The Arc of Conflict, Fragment e18,2: away from the wolfpack, but into the den of a bear

Katya Volskaya's government in Russia has destroyed the omnium Koschei, and held their own against the Gods of Oasis. But with Jesse McCree having upset a precarious balance, Lena, Hana, and Sombra have intervened in Russia's rising civil war. Now, what little stability Overwatch had managed to maintain seems on the verge of disintegration...

...as around the globe, the different factions prepare for what they are now certain must come.

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict
Fragment e18,2: away from the wolfpack, but into the den of a bear
solarbird and bzarcher

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict is a continuance of The Arc of Ascension, The Arc of Creation, and In the Beginning, there was an Armourer and a Living Weapon. It will be told in a series of eddas, sagas, interludes, fragments, texts, and cantos, all of which serve their individual purposes. To follow the story as it appears, please subscribe to the series.

Today's News (2020/6/29): Fascism Flailing edition

It's been a bad couple of days for Donkeyballs Donald.

1. Russian operation targeted coalition troops in Afghanistan, intelligence finds
2. Video retweeted by Trump shows supporter yelling "white power"
3. Trump’s attacks seen undercutting confidence in 2020 vote
4. House Dems propose strengthening Congress’ contempt power to break administration stonewalls
5. YouTube bans Stefan Molyneux, David Duke, Richard Spencer, and more for hate speech
6. Reddit Finally Bans Hate Speech, Removes 2,000 Racist and Violent Forums Including The_Donald
7. This Trump video, posted on Twitter and Facebook, is egregiously deceptive.
8. Missing from twitter.com/PressSec’s explanation: Why these particular supporters are demonized.
9. From pandering to Putin to abusing allies and ignoring his own advisers, Trump's phone calls alarm US officials
10. AP sources: White House aware of Russian bounties in 2019
11. Trump ‘white power’ tweet set off a scramble inside the White House — but no clear condemnation [EDITOR: It took aides _three hours_ to convince him to delete the "White Power" tweet.]

( The articles )

Today's News (2020/6/29): Police Violence edition

The third article on qualified immunity is another decent writeup on that. It needs to end.

1. Wow the police really think the rules just don’t apply to them. And they don’t care if they get us sick either.
2. Richmond, Virginia police shoot two people in face with flash grenades, including photographer
3. For cops who kill, special Supreme Court protection
4. Detroit police SUV plows through group of protesters, flings people who climbed on hood
5. Portland police arrest 8, fire crowd-control munitions

( The articles )

Today's News (2020/6/29): COVID-19 edition

COVID-19 news continues to be pretty depressing!

1. Making men feel manly in masks is, unfortunately, a public-health challenge of our time
2. ‘Don’t be a sheep’: Sheriffs rebel against new statewide mask requirements
3. Workers removed thousands of social distancing stickers before Trump’s Tulsa rally
4. With Trump leading the way, America’s coronavirus failures exposed by record surge in new infections
5. 'Free Handout to Insurance Industry': Trump Administration Tells Insurers They Don't Have to Cover Covid-19 Tests for Workers
6. Hugo’s Tacos closes in Studio City and Atwater Village, citing ‘constant conflicts’ with guests over masks
7. As US corona cases spike, it is worth pointing out that a LOT of people predicted this about a month or two ago.
8. Jacksonville, site of Republican convention, to require masks indoors and in public
9. Health officials worry state is heading in wrong direction with rise in COVID-19 cases
10. Mat Staver: COVID Vaccines Contain “Murdered Babies”
11. CDC says U.S. has ‘way too much virus’ to control pandemic as cases surge across country
12. Arizona just told hospitals they can implement the Crisis Standards of Care Plan [EDITOR: Republican governor in Republican state authorises triage panels for COVID-19 care, or what the Republicans used to call "Death Panels."]

( The articles )

Today's News (2020/6/29): Everything Else edition

rip the two-systems solution in Hong Kong.

1. Gender Critical Support Board Promotes Therapists Who Reject Transgender Identities
2. Once again, John Roberts tries to save the Republican Party from itself
3. Devin Nunes’ cow banned from Parler
4. Couple draw guns at crowd heading to St. Louis mayor's home
5. Hong Kong national security law unanimously passed by Beijing, while Joshua Wong and associates announce decision to quit party politics

( The articles )