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maevedarcy Stiles had told him Maddie's book club would meet at their place, but Stiles didn't say there would be women staring at him as if he were a piece of meat they were dying to take a bite from.AO3 Link
"Stiles?" he asked cautiously. When no one moved or said anything, he called louder "Stiles!"
"Yes, babe?"
[Or, Stiles invites Maddie's book club and Derek hides. Set in the Bloodmoon AU]
seasonsofdrabbles, and only barely managed the one fic I did write. Glad I finished something, though. 
Two...
This classic Unshelved strip originally appeared on Mon, 10 Nov 2014.
trobadora prodded me into making them actually talk about their feelings (what? who does that?!), and then it came into focus. I'm really happy with how it turned out. Also, this one had a title from pretty early on, so didn't cause me last-minute title stress. *pets it approvingly*trobadora's beta) added more shippiness in the rewrite, and this is how it came out. 
... have I done the "oh no, why has my pen stopped working, did I break it :(" dance only to realise that in fact, no, THE PEN IS EMPTY. (Once because my first attempt at filling it was apparently fairly inept unless I have massively misjudged how much ink it lays down, which given that it's a Pelikan is not totally implausible, but would still be... surprising.)
On the upside I think I might have worked out why a different pen seems particularly prone to evaporation and drying out. I am not sure how fixable it is, but I do at least have a workaround! (I think the inner cap is a bit reluctant to settle into place; it shouldn't be, but wiggling the pen a bit once capped seems to be helping...)
(This is such a ridiculous hobby.)
1/ Trump warned House Republicans that failure to pass his tax and spending bill would be “the ultimate betrayal.” Trump demanded immediate passage of the bill – which would make his 2017 tax cuts permanent, eliminate federal taxes on tips and overtime wages, cut Medicaid by tightening work requirements, and reduce clean-energy tax credits created under the Inflation Reduction Act – “to show the American people that they’re serious about ‘promises made, promises kept.’” Trump also warned that GOP holdouts “wouldn’t be a Republican much longer” if they vote against it. Despite the push, several Republicans continue to resist, citing rushed negotiations, lack of bill text, and opposition to a $40,000 cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction. Members of the House Freedom Caucus have also objected to the weaker Medicaid work requirements and the delayed rollback of green energy tax credits. The Congressional Budget Office, meanwhile, said the bill would add $2.3 trillion to the deficit over ten years, which under current law would trigger automatic spending cuts starting in 2026. Medicare could face cuts of up to 4% annually, totaling nearly $500 billion over a decade, unless Congress intervenes. Economists have also warned that eliminating taxes on tips and overtime – both subject to payroll taxes – could weaken Medicare’s long-term funding by reducing its primary revenue source. Separately, the bill’s changes to Medicaid, including the new work requirements and cuts to state financing methods, could cause nearly 9 million people to lose coverage. That would put added pressure on Medicare, which covers 13 million Americans who rely on Medicaid to pay premiums and out-of-pocket costs. As of now, the House Rules Committee has been meeting since 1 a.m., but hasn’t advanced the bill. Republican leaders, however, say a vote could still happen as soon as today, though Speaker Mike Johnson hasn’t formally scheduled one. (Politico / CNN / New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg / NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Axios / Washington Post / The Hill)
2/ The Justice Department moved to dismiss police reform agreements in Minneapolis and Louisville – days before the anniversaries of the killings that prompted them. George Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020; Breonna Taylor was killed on March 13 the same year. The Biden-era DOJ found both departments engaged in unconstitutional policing and negotiated court-enforceable consent decrees. The Trump administration, however, claimed that the findings were flawed and the agreements “would not be in the public interest,” calling the reforms “factually unjustified” and a form of “federal micromanagement.” Both cities, meanwhile, said they will move forward with the proposed reforms, including limits on use of force, improved officer training, and independent monitoring without Justice Department oversight. (ABC News / NPR / Reuters / New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Axios)
3/ Trump used a televised Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to push false claims that White Afrikaner farmers are facing a “genocide.” Trump dimmed the lights and played video clips showing chants of “Kill the Boer,” then waved printouts of articles, saying they showed “death, death, death.” Ramaphosa, who was visibly uncomfortable, denied the claims and said that the video “is not government policy,” while his agriculture minister added: “We have a rural safety problem, not genocide.” South African police data shows 12 farm-related murders last year, including both farmers and workers, with no racial breakdown and no evidence of systematic targeting. Trump, meanwhile, granted refugee status to 59 White South Africans this month while cutting aid and restricting protections for nonwhite asylum seekers. (New York Times / Washington Post / ABC News / Bloomberg / Politico / NPR / Axios / NBC News / CNN)
4/ A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration “unquestionably” violated a court order by deporting eight men to South Sudan without giving them time to object. Judge Brian Murphy said the men were given “roughly 24 hours” notice, mostly outside business hours, making it “impossible” for them to contact lawyers or prepare a challenge. “I don’t see how anybody could say these individuals had a meaningful opportunity to object,” Murphy said. The flight carried men from Cuba, Mexico, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, and South Sudan, and landed in Djibouti after leaving Texas. Of the eight on board, only one was a South Sudanese citizen. Nevertheless, the Department of Homeland Security called the deportees “monsters” and accused Murphy of trying to “dictate the foreign policy and national security of the United States.” Murphy, meanwhile, threatened contempt proceedings and ordered officials to determine whether the men can still be granted due process. (Washington Post / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / ABC News / CNN / Politico)
The midterm elections are in 531 days.
The Defense Department accepted a luxury Boeing 747-8 from Qatar for use as Air Force One. Trump had pushed for the $400 million gift, calling it a “great thing,” as delays have slowed delivery of Boeing’s new presidential jets. The Air Force will oversee retrofitting the Qatari plane to meet security and operational standards, though details remain classified. Lawmakers from both parties have raised concerns about security, whether accepting the plane is legal under the Constitution, and the cost of converting the 13-year-old jet, which experts estimate could exceed $1 billion. The aircraft will eventually be transferred to Trump’s presidential library. (Politico / Axios / NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post / ABC News / CNBC / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)
The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into Andrew Cuomo over allegations that he lied to Congress about his role in a July 2020 New York state report on COVID-related nursing home deaths. The investigation began about a month ago following a renewed referral from House Republicans, which came after the DOJ dropped corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams – Cuomo’s rival in the New York City mayor race. The investigation is being handled by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, which is now led by former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro – a longtime critic of Cuomo. (CNN / Wall Street Journal / Axios / NBC News / Reuters / New York Times)
The chief of staff to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard ordered intelligence analysts to rewrite an assessment that contradicted Trump’s claim that Venezuela directs the criminal gang Tren de Aragua. Emails show Joe Kent told analysts on March 24 and April 3 to revise the report so it could not be “used against” Trump or Gabbard. The original assessment, dated February 26, found no credible evidence linking Venezuela’s government to gang operations in the U.S. (New York Times / Reuters)
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Plumes choked Siberian skies as early-season wildland fires burned near a city in eastern Russia.
sheafrotherdon for betaing.thisfinecrew)
St. Peter's Collegiate Church, by far the oldest in England's Wolverhampton, has shrouded origins in the Anglo-Saxon era. Even more mysterious than the church itself are some of the ancient objects lying in its churchyard.
The Bargain Stone, located on the south side of the church just inside the railings surrounding it, is one of the only standing stones to have a hole in it. Its name comes from the old practice of merchants shaking hands through its hole as a symbol of their deals with each other. Wolverhampton was once an important market town, especially for Welsh drovers who came to sell sheep.
Yet the true mystery of the Bargain Stone is its origin. It is most certainly not a tombstone, as all the others in the churchyard lie flat on the ground. It is also probably not a prehistoric megalith. The most likely theory is that it is the heavily eroded remains of a gargoyle which fell off the church in the 17th century. The hole is presumably its mouth, which would have functioned as a drain pipe.
