Vesper

Palace and Everton both doing us favours atm

Brentford 3 1 Mbeumo on a hat trick

Brentford 1 nil

plus a bunch of GKers

Assists

https://www.vipleague.pm/football-sports-stream https://redditsoccerstreams.org/ https://soccer-100.com/league/eng-1 https://soccer9.sportshub.stream/

Border Patrol agents board train and question Amtrak passengers in Havre, Montana about citizenship https://www.havredailynews.com/story/2025/04/17/local/ice-questions-amtrak-passengers-in-havre-about-citizenship/547792.html A judge and attorney from North Dakota said Thursday that he was one of possibly all the passengers on an Amtrak Empire Builder train questioned by federal officers about their citizenship Sunday while the train was stopped in Havre. The person interviewed by Havre Weekly Chronicle said ICE officers were the ones who questioned him. A spokesperson for ICE said the activity was not related to that agency, and referred questions to Customs and Border Protection. ICE representative Alethea Smock repeated that today. “Confirming again, this was not an ICE activity, and your story was incorrect; many other sites have picked up on it and are saying ICE is boarding trains, this is generally a CBP activity.” Jason Givens, U.S. Border Patrol public affairs specialist, confirmed this morning that it was Border Patrol agents who boarded the train Sunday in Havre. Smock said it is possible people saw partially obscured “POLICE” labels on the clothing of the people on the train and though the labels said “ICE.” Givens gave background on the agents boarding the train: “U.S. Border Patrol agents conduct enforcement actions at transportation hubs away from the immediate border as part of the defense-in-depth strategy of disrupting human smuggling activities at transportation sites that are used to further illegal trafficking into the interior of the United States. These operations serve as a vital component to our overall border security efforts. “Enforcement actions away from the border are within the jurisdiction of the Border Patrol and performed in direct support of immediate border enforcement efforts and as a means of preventing smuggling and criminal organizations from exploiting existing transportation hubs to travel to the interior of the United States.” Baer said Thursday he was getting off Amtrak’s Empire Builder Sunday to stretch his legs during its stop in Havre when the two law enforcement officers — he said he saw ICE on their clothing — in paramilitary gear, stopped and questioned train passengers, including himself, about whether they were U.S. citizens. “It was intimidating,” Baer said. He said he told them he was — he first asked if they were joking, he said, and they repeated the question — and when he said he was they went on to the next passenger. Baer, a longtime attorney and district court judge for the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arika Tribe, said another official in uniform appeared to be supervising the operation but did not enter the train. Baer said he only saw the officers question himself and others near him, but they were on the train nearly the entire time it was at the station, so, although he does not know for sure, it is his presumption that the officers went through the entire train and asked all passengers about their U.S. citizenship status. He said they didn’t ask for documentation of his citizenship and moved on once he said he was a citizen. “They took my word for it,” Baer said. “I presume if my skin was a little darker I might have had to come up with some documentation, but that’s only my own guess.” This is not the first time issues of citizenship have arisen in Havre in Department of Homeland Security actions. Two women — both U.S. citizens who had been living in Havre for several years — were detained and questioned by a U.S. Border Patrol agent when he heard them speaking Spanish in a Havre convenience store. U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2020 reached an out-of-court settlement with the women — who said they moved away from Havre because of the backlash they received for filing a lawsuit — on their lawsuit alleging their Fourth and Fifth amendment rights had been violated. The details of the settlement were not revealed. A release from ACLU about the settlement said its investigations found a history or abusive seizures and investigations with agents targeting Latino people. "One such incident led to a published Ninth Circuit opinion holding that CBP agents illegally detained a group of men in Havre in 2006,” the 2020 ACLU release said. This week, a federal judge dismissed criminal charges against two men arrested arrested by Border Patrol agents in Shelby in March, men the Border Patrol said were part of an international gang. Montana Free Press reports that attorneys argued that people charged with illegal entry on the southern border can’t be prosecuted months later in a different state. The judge ruled that Montana was not the proper venue for the offense. Montana Free Press also reports defense attorneys said they’ve seen no evidence that the men were affiliated with gangs. The Trump administration has used alleged membership with gangs as the reason to deport people to El Salvador with little or no due process, including one man the administration has admitted was sent to a prison in El Salvador by mistake. In the issue Sunday on Amtrak, Baer’s colleague, judge and attorney Judith Roberts, put up a Facebook post about Baer’s story Wednesday. She said Thursday morning that, so far, it had 20,000 shares. She added that she has never posted anything related to politics. “It just shows how concerned people are becoming over these turn of events,” Roberts said, “and I’m personally very concerned that the civil rights, the constitutional rights, of of individuals are being trampled upon, and so I felt compelled to speak out, even though I do not speak out politically, and I don’t believe my post was political.” Baer said he has long connections with immigration issues — his grandfather was a U.S. Border Patrol special agent — and he respects that job. “That our borders are being protected is important. Like I said, my grandfather, that was his full-time job till the day he died,” Baer said. “I have full respect for that and the need for that, but we also have judicial officers to stand between the judgment of the (law enforcement) officers involved and the actual rights of the individuals being appended,” he added “It’s the constitutional safeguards that we want,” Baer said. He said he has been riding the train for decades and he has never seen federal officers come on the train to ask if people are citizens. He said a conductor on the train Sunday told him that in the conductor’s 40 years, he has never seen anything like it. Roberts said Baer’s story is very concerning. “It really is a very serious issue,” she said. “I never thought that I would see what I have seen occur in our country today, and as a member of the judicial branch, I’m highly concerned with what I see.”

Marco Rubio sends a harsh message to those considering a U.S. visit Ideally, the secretary of state would make clear to the world that the United States is eager to welcome visitors. He’s doing the opposite. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/marco-rubio-sends-harsh-message-considering-us-visit-rcna201740 That Donald Trump is unpopular on the international stage is relevant in a variety of ways, but during his first term, the world’s woeful attitudes toward the Republican had little effect on international travelers and their willingness to visit the United States. In his second term, as the president imposes destabilizing trade tariffs on countries around the world, it’s a very different story. In fact, as MSNBC’s Chris Hayes put it, the White House has effectively launched a “war on tourism.” An Axios report added that international tourism to the U.S. is “falling fast,” and the jobs associated with the industry “are being threatened.” Looking solely at German tourists, the number of visitors dropped 28% in March 2025 as compared to March 2024. That coincided with a CBC report that noted, “The number of cross-border travelers going from Canada to the U.S. dropped by nearly 900,000 in March compared to the same month last year ... easily one of the worst year-over-year drops recorded outside of the COVID-19 health crisis.” A report in Fortune noted that a Goldman Sachs analysis estimated that in a worst-case scenario, “the hit this year from reduced travel and boycotts could total 0.3% of gross domestic product, which would amount to almost $90 billion.” Ideally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio would make clear to the world that the U.S. is open for business and eager to welcome visitors. Instead, Trump’s chief diplomat authored a piece for Fox News that was unmistakably hostile toward would-be tourists. A welcome mat it was not. For what it’s worth, Rubio is from Florida, and as a Florida native, I’m comfortable reminding the secretary of state that tourism represents a significant chunk of that state’s economy. Indeed, just last year, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, Florida’s tourism industry hit a new high in 2024. If state officials were expecting to set a new record in 2025, they probably ought to start lowering their expectations.

Authorities Detain and Execute Non-Citizen Local carpenter put to death. https://charlotteclymer.substack.com/p/authorities-detain-and-execute-non JUDEA — Today, local authorities executed a non-citizen just outside the walls of Jerusalem on the vague charge of treason against Caesar. Jesus of Nazareth, 33, was publicly detained last night by law enforcement, although it’s unclear if a reason for the arrest was given at the time. Police were reportedly tipped off to the man’s location by a friend in exchange for a cash reward. The accused had entered through Jerusalem’s Eastern Gate this past Sunday on a donkey, accompanied by friends and admirers, many of whom referred to him as “Rabbi,” although his profession was carpentry, which may suggest he lied about his clerical qualifications. Although Jesus of Nazareth technically had legal status to reside in Judea, he lacked protections from arbitrary punishments by the government. Because he was raised in a working class, Jewish family in Galilee, he was not accorded the privileged legal protections of Roman citizens, and thus, he was not entitled to due process after his arrest, nor was he exempt from capital punishment after being declared guilty of treason by Gov. Pontius Pilate, despite a lack of evidence to support the charge. The carpenter was publicly tortured by law enforcement for hours before being led through the city streets, past large crowds of bystanders, under the heavy weight of a wooden crucifix to a local site on a hill called Golgotha. There, he was nailed by the hands and feet to the crucifix and left to die by authorities. The woodworker had been growing in popularity throughout the region, attracting throngs of crowds who came to hear him speak on a variety of hot button issues, from insisting on grace regarding immigration to condemning exorbitant wealth. He initially attracted widespread attention in the area, in part, for offering free and comprehensive health care to the sick and openly defying the practice of stoning those accused of religious impropriety. At least one government source suggested that Gov. Pilate had significant doubts as to the guilt of Jesus of Nazareth. The source claims the governor privately concluded no crime had been committed but feared what may happen to himself if he took the side of a non-citizen unpopular with those in power. Despite being criticized in some quarters for the execution, Gov. Pilate publicly rejected claims that the man was falsely charged and denied any injustice for his role in the matter. “I am innocent of this man’s blood.” It remains unclear what—if anything—his followers intend to do in the wake of his death. According to some sources, he will be interred in a nearby tomb, which is to be permanently sealed.

so send a message to Si Phillips this seems like pettifogging to me, but your mileage may vary

non sequitur Rice (Kingston upon Thames) and Grealish (Birmingham) were both born in England, whereas Huijsen was born in The Netherlands and also is of Dutch descent. I read the 'Dutch' part of the headline as referring to his birth background and his descent.

He has dual citizenship, but is of full Dutch descent. Huijsen was born in Amsterdam. His family relocated to Marbella, Andalusia, Spain when he was five years old and he became a Spanish citizen in February 2024. He can speak Dutch, Spanish, Italian and English. He has played for both Dutch and Spanish national football sides. Full name Dean Donny Huijsen Wijsmuller Date of birth 14 April 2005 (age 20) Place of birth Amsterdam, Netherlands Height 1.97 m Position(s) Centre-back International career 2021–2022 Netherlands U17 11 (2) 2022–2023 Netherlands U18 4 (0) 2023–2024 Netherlands U19 3 (0) 2024 Spain U21 7 (1) 2025– Spain 2 (0)

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Chelsea make new agent contact for Dutch international centre back Dean Huijsen https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/sources-Chelsea-make-new-agent-contact The Chelsea centre back situation is heating up right now and The Blues are putting the work in on a number of targets. We exclusively reported a couple of months back that Chelsea were now interested in this Dutch centre back, and fresh contacts have now been made. Trevoh Chalobah is still likely to be sold by Chelsea this summer, and there are of course concerns over the long term fitness of Wesley Fofana. Renato Veiga is another player who will be available this summer at the right price, so Chelsea’s decision makers will definitely be looking to bring in at least one new centre back, and potentially even two if Veiga does go. Chelsea have been speaking to the people of Dean Huijsen of Bournemouth for a few weeks now and continue to push. He is now likely to stay in the Premier League but it is Liverpool at the moment that look like the most likely destination. I’ve spoken to Liverpool sources, and they are adamant that the club are in pole position to land Huijsen this summer. However, after speaking with SPTC sources, we are ensured that no decision has been made by the player yet and communications are ongoing. The new info from sources is that Chelsea are also turning attentions to a player who they feel could replace Veiga as well as fill a centre back slot due to his versatility. snip

Supreme Court ruling is a victory for truth over faddish radicalism Sanity has been restored in the trans debate with the unanimous decision that the description ‘woman’ should be based on biological sex https://www.thetimes.com/comment/the-times-view/article/supreme-court-ruling-is-a-victory-for-truth-over-faddish-radicalism-7ghjf80qz After years of argument, ideological extremism and an outbreak of collective insanity across the public sector and in corporate boardrooms, the Supreme Court has finally proclaimed that a woman is an adult human female, and references to “sex” and “women” in the Equality Act refer to biological sex and biological women. The judgment, which the loudest and most unpleasant voices in this long-running campaign of misinformation against British feminists insisted would never come, was unanimous. All five justices agreed what millions of people know instinctively to be true: that biological sex, not the expression of a subjective gender identity, is the only meaningful qualification to womanhood. Such an elementary truth should never have been contested before the highest court. That it was — in a bitter dispute between the self-styled progressives of Scotland’s nationalist government and the women who dared to defy them — is testament to a political and cultural establishment that lost touch with reality. It was always absurd that the SNP, much of the Labour Party, prominent Conservatives and countless public bodies and universities insisted that men were able to simply speak themselves into female-only spaces, some of which women fought for years to establish. Redress and an end to the fear of persecution is finally coming for women who wish to protect their right to play sports against one another, and support victims of rape or male violence. Or in the case of lesbian groups specifically mentioned by the Supreme Court, gather together safe from discrimination. Until now these women were at risk of legal action by trans-identifying men citing the Equality Act, which the Scottish government insisted should treat the “sex” of a biological woman and a biological man armed with a gender recognition certificate as the same thing. That can never be the case, and women who lost their livelihoods and reputations in pointing out this scientific certainty should not have suffered for saying so. Women like Kathleen Stock, the academic hounded out of Sussex University, or Maya Forstater, sacked from a think tank for her gender-critical views, were failed by political cowardice. Trans people are a tiny minority in Britain but, like all minorities, they have the right to be treated with respect and compassion, and to live peacefully, free from discrimination. Indeed, gender reassignment is itself a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. Their cause was hijacked by those who sought to erode the rights of women by equating gender expression with the immutable facts of nature. Politicians, always susceptible to faddish radicalism, were willing dupes. So it came to pass that in 2021 Sir Keir Starmer, now prime minister, rebuked the then Labour MP Rosie Duffield for daring to say that only a woman could have a cervix. David Lammy, now foreign secretary, accused feminists challenging trans extremism of being “dinosaurs”. And Nicola Sturgeon’s political career was hastened to its end by her defence of the presence of a male rapist in a women’s prison. Thankfully, Sir Keir has abandoned these absurdities. His health secretary, Wes Streeting, has also apologised for telling women to “get over” their objections. Not before time. Hopefully, the ruling will bring an end to this bizarre culture war. Now is not the time for triumphalism or gloating but consensus around two truths: that trans people have the right to live their lives in dignity and that women’s rights are sacrosanct also. To that end ministers must now amend the Gender Recognition Act of 2004 which only perpetuates the misconception that a piece of paper can alter the facts of life. Public institutions and universities must now be held to account if they ignore the law. Women should never have had to fight this battle in defence of scientific truth. But at least it is now won. Sanity is restored.

imagine Spuds or Manure in the CL and we blow even the Conference League and also the last EPL Euro spot

Bodo/Glimt v Spuds Athletic Bilbao v Manure Athletic Bilbao are probably the best of the 4 but I can absolutely see a Spuds v Manure final with a nightmare either way locked in

Bodo/Glimt win Lazio missed 3 pens

Lazio Bodo/Glimt pens https://www.vipleague.pm/europa-league/lazio-vs-bodo-glimt-1-live-streaming

(Agg 7-6) FT Manure thru

what a collapse by Lyon continuing a long French tradition of chokes

Manure 3 straight goals in 6 minutes in the 2nd period of extra time two of them in added time

one of the craziest games I have ever seen