suits blown up. It's frustrating because he had some nice suits, some books that had that great old book smell.

May emails him the invite to the Congressional Security Committee fundraiser that she has to attend tonight, because she's one of the most respected professors at the Academy. Also, she's gorgeous, and Mack likes how much that distracts people.

It'll be a long night of mediocre drinks, passable hors d'oeuvres and terrible conversation. The dancing might be all right. Maybe he can sneak May off to look at some of the art because he's always liked the National Potrait Gallery, and the courtyard's really something to see. She'll fit right in at an art museum.

He has to use SHIELD resources to get good black tie at the last minute, but he knows a guy who's pretty quick and he just has to look good enough to be with May. She probably has some absolutely stunning dress and he keeps losing his train of thought as he's buying spices, imagining how she'll look. He's far enough away that she can't feel his particular emotions right this moment, hopefully. Didn't ask what the range was, and it seems like it's different with him.

Mack got them dinner reservations, and it's not really double date, but it's Mack, Yo-yo, Melinda and him, which is basically the double date set up. Maybe it is. Maybe it's just really good friends with a lot of history. Getting to see them again is wonderful, but he's a little nervous.

Putting pots and pans away as he rearranges Melinda's kitchen helps him think. She has whole cabinets that just sit empty until he adds measuring cups, mixing bowls, and a coffee maker. One of the perks of never being able to be out in public is that he has years of salary just sitting in his bank account. Melinda doesn't need a stand mixer, but he does.

Because he's moving in. Well, moved in to be fair. His new toothbrush sits right next to hers and there's plenty of closet space when he has clothes. He's just got the utensils right by the stove when Melinda texts. The day has flown by; it's already four, her last class just ended.

She's running late, students need help. They're supposed to be at the restaurant at five thirty which doesn't give her much time to get ready. He gets dressed in his tuxedo, smirking at the cufflinks. He loves when he gets to wear them because they're such a classy, old school kind of touch. He throws his tie around his neck, but doesn't tie it yet. Melinda does it better.

He grabs her dress, makeup, jewelry, hairpins, hairspray- collecting the arsenal it'll take to get her ready for black tie. Not that she needs it. She could go in a t-shirt, but this is a fancy politician charming thing. Carrying her dress in a garment bag and the rest of her things in a duffel, he parks Lola outside her office and heads in.

There are still students in the hall, most of them dressed as waiters and it clicks. They're going undercover. Melinda's sending some her students undercover to the fundraiser for practice. Smart. They'll be catering a lot in the field. No one really pays attention to the hands serving the food.

They talk between themselves, but part when he arrives. Melinda's all the way down the hall, at the heart of their group, explaining how to swap champagne flutes in order to get fingerprints and DNA.

"Professor May, your husband's here," one of the cadets calls down the hall.

"That's right, dear," he says, beaming. Might as well roll wih it. "I think I have everything."

"Great, I'm sorry, we got carried away, okay, I'll see you tonight, remember, when you're undercover, you're invisible, so don't impress anyone, not Director Mack, and definitely not me."

They laugh and Phil has to smile. She's pretty hard to impress. He sets her dress on the desk and pulls the blinds while the students leave them. Melinda pulls off her blazer and starts unbuttoning her shirt.

"How much time do we have?"

"Slightly less than half an hour, which is plenty, you're already beautiful."

"Not black tie beautiful."

She sighs, dropping her bra to the desk and he has to swallow. He will never get over how beautiful she is, and it's been a terrifying constant in his life for decades.

"Let me help you with the dress." He gently removes the black and gold dress from the garment bag. He shakes it out, opening the clasps while she changes her underwear and pulls on her stockings.

"Okay, let me get this over your head." The complicated straps cross high on her chest and leaves her back bare. He whistles as it slips into place. "I think this is better than the sequins."

"Oh?" She starts pinning up her hair, smiling. "It's more comfortable."

"Your breasts make the dress look great."

Melinda laughs. "I thought you'd like it."

He sits on her desk, handing her pins as she puts her hair up. He holds up a handful and looks over the pictures on her desk. "These are nice, Daisy, FitzSimmons and Alya, don't know if that's the best picture of me."

"I've always liked that one." She titls her head towards the hairspray and he hands it over.

"I look too stern."

"You are stern."

"Me?" He takes the hairspray and hands her the eyeliner, holding it while she yawns into her hand. "Couldn't fit a nap in, huh?"

"I slept at lunch."

"Good plan, these things always go so late."

Melinda sighs, shaking her head. "I know."

"Lipstick,"

"Give me that first." He looks, following her hand. A abandoned mug of coffee sits on her desk.

"You hate coffee."

"It's vile, but it keeps me awake."

"Well, it's definitely worse cold and without anything in it."

"Just hand it to me, Phil." She shuts her eyes and swallows it, grimacing. He's seen children make that face when they've been told to eat brussel sprouts.

"You hate it."

"I hate falling asleep at dinner more."

He touches her shoulder. "This is hard. You're carrying a lot. Don't push yourself beyond your limits."

"Tomorrow's an easy day, no lectures, just seminar, and it's in the afternoon."

"I'll make waffles."

"And no coffee."

"None, for you."

She laughs, finishing her lipstick. "What earrings did you bring?"

"These matched the best."

"I would have gone with the gold."

"The dress is more bronze."

"Oh I see."

"These bring out your eyes more."

"Yes, that's what you've been looking at. My eyes." She toys with his hand, smiling.

"Exactly." He rests his gaze on the exquisite display of her breasts, then looks up,

She leans in, kissing him lightly. "You still can't tie these."

"I have you."

The next kiss is a little deeper, hungrier, and they don't have time. Mack and Yo-yo will be at the restaurant in a few minutes ad they're already pushing it, even with Lola. Flying through DC isn't exactly subtle. The cloaking will help but--

Melinda finishes tying his bow tie and pats his chest. "Shoes."

He sets them up and she steps into her impossibly high heels, holding on his shoulder.

"Ready?"

She takes another moment, taking a breath. "I still don't understand how you drink that every day."

"It grows on you."

"Like a tumor."

He rests his hand on her bare back, chuckling. "Exactly, a delicious, caffeinated tumor."

Mack and Yo-yo are waiting for them at the table, already laughing over their drinks.

"Sorry, parking is terrible."

"Our quinjet is on the roof," Yo-yo says, getting up to hug Melinda. "You look amazing."

"Doesn't she?"

"You don't look too bad yourself," Mack says, getting up to shake his hand. They stare, take hands and then hug. He didn't think he'd see Mack again, or Yo-yo or...anyone, and here they are. Mack pats Melinda's shoulder and Yo-yo pulls out her chair.

"Sit, eat, we don't have that much time before we have to talk to the boring people."

"Thanks, sorry--"

"She had cadets swarming her office."

"All ready for tonight?"

"They're some of my best, about half of the catering team are future agents. Tell me how many before the night's over and I'll buy dinner next time."

Mack lifts his glass, grinning. "Oh you're on."

Yo-yo leans forward, elegant in a dark blue dress, with her hair down in waves. Mack's pocket square complements her dress and they look fantastic together. The way they talk, laughing, filling in each other's stories, they're happy. It's good to see. This time has been good for them.

The food arrives a few minutes later, concerned for time, Mack and Yo-yo ordered, and it smells incredible. Melinda yawns into her hand again and flags down the server for tea instead of wine.

"They might have coffee."

"Oh no, one is my limit."

"You had coffee?" Yo-yo asks over her naan bread. "The Academy's that bad, huh?"

"It's disgusting but it keeps me awake."

"I'm gone for a little while and look how things change." It's a poor joke but Melinda's little smile has forgiveness in it.

"It felt a little long." She reaches across, squeezing his hand.

"It's nice to have you back." Mack digs into the chicken. "This is incredible."

Melinda sets down her fork and reaches for her tea. "It's hard to get reservations here, but my mom likes it."

"Do they do take out?" Phil passes her one of the sauces and she gives him that look. "May's a connoisseur of take out."

"Very funny."

"Do they? This is near the Hub, I'd love this for lunch."

"Places like this don't do take out," Yo-yo says, pointing at her napkin. "Real napkins, fancy silverware."

Mack shakes his head, wiping his mouth. "We'll have to find a way to get them to make an exception."

"Use those director perks." Phil jokes, meeting Melinda's gaze.

"What director perks?' The server hands Mack the check and Yo-yo chuckles.

"There's a perk."

"I asked for this." Mack waves the check at them. "I know how hard it is to live on an academic's salary."

Phil titls his head towards Melinda. "You should see how empty her apartment was, couldn't afford anything in the kitchen."

"I am funny, I'm the director." He hands over a card and they reluctantly leave their seats.

Phil offers Melinda his hand to get to her feet, touching her bare back as they head for the door. Her skin's warm and smooth under his hand and she allows it to remain there. The clouds overhead are dark and heavy, and the air smells like rain. The gallery's only a quick walk, and it almost feels like old times. Very fancy old times.

At the door he hands over their IDs from Melinda's purse. Hers is a little worn, and his brand new. Billy did good work on it. They head through security, have their retinas scanned and fingerprints checked. Eventually they end up at another table, and two of Melinda's students bring them drinks.

She takes a sip, then sets her glass down. "Well, lets get it over with"

"It?"

"You're going to make me dance."

He listens to the orchestra and smirks. "That's a waltz."

Melinda holds out her hand, reaching for his and smiling. "Do you want to wait for a tango?"

"Are you just using me to avoid Senator Ellis?"

"You caught me." She leans in, brushing her lips agains his ear. "Also, my students are watching."

"So we're making your students uncomfortable?"

"If they're watching us dance, they're not watching other things."

"I'd be watching you."

She glances down at her chest and her smile brightens. "I know what you'e watching."

Dancing with her is easy, comfortable. She'll have to talk to senators and congresspeople, be charming, talk about the Academy, but for now, and maybe the next dance, he can hold her.

The next song is a tango and she rolls her eyes, but she remembers the steps. Her muscle memory's always been incredible. She leads him into a dip near some of her students and she's right, they're watching them, not observing the room.

"How are you going to get them to stop watching us?"

"We'll talk about it in seminar."

"That sounds fun."

"You should come, it's my most interesting class." Melinda wraps her leg around the back of his and executes another dip. She's so good at it. The bonus for him is that he gets to hold her, tight and close and it's too bad that can't last all night.

Eventually he has to surrender her to Mack, and a few senators. He gets one song to dance with Yo-yo, who tells him all about her team: Piper and Davis, and her adventures. She finds time for Mack too, and they seem happy.

"She needed you back," Yo-yo says over his shoulder, smiling at Melinda. "She said she was happy, but this is happy."

"What was she before?"

"Busy." Yo-yo twirls out and then back to him. "Really busy."

"She's still busy."

"But now at least you can cook for her."

"Yeah."

"Which makes you happy."

"It's such a little thing."

"Not little." Yo-yo walks with him back to the table, reaching for her champagne while Phil scans the crowd for Melinda. "Mack fixes my car when I'm home, worries about my motorcycle, tunes the engine. You cook."

"Melinda's a terrible cook."

"And I never remember when my car needs an oil change. Love brings us people who look after what we can't. May did that for you, for years. Maybe now you switch."

"Yeah?" He finishes his drink.

"You love her."

"I do."

"And she's happier now, today, than I've seen her in years, maybe ever."

Melinda walks towards them, smiling, free of the last lobbyist who wanted something. She walks past one of the caterers, must be a student because she walks straight up to him and kises him like the world is ending thirty seconds from now, or they're being shot at. He nearly stumbles back but it's too wonderful to be pressed against her.

Yo-yo laughs and leaves them to it.

"Hi," he whispers, catching his breath.

"My students are easily distracted."

"They like you."

Melinda rolls her eyes and he loves her so much in this instant. She's supervising all of these cadets, making them better agents, saving the world one showy kiss at a time. "They like my stories."

"May, you're an incredible teacher."

She sighs, shutting her eyes. She kisses his cheek then rests against him, her head on his shoulder. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Just, thank you."

He strokes her cheek. "It's good to be back."

"You didn't even know you were gone." Her voice is light but her eyes hold so much more.

"I see it." He holds her face, staring at her, drinking her in. She's been through so much and she's still here, powerful, beautiful and so resilient. "I'm sorry."

"You always come back."

He laughs and she kisses him again. She pushes him back towards the table, scandalizing the students, maybe part of Congress. She's worth it.

"I love you," he whispers into her hair, running his hand down her spine.

The sky's opened up while they've been in the gallery, and the rain drums on the glass roof. It's late, and the last stragglers at the party are drunk and headed home in a line of cabs. Lola's only a block away but the storm's rolled in hard. Lightning flashes overhead and the heavy humidity's erupting into drenching rain.

"Stay here, I'll bring the car," he offers.

Melinda shakes her head. She reaches down, holding his arm for balance as she takes off her shoes. She sighs, even wavers a little.

Phil shrugs off his tuxedo jacket, passing it to her. "Here."

"I'm fine."

"So am I."

Melinda rolls her eyes again but takes it, wrapping herself in his coat.

"There could be broken glass."

"You want to carry me?"

"I--"

"It's fine, Phil." She offers her arm and together they walk out into the rain.

The air's still warm and the rain crashes down cool over them. They walk quickly, arm in arm, and it's too loud to talk but thy don't need too. She remembers being a student, when they were cadets together, all the moments that got them to here. They climb into Lola, soaking wet, laughing as the rain patters on the roof. He starts the car and the windows fog as they dry.

Melinda leans back in her seat, eyes closed. "That was better."

"See, you do like dancing."

"It's all right with you."

He heads through the nearly empty streets, making his way back to her apartment. "And mortifying your students."

"Now that was fun."

"I love your sense of humor."

"You love a lot of things about me."

"Your hair. Your breasts. The way you talk in your sleep."

She doesn't, and she can't remind him of that because she is asleep. He pats her knee in her soaking wet dress and drives them home.

The garage at her apartment is out of the rain and she remains asleep as he shuts off the car. Circling to the passenger side, he bends, straightens his back and lifts her up.

She murmurs, waking a little as they move through the elevator and then the hall.

"Are you being chivalrous?"

"I was trying to let you sleep."

Melinda slips from his arms, regaining her feet in the hall as he takes out her keys. "That was kind."

"You're doing a lot."

"I know."

"Let me help."

"I am, aren't I?" She stands on her tiptoes to kiss him. "I'll let you take the pins out of my hair."

"Okay." He guides her to a chair, pulling the hairpins out of her wet hair while she smiles at him, nearly falling asleep again at the table. He guides th =e dress off her shoulders, then takes her earrings. "Come on. Time for bed."

He strips off his own wet clothes in the bathroom. Leaving them on the floor before crawling into bed next to her.

"I love you," she whispers, curling into his chest. "You're warm."

Chuckling, he holds her close. "Glad to be of service."

#philinda #fic: work-life balance #i have so much fun with this one #thanks everyone

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ucsdhealthsciences · 4 years

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National Clinical Trial Launches, Will Test Promising Vaccine Against Novel Coronavirus

UC San Diego among sites across the country seeking to recruit up to 30,000 participants, with hopes of developing and confirming an effective vaccine to prevent COVID-19 by end of year

UC San Diego Health and the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, part of UC San Diego School of Medicine, will be sites for an accelerated national clinical trial to assess the efficacy and immunogenicity of a vaccine intended to protect against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

The trial, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) newly formed COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN), is based upon a vaccine prototype developed by Moderna, a pharmaceutical company located in Massachusetts. The trial is slated to begin July 27.

“Our country and the world are facing an unprecedented pandemic that has already killed more than 600,000 people worldwide,” said Stephen Spector, MD, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases in the UC San Diego School of Medicine and principal investigator for the UC San Diego arm of the vaccine trial.

“A vaccine is desperately needed to help control the epidemic. We are excited that UC San Diego will be able to offer the San Diego community the opportunity to participate in a Phase III vaccine trial that, if successful, has the potential to change the course of the epidemic.”

Participation Protocol

The study trial will be randomized, observer-blind and placebo-controlled — the gold standard for clinical trials — with a primary objective to demonstrate efficacy of the vaccine to prevent COVID-19 and a secondary goal to assess whether it can prevent severe symptoms and death associated with COVID-19.

Participants must be 18 years or older with no known history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The trial will give preference to participants who live in locations or under circumstances that put them at appreciable risk. For example:

persons working in essential jobs, such as first responders, health care or grocery stores

persons living in densely populated residential environments or living/working in congregated facilities, such as nursing homes

persons belonging to demographic groups disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, such as older persons, persons with underlying health conditions or some racial/ethnic groups, such as African Americans, Latinx and Native American populations

For more information about participating in the Moderna trial at UC San Diego, visit medschool.ucsd.edu/research/actri/clinical/Pages/COVID-19-Prevention-Network-Study

‘National Clinical Trial Launches, Will Test Promising Vaccine Against Novel Coronavirus‘

#covid-19 #covid 19 #novel coronavirus #sars-cov-2 #clinical trial #covid-19 prevention network #moderna #vaccine #public health #infectious disease #science #medicine #immunology #nih #academic medicine #ucsd #uc san diego

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day0one · 3 years

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Donald Trump's Far-Right Extremist Army Has Turned On Him

The monster that Trump created doesn’t need him anymore.

For months, President Donald Trump’s message to his supporters was clear: The election was being stolen from him, and they needed to fight to take it back.

So on January 6, during a Trump-promoted rally to “Stop the Steal,” thousands laid siege to the US Capitol in a stunning attempt to do just that. The fallout of their failed insurrection, which resulted in five deaths, was swift: Trump was de-platformed from nearly every major social network and, on Wednesday, impeached for a historic second time.

When he emerged on camera a short while later, tail tucked between his legs, to condemn the rioters whom he himself had incited, and to call for a peaceful transfer of power to president-elect Joe Biden, his base felt betrayed.

“So he basically just sold out the patriots who got rounded up for him,” one person wrote in a 15,000-member pro-Trump Telegram group. “Just wow.”

In online havens for MAGA extremists, including Gab, CloutHub, MeWe, Telegram, and far-right message boards such as 8kun, the tone toward Trump is shifting. HuffPost reviewed thousands of messages across these platforms and found that a growing minority of the president’s once-devout backers are now denouncing him and rejecting his recent pleas for peace. Some have called for his arrest or execution, labeling him a “traitor” and a “coward.” Alarmingly, many of those who are irate about Biden’s supposed electoral theft is still plotting to forcibly prevent him from taking office – with or without Trump’s help.

“We don’t follow you,” another Telegram user wrote, addressing Trump after the president put out his video urging calm and order. “Be quiet and get out of our way.”

It has become apparent that now – after his mass radicalization campaign of voter-fraud disinformation and conspiracy-mongering – even Trump can’t stop the dangerous delusion he’s instilled across the country or the next wave of violence it may soon bring.

Authorities are urgently warning of armed protests being planned in all 50 state capitals in the days leading up to Biden’s inauguration. Politically motivated extremists “will very likely pose the greatest domestic terrorism threats in 2021,” according to a new joint intelligence bulletin from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and US National Counterterrorism Center. The document, first obtained by Yahoo News, attributes this threat to “false narratives” that Biden’s victory “was illegitimate, or fraudulent,” and the subsequent belief that the election results “should be contested or unrecognized.”

Ahead of last week’s riots, Trump supporters openly planned their attack on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other mainstream platforms, where they shared materials including flyers titled “Operation Occupy the Capitol.” These sites have since cracked down aggressively on such behavior, causing extremists to migrate to lesser-known corners of the internet to plan their next move.

While this has hindered their ability to spread propaganda and enlist new recruits, their new social channels are subject to less scrutiny and have already exploded in reach.CloutHub, MeWe, and Telegram shot to the top of the charts of popular free apps on the App Store and Google PlayStorein the wake of the siege. Gab has also reported a massive surge in new users, with about 10,000 people signing up every hour.

In these spaces, HuffPost has observed calls to “burn down” the Capitol, launch “an armed revolt,” “pop some libtards” and “TAKE THIS COUNTRY BACK WHATEVER IT TAKES!!” Some posts are more specific:“Civil War is here. Group up locally. Take out the News stations,” one person declared. “LET’S HANG THEM ALL,” another implored. “LET’S FINISH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.”

The Boogaloo Bois, a far-right militia organizing to foment civil war, is capitalizing on the unrest to issue online a renewed call to arms. The FBI has warned specifically of potential Boogaloo violence during planned rallies at state Capitol buildings in Michigan and Minnesota on Sunday.

“There's a war coming, and cowering in your home [while] real patriots march with rifles ... will make you a traitor,” commented a member of an encrypted Boogaloo chat.

Some extremists, however, are urging each other not to attend any of the upcoming armed protests. The Proud Boys, a rabidly pro-Trump neo-fascist group that helped storm the Capitol, is cautioning its followers that such demonstrations could be “fed honeypot” events set up by authorities in order to seize attendees’ guns.

It seems that even the Proud Boys are losing faith in Trump: a Telegram channel run by the group reposted a message with Trump’s video along with the text “The Betrayal of Trumpist base by Trump himself continues.”

For four years, the president’s supporters have worshipped him like a god. His rallies have been likened to cult gatherings. Nearly half of his campaign donations came from small donors, trouncing Biden’s 39%. For most of his presidency, Trump enjoyed strong support from the Republican base, polling well above 90% with that group. But after the Capitol riots, his support is plummeting at record rates.

MAGA world has stood unwaveringly by Trump’s side through multiple allegations of sexual assault (including rape), an impeachment for abuse of power, revelations that his administration literally caged children, a historic rise in national debt, countless lies, blatant self-enrichment by him and his family members, a pandemic that has claimed close to 400,000 American lives under his leadership – nearly a fifth of all deaths worldwide – and more.

So to see his “America First” army suddenly begin to turn on him is truly remarkable. It’s happening broadly among his supporters, and even among the far-right extremist communities that have flourished online during Trump’s presidency.

Among the recent messages excoriating Trump in dedicated pro-Trump networks:“tbh I hope they hang Trump at this point”; “He deserves what’s coming to him”; “he is literally done he will die in jail”; “Seriously hoping they’ll lock him up or lynch [him]”; “Guy is the biggest cuck ever at this point”; “Can’t wait til the left locks up his bitch ass. Rot in prison.” Several people have proclaimed that at this point, Trump can only redeem himself by declaring martial law to maintain power by force.

After losing to Biden, Trump systematically attacked the allies that propped up his presidency in a desperate effort to keep his re-election fantasy alive.

He first turned his adherents against Fox News, which stoked his ire by accurately projecting Biden’s electoral victory in Arizona before a few other networks did so. Then, when some Republicans – including Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell – declined to play along with his unsupported claims of mass voter fraud, Trump urged his base to turn on them. After that came Trump’s own vice president, Mike Pence, who refused Trump’s unconstitutional demand to reject votes in favor of Biden. (“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our country and our Constitution,” Trump tweeted on the afternoon of January 6, provoking chants of “Hang Pence” during the riots.)

Now that Trump himself appears to finally be backing away from his “Stop the Steal” hoax, a growing faction of his supporters is through with him, too.

But after the dramatic failure of his slow-motion coup, as he counts down the days until his return to life as a private citizen, Trump presumably has more pressing concerns than maintaining his followers’ devotion. Aside from the hundreds of millions of dollars in personal debt hanging over his head, it seems increasingly likely that he could face criminal prosecution, from which he will no longer be immune. And following his latest impeachment, if the Senate convicts him, it can also vote to disqualify him from ever running for office again.

With so much at stake and no sane hope of clinging to power, it’s now in the president’s best interest for his base to avoid further violence, which could increase his chances of conviction. But the reality is that the monster Trump created doesn’t need him anymore.

“He can promise and call for peace all he likes,” one Gab user wrote. “Won’t make a blind bit of difference.”

#donald trump #politics #2020 election #extremism #capitol riot

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blackkudos · 4 years

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Paul Robeson

Paul Leroy Robeson ( ROHB-sən; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass baritone concert artist and stage and film actor who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for his political activism. Educated at Rutgers College and Columbia University, he was also a star athlete in his youth. He also studied Swahili and linguistics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London in 1934. His political activities began with his involvement with unemployed workers and anti-imperialist students whom he met in Britain and continued with support for the Loyalist cause in the Spanish Civil War and his opposition to fascism. In the United States he also became active in the Civil Rights Movement and other social justice campaigns. His sympathies for the Soviet Union and for communism, and his criticism of the United States government and its foreign policies, caused him to be blacklisted during the McCarthy era.

In 1915, Robeson won an academic scholarship to Rutgers College, where he was twice named a consensus All-American in football, and was the class valedictorian. Almost 80 years later, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He received his LL.B. from Columbia Law School while playing in the National Football League (NFL). At Columbia, he sang and acted in off-campus productions. After graduating, he became a figure in the Harlem Renaissance with performances in The Emperor Jones and All God's Chillun Got Wings.

Between 1925 and 1961, Robeson recorded and released some 276 distinct songs, many of which were recorded several times. The first of these were the spirituals "Steal Away" backed with "Were You There" in 1925. Robeson's recorded repertoire spanned many styles, including Americana, popular standards, classical music, European folk songs, political songs, poetry and spoken excerpts from plays.

Robeson performed in Britain in a touring melodrama, Voodoo, in 1922, and in Emperor Jones in 1925, and scored a major success in the London premiere of Show Boat in 1928, settling in London for several years with his wife Eslanda. While continuing to establish himself as a concert artist, Robeson also starred in a London production of Othello, the first of three productions of the play over the course of his career. He also gained attention in the film production of Show Boat (1936) and other films such as Sanders of the River (1935) and The Proud Valley (1940). During this period, Robeson became increasingly attuned to the sufferings of people of other cultures, notably the British working class and the colonized peoples of the British Empire. He advocated for Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War and became active in the Council on African Affairs (CAA).

Returning to the United States in 1939, during World War II Robeson supported the American and Allied war efforts. However, his history of supporting civil rights causes and pro-Soviet policies brought scrutiny from the FBI. After the war ended, the CAA was placed on the Attorney General's List of Subversive Organizations and Robeson was investigated during the age of McCarthyism. Due to his decision not to recant his public advocacy, he was denied a passport by the U.S. State Department, and his income, consequently, plummeted. He moved to Harlem and from 1950 to 1955 published a periodical called Freedom which was critical of United States policies. His right to travel was eventually restored as a result of the 1958 United States Supreme Court decision, Kent v. Dulles. In the early 1960s he retired and lived the remaining years of his life privately in Philadelphia.

Early life

1898–1915: Childhood

Paul Leroy Robeson was born in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1898, to Reverend William Drew Robeson and Maria Louisa Bustill. His mother, Maria, was from a prominent Quaker family of mixed ancestry. His father, William, was of Igbo origin and was born into slavery, William escaped from a plantation in his teens and eventually became the minister of Princeton's Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church in 1881. Robeson had three brothers: William Drew Jr. (born 1881), Reeve (born c. 1887), and Ben (born c. 1893); and one sister, Marian (born c. 1895).

In 1900, a disagreement between William and white financial supporters of Witherspoon arose with apparent racial undertones, which were prevalent in Princeton. William, who had the support of his entirely black congregation, resigned in 1901. The loss of his position forced him to work menial jobs. Three years later when Robeson was six, his mother, who was nearly blind, died in a house fire. Eventually, William became financially incapable of providing a house for himself and his children still living at home, Ben and Paul, so they moved into the attic of a store in Westfield, New Jersey.

William found a stable parsonage at the St. Thomas A.M.E. Zion in 1910, where Robeson filled in for his father during sermons when he was called away. In 1912, Robeson attended Somerville High School in Somerville, New Jersey, where he performed in Julius Caesar and Othello, sang in the chorus, and excelled in football, basketball, baseball and track. His athletic dominance elicited racial taunts which he ignored. Prior to his graduation, he won a statewide academic contest for a scholarship to Rutgers and was named class valedictorian. He took a summer job as a waiter in Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island, where he befriended Fritz Pollard, later to be the first African-American coach in the National Football League.

1915–1919: Rutgers College

In late 1915, Robeson became the third African-American student ever enrolled at Rutgers, and the only one at the time. He tried out for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team, and his resolve to make the squad was tested as his teammates engaged in excessive play, during which his nose was broken and his shoulder dislocated. The coach, Foster Sanford, decided he had overcome the provocation and announced that he had made the team.

Robeson joined the debating team and sang off-campus for spending money, and on-campus with the Glee Club informally, as membership required attending all-white mixers. He also joined the other collegiate athletic teams. As a sophomore, amidst Rutgers' sesquicentennial celebration, he was benched when a Southern team refused to take the field because the Scarlet Knights had fielded a Negro, Robeson.

After a standout junior year of football, he was recognized in The Crisis for his athletic, academic, and singing talents. At this time his father fell grievously ill. Robeson took the sole responsibility in caring for him, shuttling between Rutgers and Somerville. His father, who was the "glory of his boyhood years" soon died, and at Rutgers, Robeson expounded on the incongruity of African Americans fighting to protect America in World War I but, contemporaneously, being without the same opportunities in the United States as whites.

He finished university with four annual oratorical triumphs and varsity letters in multiple sports. His play at end won him first-team All-American selection, in both his junior and senior years. Walter Camp considered him the greatest end ever. Academically, he was accepted into Phi Beta Kappa and Cap and Skull. His classmates recognized him by electing him class valedictorian. The Daily Targum published a poem featuring his achievements. In his valedictory speech, he exhorted his classmates to work for equality for all Americans.

1919–1923: Columbia Law School and marriage

Robeson entered New York University School of Law in fall 1919. To support himself, he became an assistant football coach at Lincoln, where he joined the Alpha Phi Alpha. However, Robeson felt uncomfortable at NYU and moved to Harlem and transferred to Columbia Law School in February 1920. Already known in the black community for his singing, he was selected to perform at the dedication of the Harlem YWCA.

Robeson began dating Eslanda "Essie" Goode and after her coaxing, he gave his theatrical debut as Simon in Ridgely Torrence's Simon of Cyrene. After a year of courtship, they were married in August 1921.

Robeson was recruited by Pollard to play for the NFL's Akron Pros while he continued his law studies. In the spring, Robeson postponed school to portray Jim in Mary Hoyt Wiborg's play Taboo. He then sang in a chorus in an Off-Broadway production of Shuffle Along before he joined Taboo in Britain. The play was adapted by Mrs. Patrick Campbell to highlight his singing. After the play ended, he befriended Lawrence Brown, a classically trained musician, before returning to Columbia while playing for the NFL's Milwaukee Badgers. He ended his football career after 1922, and months later, he graduated from law school.

Theatrical success and ideological transformation

1923–1927: Harlem Renaissance

Robeson worked briefly as a lawyer, but he renounced a career in law due to widespread racism. Essie financially supported them and they frequented the social functions at the future Schomburg Center. In December 1924 he landed the lead role of Jim in Eugene O'Neill's All God's Chillun Got Wings, which culminated with Jim metaphorically consummating his marriage with his white wife by symbolically emasculating himself. Chillun's opening was postponed due to nationwide controversy over its plot.

Chillun's delay led to a revival of The Emperor Jones with Robeson as Brutus, a role pioneered by Charles Sidney Gilpin. The role terrified and galvanized Robeson, as it was practically a 90-minute soliloquy. Reviews declared him an unequivocal success. Though arguably clouded by its controversial subject, his Jim in Chillun was less well received. He deflected criticism of its plot by writing that fate had drawn him to the "untrodden path" of drama and the true measure of a culture is in its artistic contributions, and the only true American culture was African-American.

The success of his acting placed him in elite social circles and his ascension to fame, which was forcefully aided by Essie, had occurred at a startling pace. Essie's ambition for Robeson was a startling dichotomy to his indifference. She quit her job, became his agent, and negotiated his first movie role in a silent race film directed by Oscar Micheaux, Body and Soul (1925). To support a charity for single mothers, he headlined a concert singing spirituals. He performed his repertoire of spirituals on the radio.

Lawrence Brown, who had become renowned while touring as a pianist with gospel singer Roland Hayes, stumbled upon Robeson in Harlem. The two ad-libbed a set of spirituals, with Robeson as lead and Brown as accompanist. This so enthralled them that they booked Provincetown Playhouse for a concert. The pair's rendition of African-American folk songs and spirituals was captivating, and Victor Records signed Robeson to a contract.

The Robesons went to London for a revival of The Emperor Jones, before spending the rest of the fall on holiday on the French Riviera, socializing with Gertrude Stein and Claude McKay. Robeson and Brown performed a series of concert tours in America from January 1926 until May 1927.

During a hiatus in New York, Robeson learned that Essie was several months pregnant. Paul Robeson Jr. was born in November 1927 in New York, while Robeson and Brown toured Europe. Essie experienced complications from the birth, and by mid-December, her health had deteriorated dramatically. Ignoring Essie's objections, her mother wired Robeson and he immediately returned to her bedside. Essie completely recovered after a few months.

1928–1932: Show Boat, Othello, and marriage difficulties

In 1928, Robeson played "Joe" in the London production of the American musical Show Boat, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. His rendition of "Ol' Man River" became the benchmark for all future performers of the song. Some black critics were not pleased with the play due to its usage of the word "nigger". It was, nonetheless, immensely popular with white audiences. He was summoned for a Royal Command Performance at Buckingham Palace and Robeson was befriended by MPs from the House of Commons. Show Boat continued for 350 performances and, as of 2001, it remained the Royal's most profitable venture. The Robesons bought a home in Hampstead. He reflected on his life in his diary and wrote that it was all part of a "higher plan" and "God watches over me and guides me. He's with me and lets me fight my own battles and hopes I'll win." However, an incident at the Savoy Grill, in which he was refused seating, sparked him to issue a press release describing the insult which subsequently became a matter of public debate.

Essie had learned early in their marriage that Robeson had been involved in extramarital affairs, but she tolerated them. However, when she discovered that he was having another affair, she unfavorably altered the characterization of him in his biography, and defamed him by describing him with "negative racial stereotypes". Despite her uncovering of this tryst, there was no public evidence that their relationship had soured.

The couple appeared in the experimental Swiss film Borderline (1930). He then returned to the Savoy Theatre, in London's West End to play Othello, opposite Peggy Ashcroft as Desdemona. Robeson was the first black actor to play Othello in Britain since Ira Aldridge. The production received mixed reviews which noted Robeson's "highly civilized quality [but lacking the] grand style." Robeson stated the best way to diminish the oppression African Americans faced was for his artistic work to be an example of what "men of my colour" could accomplish rather than to "be a propagandist and make speeches and write articles about what they call the Colour Question."

After Essie discovered Robeson had been having an affair with Ashcroft, she decided to seek a divorce and they split up. Robeson returned to Broadway as Joe in the 1932 revival of Show Boat, to critical and popular acclaim. Subsequently, he received, with immense pride, an honorary master's degree from Rutgers. Thereabout, his former football coach, Foster Sanford, advised him that divorcing Essie and marrying Ashcroft would do irreparable damage to his reputation. Ashcroft and Robeson's relationship ended in 1932, following which Robeson and Essie reconciled, although their relationship was scarred permanently.

1933–1937: Ideological awakening

In 1933, Robeson played the role of Jim in the London production of Chillun, virtually gratis, then returned to the United States to star as Brutus in the film The Emperor Jones, "a feat not repeated for more than two decades in the U.S." His acting in The Emperor Jones—the first film to feature an African American in a starring role—was well received. On the film set he rejected any slight to his dignity, despite the widespread Jim Crow atmosphere in the United States. Upon returning to England he publicly criticized African Americans' rejection of their own culture. Despite negative reactions from the press, such as a New York Amsterdam News retort that Robeson had made a "jolly well [ass of himself]", he also announced that he would reject any offers to perform European opera because the music had no connection to his heritage.

In early 1934 Robeson enrolled in the School of Oriental and African Studies, a constituent college of the University of London, where he studied Phonetics, Swahili and other African languages. His "sudden interest" in African history and its impact on culture coincided with his essay "I Want to be African", wherein he wrote of his desire to embrace his ancestry.

His friends in the anti-imperialism movement and association with British socialists led him to visit the Soviet Union. Robeson, Essie, and Marie Seton traveled to the Soviet Union on an invitation from Sergei Eisenstein in December 1934. A stopover in Berlin enlightened Robeson to the racism in Nazi Germany and, on his arrival in Moscow, in the Soviet Union, Robeson said, "Here I am not a Negro but a human being for the first time in my life ... I walk in full human dignity." Waldemar ("Wally") Hille, who subsequently went on to do arrangements on the People's Songs Bulletin, got his start as an early touring pianist for Robeson.

He undertook the role of Bosambo in the movie Sanders of the River (1935), which he felt would render a realistic view of colonial African culture. Sanders of the River made Robeson an international movie star; but the stereotypical portrayal of a colonial African was seen as embarrassing to his stature as an artist and damaging to his reputation. The Commissioner of Nigeria to London protested the film as slanderous to his country, and Robeson thereafter became more politically conscious of his roles. He appeared in the play Stevedore at the Embassy Theatre in London in May 1935, which was favorably reviewed in The Crisis by Nancy Cunard, who concluded: "Stevedore is extremely valuable in the racial–social question—it is straight from the shoulder". In early 1936, he decided to send his son to school in the Soviet Union to shield him from racist attitudes. He then played the role of Toussaint Louverture in the eponymous play by C.L.R. James at the Westminster Theatre, and appeared in the films Song of Freedom, Show Boat (both 1936), My Song Goes Forth, King Solomon's Mines. and was the narrator of the documentary Big Fella (all 1937). In 1938, he was named by American Motion Picture Herald as the 10th most popular star in British cinema.

1937–1939: Spanish Civil War and political activism

Robeson believed that the struggle against fascism during the Spanish Civil War was a turning point in his life and transformed him into a political activist. In 1937, he used his concert performances to advocate the Republican cause and the war's refugees. He permanently modified his renditions of "Ol' Man River" – initially, by singing the word "darkies" instead of "niggers"; later, by changing some of the stereotypical dialect in the lyrics to standard English and replacing the fatalistic last verse ("Ah gits weary/ An' sick of tryin'/ Ah'm tired of livin'/ An skeered of dyin'") with an uplifting verse of his own ("But I keep laffin'/ Instead of cryin'/ I must keep fightin'/ Until I'm dyin'") – transforming it from a tragic "song of resignation with a hint of protest implied" into a battle hymn of unwavering defiance. His business agent expressed concern about his political involvement, but Robeson overruled him and decided that contemporary events trumped commercialism. In Wales, he commemorated the Welsh people killed while fighting for the Republicans, where he recorded a message that became his epitaph: "The artist must take sides. He must elect to fight for freedom or slavery. I have made my choice. I had no alternative."

After an invitation from J.B.S. Haldane, he traveled to Spain in 1938 because he believed in the International Brigades's cause, visited the hospital of the Benicàssim, singing to the wounded soldiers. Robeson also visited the battlefront and provided a morale boost to the Republicans at a time when their victory was unlikely. Back in England, he hosted Jawaharlal Nehru to support Indian independence, whereat Nehru expounded on imperialism's affiliation with Fascism. Robeson reevaluated the direction of his career and decided to focus on the ordeals of "common people", He appeared in the pro-labor play Plant in the Sun, in which he played an Irishman, his first "white" role. With Max Yergan, and the CAA, Robeson became an advocate in the aspirations of African nationalists for political independence.

Robeson also developed a sympathy for China's side in the Second Sino-Japanese War. In 1940, the Chinese progressive activist, Liu Liangmo taught Robeson the patriotic song "Chee Lai!" ("Arise!"), known as the March of the Volunteers. Robeson memorized the words in Chinese. Robeson premiered the song at a large concert in New York City's Lewisohn Stadium and recorded it in both English and Chinese for Keynote Records in early 1941. Its 3-disc album included a booklet whose preface was written by Soong Ching-ling, widow of Sun Yat-sen, Robeson gave further performances at benefits for the China Aid Council and United China Relief at their sold-out concert at Washington's Uline Arena on April 24, 1941. The Washington Committee for Aid to China had booked Constitution Hall but been blocked by the Daughters of the American Revolution owing to Robeson's race. The indignation was great enough that President Roosevelt's wife Eleanor and Hu Shih, the Chinese ambassador, joined as sponsors. However, when the organizers offered tickets on generous terms to the National Negro Congress to help fill the larger venue, these sponsors withdrew, in objection to the NNC's Communist ties.

Partly because of the favorable international reputation Robeson gave to the song, it became China's National Anthem after 1949. The Chinese lyricist died in a Beijing prison in 1968, but Robeson continued to send royalties to his family.

World War II, the Broadway Othello, political activism, and McCarthyism

1939–1945: World War II and the Broadway Othello

Robeson's last British film was The Proud Valley (1940), set in a Welsh coal-mining town. After the outbreak of World War II, Robeson and his family returned to the United States in 1940, to Enfield, Connecticut, and he became America's "no.1 entertainer" with a radio broadcast of Ballad for Americans. Nevertheless, during a tour in 1940, the Beverly Wilshire Hotel was the only major Los Angeles hotel willing to accommodate him due to his race, at an exorbitant rate and registered under an assumed name, and he therefore dedicated two hours every afternoon to sitting in the lobby, where he was widely recognised, "to ensure that the next time Black[s] come through, they'll have a place to stay." Los Angeles hotels lifted their restrictions on black guests soon afterwards.

Furthermore, the documentary Native Land (1942), which Robeson narrated, was labeled by the FBI as communist propaganda. After an appearance in Tales of Manhattan (1942), a production that he felt was "very offensive to my people", he announced that he would no longer act in films because of the demeaning roles available to blacks.

Robeson participated in benefit concerts on behalf of the war effort and at a concert at the Polo Grounds, he met two emissaries from the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, Solomon Mikhoels and Itzik Feffer Subsequently, Robeson reprised his role of Othello at the Shubert Theatre in 1943, and became the first African American to play the role with a white supporting cast on Broadway. During the same period of time, he addressed a meeting with Kenesaw Mountain Landis in a failed attempt to convince him to admit black players to Major League Baseball. He toured North America with Othello until 1945, and subsequently, his political efforts with the CAA to get colonial powers to discontinue their exploitation of Africa were short-circuited by the United Nations.

1946–1949: Attorney General's List of Subversive Organizations

After the mass lynching of four African Americans on July 25, 1946, Robeson met with President Truman and admonished Truman by stating that if he did not enact legislation to end lynching, "the Negroes will defend themselves". Truman immediately terminated the meeting and declared that the time was not right to propose anti-lynching legislation. Subsequently, Robeson publicly called upon all Americans to demand that Congress pass civil rights legislation. Taking a stance against lynching, Robeson founded the American Crusade Against Lynching organization in 1946. This organization was thought to be a threat to the NAACP antiviolence movement. Robeson received support from W.E.B. Du Bois regarding this matter and officially launched this organization on the anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, September 23.

About this time, Robeson's belief that trade unionism was crucial to civil rights became a mainstay of his political beliefs as he became a proponent of the union activist Revels Cayton. Robeson was later called before the Tenney Committee where he responded to questions about his affiliation with the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) by testifying that he was not a member of the CPUSA. Nevertheless, two organizations with which Robeson was intimately involved, the Civil Rights Congress (CRC) and the CAA, were placed on the Attorney General's List of Subversive Organizations (AGLOSO). Subsequently, he was summoned before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and when questioned about his affiliation with the Communist Party, he refused to answer, stating: "Some of the most brilliant and distinguished Americans are about to go to jail for the failure to answer that question, and I am going to join them, if necessary."

In 1948, Robeson was preeminent in Henry A. Wallace's bid for the President of the United States, during which Robeson traveled to the Deep South, at risk to his own life, to campaign for him. In the ensuing year, Robeson was forced to go overseas to work because his concert performances were canceled at the FBI's behest. While on tour, he spoke at the World Peace Council, at which his speech was publicly reported as equating America with a Fascist state—a depiction that he flatly denied. Nevertheless, the speech publicly attributed to him was a catalyst for his becoming an enemy of mainstream America. Robeson refused to bow to public criticism when he advocated in favor of twelve defendants, including his long-time friend, Benjamin J. Davis Jr., charged during the Smith Act trials of Communist Party leaders.

Robeson traveled to Moscow in June, and tried to find Itzik Feffer. He let Soviet authorities know that he wanted to see him. Reluctant to lose Robeson as a propagandist for the Soviet Union, the Soviets brought Feffer from prison to him. Feffer told him that Mikhoels had been murdered, and he would be summarily executed. To protect the Soviet Union's reputation, and to keep the right wing of the United States from gaining the moral high ground, Robeson denied that any persecution existed in the Soviet Union, and kept the meeting secret for the rest of his life, except from his son. On June 20, 1949, Robeson spoke at the Paris Peace Congress saying that "We in America do not forget that it was on the backs of the white workers from Europe and on the backs of millions of Blacks that the wealth of America was built. And we are resolved to share it equally. We reject any hysterical raving that urges us to make war on anyone. Our will to fight for peace is strong. We shall not make war on anyone. We shall not make war on the Soviet Union. We oppose those who wish to build up imperialist Germany and to establish fascism in Greece. We wish peace with Franco's Spain despite her fascism. We shall support peace and friendship among all nations, with Soviet Russia and the people's Republics." He was blacklisted for saying this in the mainstream press within the United States, including in many periodicals of the Negro press such as The Crisis.

In order to isolate Robeson politically, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) subpoenaed Jackie Robinson to comment on Robeson's Paris speech. Robinson testified that Robeson's statements, "'if accurately reported', were silly'". Days later, the announcement of a concert headlined by Robeson in New York City provoked the local press to decry the use of their community to support "subversives" and the Peekskill Riots ensued.

Later that year, Edward R. Murrow had CBS News colleague Don Hollenbeck contribute to the innovative media-review program CBS Views the Press over the radio network's flagship station WCBS. Hollenbeck discussed Edward U. Condon, Alger Hiss, and Paul Robeson. Regarding Robeson and the Peekskill riots of 27 August 1949, Hollenbeck said that, while most newspapers had covered the riots well, the New York World-Telegram had drawn from sources that disliked Robeson, including The Compass (successor to PM, Hollenbeck's former employer).

1950–1955: Blacklisted

A book reviewed in early 1950 as "the most complete record on college football" failed to list Robeson as ever having played on the Rutgers team and as ever having been an All-American. Months later, NBC canceled Robeson's appearance on Eleanor Roosevelt's television program. Subsequently, the State Department denied Robeson a passport and issued a "stop notice" at all ports because it believed that an isolated existence inside United States borders not only afforded him less freedom of expression but also avenge his "extreme advocacy on behalf of the independence of the colonial peoples of Africa." However, when Robeson met with State Department officials and asked why he was denied a passport, he was told that "his frequent criticism of the treatment of blacks in the United States should not be aired in foreign countries".

In 1951, an article titled "Paul Robeson – the Lost Shepherd" was published in The Crisis although Paul Jr. suspected it was written by Amsterdam News columnist Earl Brown. J. Edgar Hoover and the United States State Department arranged for the article to be printed and distributed in Africa in order to defame Robeson's reputation and reduce his and Communists' popularity in colonial countries. Another article by Roy Wilkins (now thought to have been the real author of "Paul Robeson – the Lost Shepherd") denounced Robeson as well as the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) in terms consistent with the anti-Communist FBI propaganda.

On December 17, 1951, Robeson presented to the United Nations an anti-lynching petition titled "We Charge Genocide". The document asserted that the United States federal government, by its failure to act against lynching in the United States, was "guilty of genocide" under Article II of the UN Genocide Convention.

In 1952, Robeson was awarded the International Stalin Prize by the Soviet Union. Unable to travel to Moscow, he accepted the award in New York. In April 1953, shortly after Stalin's death, Robeson penned To You My Beloved Comrade, praising Stalin as dedicated to peace and a guide to the world: "Through his deep humanity, by his wise understanding, he leaves us a rich and monumental heritage." Robeson's opinions about the Soviet Union kept his passport out of reach and stopped his return to the entertainment industry and the civil rights movement. In his opinion, the Soviet Union was the guarantor of political balance in the world.

In a symbolic act of defiance against the travel ban, in May 1952, labor unions in the United States and Canada organized a concert at the International Peace Arch on the border between Washington state and the Canadian province of British Columbia. Robeson returned to perform a second concert at the Peace Arch in 1953, and over the next two years, two further concerts took place. In this period, with the encouragement of his friend the Welsh politician Aneurin Bevan, Robeson recorded a number of radio concerts for supporters in Wales.

1956–1957: End of McCarthyism

In 1956, Robeson was called before HUAC after he refused to sign an affidavit affirming that he was not a Communist. In his testimony, he invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to reveal his political affiliations. When asked why he had not remained in the Soviet Union because of his affinity with its political ideology, he replied, "because my father was a slave and my people died to build [the United States and], I am going to stay here, and have a part of it just like you and no fascist-minded people will drive me from it!" At that hearing, Robeson stated "Whether I am or not a Communist is irrelevant. The question is whether American citizens, regardless of their political beliefs or sympathies, may enjoy their constitutional rights." In 1957, still unable to accept invitations to perform abroad, Paul Robeson sang for audiences in London, where 1,000 concert tickets for his telephone concert at St Pancras Town Hall sold out within an hour, and Wales via the transatlantic telephone cable TAT-1: "We have to learn the hard way that there is another way to sing". An appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States to reinstate his confiscated passport had been rejected, but over the telephone Robeson was able to sing to the 5,000 gathered there as he had earlier in the year to London.

Due to the reaction to the promulgation of Robeson's political views, his recordings and films were removed from public distribution, and he was universally condemned in the U.S press. During the height of the Cold War, it became increasingly difficult in the United States to hear Robeson sing on commercial radio, buy his music or see his films.

In 1956, in the United Kingdom, Topic Records, at that time part of the Workers Music Association, released a single of Robeson singing "Joe Hill", written by Alfred Hayes and Earl Robinson, backed with "John Brown's Body". Joe Hill (1879–1915) was a labor activist in the early 20th century, and "Joe Hill" sung by Robeson is the third favorite choice of British Labour Party politicians on the BBC radio program Desert Island Discs.

Nikita Khrushchev's denunciation of Stalinism at the 1956 Party Congress silenced Robeson on Stalin, although Robeson continued to praise the Soviet Union. In 1956, after public pressure brought a one-time exemption to the travel ban, Robeson performed two concerts in Canada in February, one in Toronto and the other at a union convention in Sudbury, Ontario. That year Robeson, along with close friend W.E.B. Du Bois, compared the anti-Soviet uprising in Hungary to the "same sort of people who overthrew the Spanish Republican Government" and supported the Soviet invasion and suppression of the revolt.

Later years

1958–1960: Comeback tours

1958 saw the publication of Robeson's "manifesto-autobiography" Here I Stand. His passport was restored in June 1958 via Kent v. Dulles, and he embarked on a world tour using London as his base. In Moscow in August 1959, he received a tumultuous reception at the Luzhniki Stadium where he sang classic Russian songs along with American standards. Robeson and Essie then flew to Yalta to rest and spend time with Nikita Khrushchev.

On October 11, 1959, Robeson took part in a service at St. Paul's Cathedral, the first black performer to sing there. On a trip to Moscow, Robeson experienced bouts of dizziness and heart problems and was hospitalized for two months while Essie was diagnosed with operable cancer. He recovered and returned to the UK to visit the National Eisteddfod.

Meanwhile, the State Department had circulated negative literature about him throughout the media in India.

While leading The Royal Shakespeare Company starring as Othello in Tony Richardson's 1959 production at Stratford-upon-Avon, he befriended actor Andrew Faulds, whose family hosted him in the nearby village of Shottery. In 1960, in what was his final concert performance in Great Britain, Robeson sang to raise money for the Movement for Colonial Freedom at the Royal Festival Hall.

In October 1960, Robeson embarked on a two-month concert tour of Australia and New Zealand with Essie, primarily to generate money, at the behest of Australian politician Bill Morrow. While in Sydney, he became the first major artist to perform at the construction site of the future Sydney Opera House. After appearing at the Brisbane Festival Hall, they went to Auckland where Robeson reaffirmed his support of Marxism, denounced the inequality faced by the Māori and efforts to denigrate their culture. Thereabouts, Robeson publicly stated "..the people of the lands of Socialism want peace dearly".

During the tour he was introduced to Faith Bandler who interested the Robesons in the plight of the Australian Aborigines. Robeson, consequently, became enraged and demanded the Australian government provide the Aborigines citizenship and equal rights. He attacked the view of the Aborigines as being unsophisticated and uncultured, and declared, "there's no such thing as a backward human being, there is only a society which says they are backward."

1961–1963: Health breakdown

Back in London, he decided to return to the United States, where he hoped to resume participation in the civil rights movement, stopping off in Africa and Cuba along the way. Essie argued to stay in London, fearing that he'd be "killed" if he returned and would be "unable to make any money" due to harassment by the United States government. Robeson disagreed and made his own travel arrangements, arriving in Moscow in March 1961.

During an uncharacteristically wild party in his Moscow hotel room, Robeson locked himself in his bedroom and attempted suicide by cutting his wrists. Three days later, under Soviet medical care, he told his son that he felt extreme paranoia, thought that the walls of the room were moving and, overcome by a powerful sense of emptiness and depression, tried to take his own life.

Paul Jr. believed that his father's health problems stemmed from attempts by the CIA and MI5 to "neutralize" his father. He remembered that his father had had such fears prior to his prostate operation. He said that three doctors treating Robeson in London and New York had been CIA contractors, and that his father's symptoms resulted from being "subjected to mind depatterning under MK-ULTRA", a secret CIA programme. Martin Duberman wrote that Robeson's health breakdown was probably brought on by a combination of factors including extreme emotional and physical stress, bipolar depression, exhaustion and the beginning of circulatory and heart problems. "[E]ven without an organic predisposition and accumulated pressures of government harassment he might have been susceptible to a breakdown."

Robeson stayed at the Barvikha Sanatorium until September 1961, when he left for London. There his depression reemerged, and after another period of recuperation in Moscow, he returned to London. Three days after arriving back, he became suicidal and suffered a panic attack while passing the Soviet Embassy. He was admitted to the Priory Hospital, where he underwent electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and was given heavy doses of drugs for nearly two years, with no accompanying psychotherapy. During his treatment at the Priory, Robeson was being monitored by the British MI5. Both intelligence services were well aware of Robeson's suicidal state of mind. An FBI memo described Robeson's debilitated condition, remarking that his "death would be much publicized" and would be used for Communist propaganda, necessitating continued surveillance. Numerous memos advised that Robeson should be denied a passport renewal, an obstacle that was likely to further jeopardize his recovery process.

In August 1963, disturbed about his treatment, friends and family had Robeson transferred to the Buch Clinic in East Berlin. Given psychotherapy and less medication, his physicians found him still "completely without initiative" and they expressed "doubt and anger" about the "high level of barbiturates and ECT" that had been administered in London. He rapidly improved, though his doctor stressed that "what little is left of Paul's health must be quietly conserved."

1963–1976: Retirement

In 1963, Robeson returned to the United States and for the remainder of his life lived in seclusion. He momentarily assumed a role in the civil rights movement, making a few major public appearances before falling seriously ill during a tour. Double pneumonia and a kidney blockage in 1965 nearly killed him.

Robeson was contacted by both Bayard Rustin and James Farmer about the possibility of becoming involved with the mainstream of the Civil Rights Movement. Because of Rustin's past anti-Communist stances, Robeson declined to meet with him. Robeson eventually met with Farmer, but because he was asked to denounce Communism and the Soviet Union in order to assume a place in the mainstream, Robeson adamantly declined.

After Essie, who had been his spokesperson to the media, died in December 1965, Robeson moved in with his son's family in New York City. He was rarely seen strolling near his Harlem apartment on Jumel Place [sic], and his son responded to press inquiries that his "father's health does not permit him to perform or answer questions."

In 1968, he settled at his sister's home in Philadelphia. Numerous celebrations were held in honor of Robeson over the next several years, including at public arenas that had previously shunned him, but he saw few visitors aside from close friends and gave few statements apart from messages to support current civil rights and international movements, feeling that his record "spoke for itself". In 1974, he posed for a portrait by artist Kenneth Hari at his sisters home. The portrait was unveiled in 1978 at the Paul Robeson Center at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, where it remains on display. At a Carnegie Hall tribute to mark his 75th birthday in 1973, he was unable to attend, but a taped message from him was played that said: "Though I have not been able to be active for several years, I want you to know that I am the same Paul, dedicated as ever to the worldwide cause of humanity for freedom, peace and brotherhood."

1976: Death, funeral, and public response

On January 23, 1976, following complications of a stroke, Robeson died in Philadelphia at the age of 77. He lay in state in Harlem and his funeral was held at his brother Ben's former parsonage, Mother Zion AME Zion Church, where Bishop J. Clinton Hoggard performed the eulogy. His twelve pall bearers included Harry Belafonte and Fritz Pollard. He was interred in the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. According to biographer Martin Duberman, contemporary post-mortem reflections on Robeson's life in "[the] white [American] press..ignored the continuing inability of white America to tolerate a black maverick who refused to bend, ..downplayed the racist component central to his persecution [during his life]", as they "paid him gingerly respect and tipped their hat to him as a 'great American,'" while the black American press, "which had never, overall, been as hostile to Robeson [as the white American press had], opined that his life '...would always be a challenge to white and Black America.'"

Legacy and honors

Early in his life, Robeson was one of the most influential participants in the Harlem Renaissance. His achievements in sport and culture were all the more incredible given the barriers of racism he had to surmount. Robeson brought Negro spirituals into the American mainstream. His theatrical performances have been recognized as the first to display dignity for black actors and pride in African heritage, and he was among the first artists to refuse to play live to segregated audiences.

After McCarthyism, [Robeson's stand] on anti-colonialism in the 1940s would never again have a voice in American politics, but the [African independence movements] of the late 1950s and 1960s would vindicate his anti-colonial [agenda].

Subsequently, in 1945 he received the Spingarn medal from the NAACP. Several public and private establishments he was associated with have been landmarked, or named after him. His efforts to end Apartheid in South Africa were posthumously rewarded in 1978 by the United Nations General Assembly. Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist won an Academy Award for best short documentary in 1980. In 1995, he was named to the College Football Hall of Fame. In the centenary of his birth, which was commemorated around the world, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Robeson is also a member of the American Theater Hall of Fame.

As of 2011, the run of Othello starring Robeson was the longest-running production of a Shakespeare play ever staged on Broadway. He received a Donaldson Award for his performance. His Othello was characterised by Michael A. Morrison in 2011 as a high point in Shakespearean theatre in the 20th century.

Robeson left Australia as a respected, albeit controversial, figure and his support for Aboriginal rights had a profound effect in Australia over the next decade.

Robeson archives exist at the Academy of Arts; Howard University, and the Schomburg Center. In 2010, Susan Robeson launched a project by Swansea University and the Welsh Assembly to create an online learning resource in her grandfather's memory.

Robeson connected his own life and history not only to his fellow Americans and to his people in the South, but to all the people of Africa and its diaspora whose lives had been fundamentally shaped by the same processes that had brought his ancestors to America. While a consensus definition of his legacy remains controversial, to deny his courage in the face of public and governmental pressure would be to defame his courage.

In 1976, the apartment building on Edgecombe Avenue in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan where Robeson lived during the early 1940s was officially renamed the Paul Robeson Residence, and declared a National Historic Landmark. In 1993, the building was designated a New York City landmark as well. Edgecombe Avenue itself was later co-named Paul Robeson Boulevard.

In 1978, TASS announced that the Latvian Shipping Company had named one of its new 40,000-ton tankers Paul Robeson in honor of the singer. TASS said the ship's crew established a Robeson museum aboard the tanker.

In 1998, the second SOAS University London halls of residence was named in his honour.

In 2002, a blue plaque was unveiled by English Heritage on the house in Hampstead where Robeson lived in 1929–30.

In 2004, the U.S. Postal Service issued a 37-cent stamp honoring Robeson.

In 2006, a plaque was unveiled in his honour at the SOAS University London

In 2007, the Criterion Collection, a company that specializes in releasing special-edition versions of classic and contemporary films, released a DVD boxed set of Robeson films.

In 2009, Robeson was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

The main campus library at Rutgers University-Camden is named after Robeson, as is the campus center at Rutgers University-Newark. The Paul Robeson Cultural Center is on the campus of Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

In 1972, Penn State established a formal cultural center on the University Park campus. Students and staff chose to name the center for Robeson.

A street in Princeton, New Jersey is named after him. In addition, the block of Davenport Street in Somerville, New Jersey, where St. Thomas AME Zion Church still stands is called Paul Robeson Boulevard.

In West Philadelphia, the Paul Robeson High School, which won 2019 U.S. News & World Report for Best High Schools in Pennsylvania, is also named after him.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Robeson's graduation, Rutgers University named an open-air plaza after him on Friday, April 12, 2019. The plaza, next to the Voorhees Mall on the College Avenue campus at Rutgers–New Brunswick, features eight black granite panels with details of Robeson's life. Also in 2019, Commercial Avenue in New Brunswick was renamed Paul Robeson Boulevard.

On March 6, 2019, the city council of New Brunswick, New Jersey approved the renaming of Commercial Avenue to Paul Robeson Boulevard.

In popular culture

In 1954, the Kurdish poet Abdulla Goran wrote the poem "Bangêk bo Pol Ropsin" ("A Call for Paul Robeson"). In the same year, another Kurdish poet, Cegerxwîn, also wrote a poem about him, "Heval Pol Robson" ("Comrade Paul Robeson"), which was put to music by singer Şivan Perwer in 1976.

Black 47's 1989 album Home of the Brave includes the song "Paul Robeson (Born to Be Free)", which features spoken quotes of Robeson as part of the song. These quotes are drawn from Robeson's testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee in June 1956. In 2001, Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers released a song titled "Let Robeson Sing" as a tribute to Robeson, which reached number 19 on the UK singles chart.

In January 1978, James Earl Jones performed the one-man show Paul Robeson, written by Phillip Hayes Dean, on Broadway. This stage drama was made into a TV movie in 1979, starring Jones and directed by Lloyd Richards. At the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, British-Nigerian actor Tayo Aluko, himself a baritone soloist, premiered his one-man show, Call Mr. Robeson: A Life with Songs, which has since toured various countries.

Tom Rob Smith's novel Agent 6 (2012) includes the character Jesse Austin, "a black singer, political activist and communist sympathizer modeled after real-life actor/activist Paul Robeson." Robeson also appears in short fiction published in the online literary magazines the Maple Tree Literary Supplement and Every Day Fiction.

In November 2014, it was reported that film director Steve McQueen's next film would be a biographical film about Paul Robeson. As of 2018, the film has not been made.

On September 7, 2019, Crossroads Theater Company performed Phillip Hayes Dean's play Paul Robeson in the inaugural performance of the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center.

#04/09 #01/23

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voriiduraki · 4 years

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Name: Ian Kurtovich

Known Aliases: West Side Banshee

Birthday: May 18th

Gender: Trans male

Age: 17 (as of 2017)

Height: 5’ 9’’

Weight: 130 lbs

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Pale blue

Nationality: Russian-American

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Family: Mother (Maria Kurtovich), Father (Lev Kurtovich)

Appearance: Ian is of smaller build and was underweight. His hair is black and cut short just above his cheekbones. His eyes are a pale blue. He is somewhat androgynous in appearance. On jobs he wears a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, waistcoats, and jeans. Comfortable boots is his preferred footwear. He prefers jeans and a tee shirt in casual.

Personality: Ian is playful, often too playful but is also easily provoked into fights especially when misgendered. He is a bit simple minded. He fears very little and has grown to expect to die. Despite that Ian is quick to laugh and has learned to be an optimist. He also has learned to enjoy stealing. Often stockpiling needless things simply because he can. He also likes tinkering with things to see how they work.

✭ JJBA Verse Info ✭

Stand: Disorder

Stand appearance: Disorder looks like a blue android with a face plate lifts up at the upper jaw when it uses its ability.

Stand ability: Creates a sound that can temporarily disrupt molecules in solid objects and cause them to become passable for other objects. In living creatures usually immobilizes them for a short period of time.

----------------------------------------

Early life: Ian was born in western Seattle. His father was second generation Russian-American and had a job in computer repair. His mother was of Irish descent and worked as a school nurse. They move to Japan for his father's job in the JJBA verse. From a young age he was often getting into fights at school. In JJBA verse he discovered he could freeze people and make things “glitch” when he screamed at them around ten. Later learning this was the power of a stand. At fifteen he was kicked out for coming out to his family as trans. He dropped out from school and survived on the streets. Quickly he learned it was safer in a group. He formed a small gang and stole and fought to live. They held up corner stores and small shops.

He desired to join the mafia but was unsure how to contact them without pissing them off. While robbing a shop protected by Winter Sun he was betrayed by one of his crew. When he was placed in custody of the police Winter Sun took interest him. They gave him the choice of staying and going to juvie or be recruited as one of them. Since then he has been part of a team lead by Ara Azad.

Organization status: Boyevik. Foot soldier. He has been part of Zimneye Solntse for six months approximately.

Random facts:

※Ian likes tinkering and circuit bending things.

※He has been banned from three CVSs.

※Ian has a snapchat.

※He doesn't like guns and has preference for blunt weapons like bats or crowbars.

※He is really good at five finger fillet. He can do it even blind folded.

※He has a habit of hoarding things. Mostly food and discarded electronics.

※Has both dyslexia and ADHD

#//he's lost control again: ian kurtovich #//ian kurtovich #//character bio

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wisdomrays · 5 years

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THE GUIDE FOR THE YOUTH: The Sixth Topic From The Fruits of Belief

In Kastamonu a group of high-school students came to me, saying: "Tell us about our Creator, our teachers do not speak of Allah." And I said to them: "All the sciences you study continuously speak of Allah and make known the Creator, each with its own particular tongue. Do not listen to your teachers; listen to them."

For example, a well-equipped pharmacy with life-giving potions and cures in every jar weighed out in precise and wondrous measures doubtlessly shows an extremely skilful, practised, and wise pharmacist. In the same way, to the extent that it is bigger and more perfect and better equipped than the pharmacy in the market-place, the pharmacy of the globe of the earth with its living potions and medicaments in the jars which are the four hundred thousand species of plants and animals shows and makes known to eyes that are blind even - by means of the measure or scale of the science of medicine that you study - the All-Wise One of Glory, Who is the Pharmacist of the mighty pharmacy of the earth.

To take another example, a wondrous factory which weaves thousands of sorts of cloth from a simple material doubtless makes known a manufacturer and skilful mechanical engineer. In the same way, to whatever extent it is larger and more perfect than the human factory, this travelling Dominical machine known as the globe of the earth with its hundreds of thousands of heads in each of which are hundreds of thousands of factories shows and makes known - by means of the measure or scale of the science of engineering which you study - its Manufacturer and Owner.

And, for example, a depot, store, or shop in which has been brought together and stored up in regular and orderly fashion a thousand and one varieties of provisions undoubtedly makes known a wondrous owner, proprietor, and overseer of provisions and foodstuffs.

In just the same way, to whatever degree it is vaster and more perfect than such a store or factory, this foodstore of the Most Merciful One known as the globe of the earth, this Divine ship, this Dominical depot and shop holding goods, equipment, and conserved food, which in one year travels regularly an orbit of twenty-four thousand years, and carrying groups of beings requiring different foods and passing through the seasons on its journey and filling the spring with thousands of different provisions like a huge waggon, brings them to the wretched animate creatures whose sustenance has been exhausted in winter, - by means of the measure or scale of the science of economics which you study - this depot of the earth makes known and makes loved its Manager, Organizer, and Owner.

And, for example, let us imagine an army which consists of four hundred thousand nations and each nation requires different provisions, uses different weapons, wears different uniforms, undergoes different drill, and is discharged from its duties differently. If this army and camp has a miracle-working commander who on his own provides all those different nations with all their different provisions, weapons, uniforms, and equipment without forgetting or confusing any of them, then surely the army and camp show the commander and make him loved appreciatively. In just the same way, the spring camp of the face of the earth in which every spring a newly recruited.

Divine army of the four hundred thousand species of plants and animals are given their varying uniforms, rations, weapons, training, and demobilizations in utterly perfect and regular fashion by a single Commander-in-Chief Who forgets or confuses not one of them - to whatever extent the spring camp of the face of the earth is vaster and more perfect than that human army, - by means of the measure or scale of the military science that you study - it makes known to the attentive and sensible, its Ruler, Lord, Administrator, and Most Holy Commander, causing wonderment and acclaim, and makes Him loved and praised and glorified.

Another example: Millions of electric lights that move and travel through a wondrous city, their fuel and power source never being exhausted, self-evidently make known a wonder-working craftsman and extraordinarily talented electrician who manages the electricity, makes the moving lamps, sets up the power source, and brings the fuel; they cause others to congratulate and applaud him, and to love him. In just the same way, although some of the lamps of the stars in the roof of the palace of the world in the city of the universe - if they are considered in the way that astronomy says - are a thousand times larger than the earth and move seventy times faster than a cannon ball, they do not spoil their order, nor collide with one another, nor become extinguished, nor is their fuel exhausted.

According to astronomy, which you study, for our sun to continue burning, which is a million times larger than the earth and a million times older and is a lamp and stove in a guest-house of the Most Merciful One, as much oil as the seas of the earth and as much coal as its mountains or as much logs and wood as ten earths are necessary for it not to be extinguished. And however much greater and more perfect than this example are the electric lamps of the palace of the world in the majestic city of the universe, which point with their fingers of light to an infinite power and sovereignty which illuminates the sun and other lofty stars like it without oil, wood, or coal, not allowing them to be extinguished or to collide with one another, though travelling together at speed, to that degree - by means of the measure of the science of electricity which you either study or will study - they testify to and make known the Monarch, Illuminator, Director, and Maker of the mighty exhibition of the universe; they make Him loved, glorified, and worshipped.

And, for example, a book in every line of which a whole book is finely written, and in every word of which a Sura of the Qur’an is inscribed with a fine pen, which is most meaningful and all of whose matters corroborate one another, a wondrous collection showing its writer and author to be extraordinarily skilful and capable, undoubtedly shows its writer and author together with all his perfections and arts are clearly as daylight, and makes him known. It makes him appreciated with phrases like, What wonders Allah has willed! and, Blessed be Allah! And just the same is the mighty Book of the Universe; we see with our eyes a pen at work which writes on the face of the earth, which is a single of its pages, and on the spring, which is a single folio, the three hundred thousand plant and animal species, which are like three hundred thousand different books, all together, one within the other, without fault or error, without mixing them up or confusing them, perfectly and with complete order, and sometimes writes an ode in a word like a tree, and the complete index of a book in a point like a seed. However much vaster and more perfect and meaningful than the book in the example mentioned above is this compendium of the universe and mighty embodied Qur’an of the world, which is infinitely full of meaning and in every word of which are numerous instances of wisdom, to that degree - in accordance with the extensive measure and far-seeing vision of the natural science that you study and the sciences of reading and writing that you have practised at school - it makes known the Inscriber and Author of the Book of the Universe together with His infinite perfections.

Proclaiming Allah is Most Great!, it makes Him known. Uttering words like Glory be to Allah!, it describes Him. Uttering praises like All praise be to Allah!, it makes Him loved.

Thus, hundreds of other sciences like these make known the Glorious Creator of the universe together with His Names, each through its broad measure or scale, its particular mirror, its far-seeing eyes, and searching gaze; they make known His attributes and perfections.

"It is in order to give instruction in this matter, which is a brilliant and magnificent proof of Divine Unity, that the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition teaches us about our Creator most often with the verses,

Lord of the Heavens and the Earth, and, Creator of the Heavens and Earth." I said this to the schoolboys, and they accepted it completely, affirming it by saying: "Endless thanks be to Al-lah, for we have received an absolutely true and sacred lesson. May Allah be pleased with you!" And I said:

Man is a living machine who is grieved with thousands of different sorrows and receives pleasure in thousands of different ways, and despite his utter impotence has innumerable enemies, physical and spiritual, and despite his infinite poverty, has countless needs, external and inner, and is a wretched creature continuously receiving the blows of death and separation. And yet, through belief and worship, he suddenly becomes connected to a Monarch so Glorious that he finds a point of support against all his enemies and a source of help for all his needs, and like everyone takes pride at the honour and rank of the lord to whom he is attached, you can compare for yourselves how pleased and grateful and thankful and full of pride man becomes at being connected through belief to an infinitely Powerful and Compassionate Monarch, at entering His service through worship, and transforming for himself the announcement of the execution of the appointed hour into papers releasing him from duty.And I repeat to the calamity-stricken prisoners what I said to the schoolboys:"One who recognizes Him and obeys Him is fortunate even if he is in prison. While one who forgets Him is wretched and a prisoner even if he lives in a palace."Even, one wronged but fortunate man said to the wretched tyrants who were executing him: "I am not being executed but being demobilized and going to happiness. But I see that you are being condemned to eternal execution and so am taking complete revengse on you." And saying: "There is no god but Allah!", he happily yielded up his spirit.

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reportafrique · 4 months

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Elon Musk's Firm Neuralink Implants Brain Chip in First Human

Elon Musk's firm, Neuralink says it has implanted a brain chip on its first human patient on Sunday and that the patient is recovering well. Elon Musk made this known via a post on his X handle. "Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," Musk said in a post on the social media platform X on Monday. Musk on Neuralink first brain chip implant Spikes are activity by neurons, which the National Institute of Health describes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body. Neuralink got clearance last year from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to conduct its first trial to test its implant on humans, a critical milestone in the startup's ambitions to help patients overcome paralysis and a host of neurological conditions. In September, 2023 Neuralink announced it has received approval for recruitment for the human trial. Neuralink chip Using a robot, Neuralink could surgically place a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move. The company said that its initial goal is to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone. These signals will be transmitted using the implants' "ultra-fine" threads in participants' brains, the firm claims. The chip could be wirelessly connected to your brain and to your phone through bluetooth technology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=KsX-7hS94Yo Its first product would be called Telepathy, Musk said in another post on X. Neuralink focuses his early study on a trial for its wireless brain-computer interface to evaluate the safety of the implant and surgical robot. Musk claims this brain chip could provide the future cure for blindness, mental illness and that human could get a chance to download their memories and store them in a chip. Growing Brain Chip Technology A number of rival companies have already implanted similar devices on humans with claims they have worked perfectly. One of such attempts was carried out by the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne (EPFL), in Switzerland, which has successfully enabled a paralysed man to walk just by thinking. The École Polytechnique Fédérale's feat was achieved by putting electronic implants on the patient's brain and spine which wirelessly communicate thoughts to his legs and feet as published in peer-reviewed journal Nature in May 2023. There has, however, been no independent verification of Musk's Neuralink's claims. Musk is world's richest person with a net worth of $204.7 billion and Neuralink is currently valued at $5 billion. Read the full article

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risalei-nur · 5 years

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TAFSIR: Risale-i Nur: The Words Collection:The Thirteenth Word.Part 10

Each science speaks of God in its own tongue

[NOTE: The following is a brief indication to one of the thousands of the universal proofs of the pillar of belief in God, many of which, together with explanations, are in the Risale-i Nur.]

In Kastamonu, some high-school students came to me and asked: “Tell us about our Creator, for our teachers do not speak of Him.” I replied as follows:

Each science you study continuously speaks of God, the Creator, and makes Him known in its own tongue. So, listen to them, not your teachers.

For example, a well-equipped, well-designed pharmacy which has many medicines and pills composed of different precisely measured components certainly indicates an extremely skillful and learned pharmacist. In the same way, to the extent that it is bigger and more perfect than this pharmacy, the pharmacy of the earth, which has countless life-giving cures and medicaments implanted within all plant and animal species, shows and makes known even to blind eyes, through the science of medicine, the All-Wise One of Majesty, Who is the Pharmacist of the largest pharmacy on the earth.

Another example: A wonderful factory which weaves thousands of different cloths from a simple material undoubtedly makes known a manufacturer and skillful mechanical engineer. Likewise, to the extent that it is bigger and more perfect than this factory, with its countless parts, each having hundreds of thousands of machines, this traveling machinery or factory of the Lord which we call the earth shows and make known its Manufacturer and Owner through the science of engineering.

A store or shop that serves as a well-organized storage place for numerous varieties of provisions brought from all sides shows that it has a wonderful proprietor, preparer, and distributor of provisions and foodstuffs. In the same way, this All-Merciful One’s food-store known as the earth; this vessel of the All-Glorified, which annually traverses a wide orbit and, while passing through seasons, fills spring, like a huge wagon, with uncountable different provisions and brings them to innumerable living creatures which it houses and whose sustenance was exhausted during winter; this depot or shop of the Lord, which holds vast varieties of goods, equipment, and conserved food— to whatever degree it is bigger and more perfect than the store mentioned, it makes known, through the measure of the science of economics which you study, its Owner, Manager, and Organizer, and makes Him loved.

To take another example: Imagine an army of tribes and nations, each one requiring unique provisions, weapons, uniforms, drills, and demobilization. If its miracle-working commander meets all their needs on his own, without forgetting and confusing any of them, surely the army and camp will point to him and make him loved and appreciated. In the same way, every spring a single Commander-in-Chief provides a newly recruited army of countless animal and plant species with uniforms, rations, weapons, training, and demobilizations in a perfect and regular fashion. He forgets nothing and does not become confused. To the extent that they are vaster and more perfect the human army and its camp, this Divine army of spring and its camp make known, through military science, to the attentive and sensible, the Ruler of the earth, its Lord, Administrator, and All-Holy Commander, generating admiration and acclaim, and makes Him loved, praised, and glorified.

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sadcxzcf · 3 years

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dgpr-punjab-newsroom · 3 years

Text

CM CHAIRS PROVINCIAL APEX COMMITTEE MEETING TO TAKE STOCK OF THE CORONA SITUATION IN THE PROVINCE

With the compliments of, The Directorate General Public Relations,

Government of the Punjab, Lahore Ph: 99201390.

No.685/QU/Umer

HANDOUT (A)

LAHORE, April 28:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired the provincial apex committee meeting at his office to take stock of the corona situation in the province.

The meeting was attended by Corps Commander Lahore, Lt. Gen. Muhammad Abdul Aziz, GOC 10 Division Maj. Gen. Muhammad Aniq-ur-Rehman Malik, DG Rangers Punjab Maj. Gen. Muhammad Amir Majeed, Law Minister Raja Basharat, Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid, SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, chief secretary, IG police, ACS (Home) and high ranking civil and military officials.

The participants expressed serious concern over the rising number of corona cases and death rate in different cities including Lahore and expressed reservations over the lack of effective implementation of SOPs. The participants extended sympathies to bereaved heirs and appreciated the role of health professionals. The commitment was shown to utilize every possible resource to save the people from coronavirus. It was decided to ensure strict enforcement of corona SOPs and the proposal of complete lockdown in Lahore and other cities, having increased number of positive corona cases, were reviewed. It was also decided to further severe restrictions in cities with more than an 8 per cent ratio. The meeting reviewed the proposal of using hospitals only for corona in Lahore and other major cities. The meeting further decided to take every possible step to ensure the supply of oxygen and the participants agreed that violation of steps, aimed at saving the lives of the people, will not be tolerated.

The military leadership assured full cooperation to the civil government for implementation of SOPs to deal with the corona pandemic.

The meeting further agreed to take collective measures to implement the decisions and the assemblage agreed that closing-time of markets and bazaars will be ensured through administrative steps.

The CM thanked the military leadership for its cooperation adding that more than 2600 corona cases have been reported in Punjab and 127 have lost their lives during the last 24 hours. The positive cases ratio is increased to 13 per cent in Punjab. All business activities will remain closed from 6 PM to Sehri except medical stores, petrol pumps, vaccination centres and other essential services. He added that vaccination has been expedited as more than 40000 people have been vaccinated yesterday. A total of one million have been vaccinated in Punjab, he added.

The CM made it clear that legal action will be taken over overcharging or hoarding of oxygen cylinders. Meanwhile, the recruitment of vaccinators and data entry operators has been approved and doctors and nurses will also be recruited if needed. Health professionals will be given a special allowance like before. The CM declared that private hospitals will be bound to reserve beds for corona patients and they will not be allowed to overcharge the corona patients. The healthcare commission has been directed to take steps in this regard, he added. The government is fully determined to deal with the difficult situation and special measures are taken to deal with the unusual situation, he said. Pressure is increasing on hospitals and success against corona is the only option. Political and military leadership is taking coordinated steps and every stratum will have to play its role, he added.

Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Muhamamd Abdul Aziz stated that overcoming the spread of the corona pandemic is a national challenge and the army is ever-ready to assist the civil administration. The civil administration will be assisted in the implementation of the corona action plan and the army is standing with the people in this hour of trial, he continued.

******

No.686/QU/Umer

HANDOUT (A)

CABINET SPECIAL COMMITTEE FOR ANTI-CORONA IS CONSTITUTED TO TAKE DECISIONS AFTER A DAILY REVIEW: USMAN BUZDAR

LAHORE, April 28:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar said the apex committee has taken important decisions after a detailed review of steps for saving the lives of the people. The role of the health professionals is praised and it has been decided to strictly implement corona SOPs. It was mutually agreed to further strict restrictions in cities where the positive cases' ratio is more than 8 per cent. A cabinet committee for anti-corona, consisting of provincial ministers and civil and military officials, is constituted to take decisions after a daily review. It was also decided to take every necessary step to maintain the supply of oxygen and legal action will be taken on overcharging or hoarding of oxygen cylinders. Health professionals will be given a special allowance like before. The healthcare commission is directed to monitor the rates of private hospitals.

While addressing the presser at his office about the ongoing corona situation, the CM thanked the deployment of the army and rangers for the implementation of corona SOPs. During the last 24 hours, 20600 have been tested and 127 lost their lives while a total of 8224 have died of corona in Punjab, he added. The positive corona cases' ratio in Khanewal is 38 per cent, 32 per cent in Okara, 24 per cent in Sahiwal, 20 per cent in Vehari, 23 per cent in Lahore, 18 per cent in Mianwali, 16 per cent in Narowal, 15 per cent in Multan, 14 per cent in Faisalabad, 12 per cent in Sargodha and 11 per cent in Rawalpindi, he said. The ratio of positive corona cases is more than 8 per cent in 22 districts while the ratio of the positive cases has reached 13 per cent in Punjab. The government is dealing with coronavirus but it is speeding rapidly and the health system is also burdened, he added. The oxygen demand has been tremendously increased; the number of serious patients on ventilators in hospitals is increasing and the government is actively vaccinating the people as over one million have been vaccinated, he said. The number of vaccination centres has increased and Rs. 1.5 billion is approved to procure corona vaccine. He said the government is determined to deal with the difficult situation. The CM appealed to the people to follow corona SOPs and government instructions for saving lives. Winning the battle against corona is the only option and everyone will have to play its role in this regard, he added.

Replying to the question of media persons, the CM asserted that more restrictions will be enforced in the wake of the prevailing situation adding that the government does not want to put people in trouble and the situation could lead to complete lockdown. However, observance of SOPs is a responsibility of the government; therefore, strictness will have to be shown now. To another question, he said 136 vaccination centres are working and the Punjab government will procure around one million doses. 3 crore dozes are being delivered soon and the federal government is also providing vaccination doses. Corona vaccine is in great demand in the whole world and the government is trying to procure vaccine doses as soon as possible, he said. To a question, he said the cabinet committee has been constituted to hold a daily review. Strictness will be shown where needed and flexibility will be displayed where required. I have received complaints about crowds in markets and a strategy is being devised to avoid the rush of the people in Bazaars. To a question, he said Punjab police are performing their duty in the best of manner and armed forces are called in the difficult situation the world over. Pak army belongs to all of us and all are collectively dealing with this pandemic. To a question, he said a 400 per cent increase has been observed in the demand for oxygen cylinders and the government is considering shifting oxygen from the industrial to the health sector. The issue of milk and yoghurt shops will also be solved, the CM concluded. Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid, SACM Firdous Ashiq Awan, chief secretary, IG police, ACS (Home) and others were also present.

*****

No.687/QU/Umer

HANDOUT (A)

PTI WILL ALSO WIN NEXT ELECTIONS: USMAN BUZDAR

LAHORE, April 28:

The people have defeated the negative political designs of the PDM and the future of those giving dates of holding a long march and tendering resignations has been dimmed.

This was stated by Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar in a statement issued on Wednesday.

The CM said the opposition is entrapped in a blind alley with no face-saving. Regrettably, the opposition has no future strategy and PDM is busy in lip-service only, he added. Those dreaming of destabilising the government have been defeated and the PTI government is stronger than before. The incumbent government will fulfil its term and the PTI will also win the next elections, he added.

*****

No.688/QU/Umer

HANDOUT (A)

CM TO CHAIR CABINET MEETING TODAY

LAHORE, April 28:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar will chair the 43rd meeting of the provincial cabinet today (Thursday) at his office at 11-00 AM to review the 18-points agenda. Ministers, advisors, special assistants, chief secretary and others will attend the meeting.

******

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tabloidtoc · 4 years

Text

National Enquirer, October 12

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Queen Elizabeth’s 73-year sham marriage to Prince Philip collapses

Page 2: Kanye West is in top-secret talks to launch his own TV network and is crowing it will be bigger than the Kardashians -- he wants it to reflect his lofty vision of what the world should be and to provide a spiritual awakening for the masses but he doesn’t realize there aren’t a lot of people who want to spend hours a day listening to him rant about how the world would be a better place if he was in charge -- meanwhile Kim Kardashian is at the end of her rope again

Page 3: Furious Angelina Jolie is tearing into Brad Pitt’s new girlfriend Nicole Poturalski blasting her as a scheming psycho and as a borderline stalker who is dating Brad just to get famous and it’s going to end in disaster for the whole family not just him so she’s already told Brad to keep Nicole away from their kids and she’s looking to make this part of their ongoing legal case

Page 4: Newly single Kelly Clarkson has enlisted fellow country star Maren Morris to help her find a new man -- Maren advised Kelly to use her talk show to connect with men she admires but Kelly may have taken her advice a little too literally when she had her crush Keanu Reeves on the show and was drooling all over him though she knows it’s probably wishful thinking

Page 5: Ellen DeGeneres kicked off her new season by publicly apologizing for allegations of misconduct on her talk show but body language experts blasted her remarks as tone deaf and missing the mark totally

Page 6: Jimmy Fallon’s wife Nancy Juvonen is furious over the time he spends nurturing his bond with close pal Kathie Lee Gifford -- Jimmy loves to reminisce about the old days at NBC with the former Today yakker especially during today’s challenging times and he worships her and he’s the only late-night host who treats Kathie Lee like an A-lister but Nancy can’t stand Kathie Lee’s constant self-obsessed talk and considers her a squeaky third wheel

Page 7: Cher keeps trying to turn back time with plastic surgery but the results have been disastrous and although she insists her most recent work is a facelift her kisser is frozen and packed with Botox and fillers and lip injections -- she also appears to have had a nose job and a face and neck lift to achieve a smooth jawline and neck and the results have left Cher barely able to move her face and even made it difficult for her to speak let alone sing, disgraced chef Paula Deen had emergency eye surgery this summer in a desperate bid to save her sight -- Paula had been suffering from declining vision for months and was shocked when doctors told her the cornea was dying and going under the knife was necessary to save her sight

Page 10: Hot Shots -- Tiger Woods took a brief break during practice, Leighton Meester caught some waves in Malibu, Kristen Taekman in a New York Jets bikini, Dolph Lundgren doffed his mask after leaving a lunch date in Beverly Hills, Dominic Cooper took his electric bike for a spin in London

Page 11: Cash-strapped Tori Spelling and husband Dean McDermott are back in couples therapy and on the verge of filing for bankruptcy -- they’re in counseling for the same old stuff which is their constant fighting and spending money and work that isn’t happening -- the parents of five were hit with tax liens totaling nearly $1 million and were also sued by American Express over an unpaid credit card bill of almost $90,000 which Tori asked her mother Candy Spelling who is worth about $600 million to pay but Candy refused and after Candy revealed her plans to leave her fortune to animal charities Tori and Dean may file for bankruptcy because they both love to spend, Bravo bigwigs are hoping hotel heiress Kathy Hilton will fill the vacancy left by Denise Richards and Teddi Mellencamp on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and producers are trying to keep ratings high by getting veteran Kyle Richards to recruit sister and former castmate Kim Richards and half sister Kathy -- Kathy is said to be high on producers’ wish list because of her wit and humor and is also considered old-school Beverly Hills and show brass want her to bring a certain glamour and sophistication to the show

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- Demi Lovato at a NYC screening party (picture), when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve in Times Square Anderson Cooper won’t be there because he would rather be at home with his baby boy, The Bachelor has cut all ties with Colton Underwood after his ex Cassie Randolph got a temporary restraining order against him, Teresa Giudice plans to move to NYC after listing her New Jersey mansion but she still wants to keep her job on The Real Housewives of New Jersey and to get around that Teresa hopes to pretend she’s moved into her brother Joe Gorga’s home in Jersey

Page 13: John Legend revealed couples therapy helps strengthen his marriage to Chrissy Teigen and said they keep their romance going strong by communicating and being considerate and listening, Jackie Stallone was more than just Sylvester Stallone’s mom -- she was also one of the world top astrologers and psychics who predicted the fall of the Berlin Wall and Kanye West’s presidential run

Page 14: Crime -- convicted Melrose Place killer Amy Locane is in lockup again for a fatal 2010 drunk-driving smashup that took one life and nearly took another after a New Jersey Superior Court Judge said she got off too easy by serving two years behind bars and sentenced Amy to eight more years in state prison

Page 15: The gruesome house of horrors where Drew Carey’s ex-fiancee Amie Harwick brutally met her untimely end is on the market for $1.5 million and her family can’t wait to get rid of it, Shannen Doherty is in pretty good spirits amid her ongoing battle with stage 4 breast cancer according to her former Beverly Hills 90210 co-star Jason Priestley

Page 16: Cover Story -- After decades of turning a blind eye to her husband’s cheating Queen Elizabeth’s 72-year marriage has shockingly collapsed and Prince Philip is now banished to a remote cottage far away from the monarch -- despite royal courtiers painting a rosy picture of the couple quarantining together at Windsor Castle since March the truth is their marriage has been a sham for decades and they’ve been living separate lives for over 50 years and all this forced togetherness was simply too much for them -- Philip has been cheating on Elizabeth since before they were married and has several love children; he has rumored to have had flings with actress Helene Cordet and Daphne du Maurier and Pat Kirkwood and Jane Russell and Merle Oberon and Zsa Zsa Gabor and Princess Alexandria and Sacha Duchess of Abercorn and most recently Lady Penny Romsey -- there will be no divorce and they will just quietly continue their separate lives to the end of their days but the queen never wants to see Philip again

Page 18: Larry King’s estranged wife Shawn Southwick is demanding $33,000 a month in spousal support because she claims she gave up her music and TV career to marry the frail talk show host and then raise their sons Chance and Cannon, Hollywood Hookups -- Halle Berry and Van Hunt dating, 90 Day Fiance stars Ashley Martson and Jay Smith split for good, Justin Duggar dating Claire Spivey

Page 19: Tom Cruise is set to shoot the first major movie in outer space and he’s headed to the International Space Station in October 2021 with director Doug Liman -- the two and possibly one additional actor will hitch a ride aboard Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to film the unnamed project, the IV needle allegedly used to administer the fatal dose of propofol to Michael Jackson on June 25 of 2009 is up for auction by the estate of the late singer’s father Joe and the chilling item used by Michael’s physician Dr. Conrad Murray is reportedly still stained with Michael’s blood -- it was submitted to the auction by Michael’s cousin Marsha Stewart who says she took it from Michael’s bedroom days after he died, Sharon Stone has pressed her lips on a long list of Hollywood hunks but picked Robert De Niro as far and away the best kisser but rated her other leading men as kind of like meh

Page 20: Stars Playing Stars -- how they did it -- Muhammad Ali and Will Smith, Frida Kahlo and Salma Hayek, Ray Charles and Jamie Foxx

Page 21: Marilyn Monroe and Michelle Williams, Queen Elizabeth and Helen Mirren, Billie Holiday and Diana Ross, Bob Dylan and Cate Blanchett

Page 22: An adopted son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen has charged it was his mother not his father who was the monster in the family -- Moses Farrow says Woody did not molest adopted daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992 and that he can no longer stay silent as Woody continues to be condemned for a crime he did not commit

Page 26: Less than nine months after Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash a vicious feud has ripped the family apart -- the row erupted between his widow Vanessa Bryant and her mother Sofia Laine after Sofia went on TV to publicly accuse her daughter of tossing her out of the family home -- Vanessa feels she’s already given her mom so much and then she heard through the grapevine that Sofia complained she should have more -- it does seem cold that Vanessa would take such action against her mother but she’s ready to take on anyone using her husband and child’s deaths as a selfish cash grab and that includes Sofia

Page 27: Danny Masterson’s rape trial is looming and the Church of Scientology is doing everything in its power to back the scandal-scarred actor -- the church’s leaders have assigned their top lawyers to aid Danny who is a prominent member of the religion and the lawyers are scouring every law on the books to get the case thrown out or get him acquitted -- the church has previously been accused of trying to get the other side’s defenses dismissed or judges thrown off cases and using all manner of tactics to delay due process

Page 28: American Life -- Bighearted ex-billionaire Chuck Feeney has spent 38 years giving away nearly all of his vast fortune and the generous do-gooder said he wouldn’t have had it any other way

Page 29: Famed stoner Willie Nelson can’t stop sampling his own marijuana products and now friends fear the 87-year-old music legend is smoking himself to death -- Willie’s a believer in the powers of cannabis and promotes it passionately but years of smoking has done a number on his lungs and he can barely breathe at times, Julia Duffy has been keeping close a tragic heartache for more than a year -- her only son Danny Lacy committed suicide at age 29 after years of suffering from mental health issues

Page 34: Comic Kathy Griffin has seen her popularity plummet in recent years and it’s played a role in her plans to sell her sprawling Bel Air estate -- Kathy has burned a lot of bridges and concerts and TV appearances have dried up because of her many industry conflicts so she’s trying to unload her massive manor with wine cellar and movie theater and eight bedrooms for $16 million -- she didn’t want to sell it but the cost and size have become too much for her to handle

Page 36: Health Watch

Page 38: CIA bigwigs once hired a psychic to determine if there was life on Mars -- the misguided mission was said to be part of Project Stargate which was launched in 1978 and somehow cost an astronomical $20 million after the CIA hired a man who claimed he could see the surface of the planet in his mind -- the unnamed man claimed he could see huge pyramids and an obelisk structure and road networks on the Red Planet as well as living creatures, John Lennon’s killer Mark David Chapman shocked the parole board when he admitted he deserved the death penalty even as he begged for his freedom at his last hearing -- his murderous motive was seeking self-glory -- the board denied his parole saying they found his statement infamy brings you glory disturbing

Page 42: Red Carpet -- London Fashion Week

Page 45: Spot the Differences -- Luke Bryan and his dog Choc

Page 47: Odd List -- doctors remove granny’s football-sized tumor

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