Vesper

2 nil PNE

Preston North End up 1 nil vs Burnley at Deepdale

2 nil

Boehly did respond: Todd Boehly on fan criticism: "I think it is just par for the course. The reality is that the sooner you learn you can’t keep everyone happy all the time then freedom comes from that. You are just trying to execute a plan but recognise things aren’t linear. As long as you are trending in the right directions then you feel better. I think the trend is in the right direction and that’s the thing that matters. In June, it will be three years and it isn’t a lot of time as a 60-year-old, especially in an industry with so little downtime." Todd Boehly on Chelsea’s power dynamics: “The British press exaggerates a lot and leaves things out. We’ve agreed on a strategy… and stuff’s getting done. I don't look in the rear-view mirror.” Chelsea are not planning to change their management structure, happy with current directors and planning with them. No negotiations taking place with other directors. “I want to extend Luis Campos’ contract,” PSG’s Al Khelaifi said about Campos’ future despite Chelsea links.

1 nil OG

Mateta off on a stretcher

straight red for the Millwall GKer boot to the face

Crystal Palace vs Millwall https://www.vipleague.pm/fa-cup/crystal-palace-vs-millwall-1-live-streaming https://www.vipleague.pm/fa-cup/crystal-palace-vs-millwall-2-live-streaming https://new.soccerstreams100.io/event/eng-fa/millwall-vs-c-palace-live-soccer-stats/732570

Todd Boehly on fan criticism: "I think it is just par for the course. The reality is that the sooner you learn you can’t keep everyone happy all the time then freedom comes from that. You are just trying to execute a plan but recognise things aren’t linear. As long as you are trending in the right directions then you feel better. I think the trend is in the right direction and that’s the thing that matters. In June, it will be three years and it isn’t a lot of time as a 60-year-old, especially in an industry with so little downtime." Todd Boehly on Chelsea’s power dynamics: “The British press exaggerates a lot and leaves things out. We’ve agreed on a strategy… and stuff’s getting done. I don't look in the rear-view mirror.” Chelsea are not planning to change their management structure, happy with current directors and planning with them. No negotiations taking place with other directors. “I want to extend Luis Campos’ contract,” PSG’s Al Khelaifi said about Campos’ future despite Chelsea links.

Talking Wild Mostros, Virgil Abloh and Creative Risks with STUDIO HAGEL Founder Mathieu Hagelaars https://www.sneakerfreaker.com/features/talking-wild-mostros-virgil-abloh-and-creative-risks-with-studio-hagel-founder-mathieu-hagelaars/ From their uber-spiky PUMA Mostros to the napkin adidas Sambas, STUDIO HAGEL have well and truly established themselves as an experimental design house where there really are no boundaries. Since the studio opened in 2015, they've collaborated with many players in the sneakersphere, including Off-White, ASICS and Takashi Murakami, to create true art pieces. Most recently, they've been on a Big Cat safari and on a mission to take the monstrous hybrid Mostro even further into the wild. We caught up with STUDIO HAGEL Founder Mathieu Hagelaars during Paris Fashion Week, where he was leading a series of Mostro customisation workshops, to discuss how he started the studio, what advice he has for burgeoning artists, and the process behind the creation of the iconic giant spikes. Let’s start at the very beginning – your sneaker journey. How did it all begin and what were you into growing up? I remember the first time I really got into sneakers was when I was eight years old and I had a friend from Aruba, which is really close to America. And back then in Holland you didn't have those major shoe releases from all over the world, so when he brought back sneakers from America, it was like ‘what the hell is this? It’s amazing’. Obviously then the whole Chicago Bulls trend came up and he got me more into sneakers. And then the little city that we always went to for sneaker shops had its first Foot Locker open and I saw for the first time all these Nikes. Nike Air Max was a big thing in Holland because we had the whole Gabber scene and the Nike Air Max 1. And seeing those Air bubbles getting bigger and bigger was magic for me. And since we didn't know when these going to be released, every time we came back we were so excited because it had gotten even bigger and I'd never seen that one before. And maybe it was even nicer back then, because every time it was a surprise. Yeah, it was nicer. Things weren’t so accessible so it was about the hunt. Yeah! I dunno what your favourite sneaker is, but the moment you saw your favourite sneaker, imagine having that every month. Every month, you went into Foot Locker or some skate shop or something, and then you saw the Air bubbles got even bigger and there’s a new Air Max or a new Jordan. It was amazing. But these things were mad expensive back then, so my very first sneaker was I think a Nike Air Pegasus in white with pink, and I actually bought ‘em again when they got re-released a few years ago. And now, here you are, ten years into HAGEL. This is a big year! When you started, did you think that this is where you would be? No, definitely not. When I first wanted to get into design, I applied everywhere but because I had a sales background, I didn't study design or anything, everybody was like, no, you're sales, you can't do design. So that's the reason why I started my own studio because nobody would hire me. You never went to university for design? No, I didn’t. I have to say that I was always good at drawing in high school. I came from a creative family and then I was one of the best at drawing in my class, but I just didn't dare to go to a design academy. I wasn't sure I could do it. I was insecure about the whole thing and I also didn't understand how to make a living out of design or what design really is. It still felt a bit like an abstract kind of thing. But I remember that I met someone who went to the Design Academy and he told me about the things they’re doing and it sounded like Charlie and Chocolate factory to me. I was like, ‘That's actually a thing you do for school? Amazing’. But even then, I decided that I wasn’t going to do it. So then I finished my study, got into footwear sales, but in the end, the creativity still came out. Talk us through those first few years – how did the ball start rolling for HAGEL? I didn't know what I was doing at the start. Trying to get those first projects was hard and I just had to grind. I didn't work with the brands that I ideally would work with, but I just had to keep on going. And then at one point, thanks to Instagram one of my designs went viral. Even Sneaker Freaker reposted the crazy things I've made in the past 10 years and that helped out a lot. And then within a year, I was able to design with the big players in the industry. So, I’d hoped that I would go into that kind of level, but now we're living it and it's been a rollercoaster. I would do it all over again, to be honest. I'm super proud of it, and if I could say, ‘okay, here you have a piece of paper and it's going to be the same thing for the coming 10 years’, then I would sign that paper straight away. Are you seeing any differences in the way the next generation approach design? Well, there are basics of course out there. I think especially social media of course, as everyone can be a designer at the moment, which is an amazing thing. If you have an idea, it's so easy to share it with the world and I think that's something that keeps other designers on their toes because literally a kid on the other side of the world could have an amazing idea and they're basically competing with a big fashion house over here. So who has the idea first? And also that has the potential of growing into something that's even bigger than just that little kid. And we know examples of that already out there. I've worked with brands that started like that and even I started like that. And I think that's the main thing. Everybody can be famous. Everybody can start. It's possible right now. And the world is your stage in that kind of way. So that's the main thing that has changed over the past ten years. What advice would you give to someone looking for a way to get into a creative industry? The one thing I know is that you should do something that you really like. It sounds really cliche, but if you have fun in the things that you do, the best things come out of it. Stay close to what you think is cool. If you keep these two things in sight and you keep concentrating on these things, then you're consistent and consistency is the key. I have my rule that I'm going to post every Monday. I'm going to make something and going to share it. I don’t set high expectations for myself so even it’s an unfinished thing, I will post it. And that's maybe good advice in that it's never finished so just keep on sharing. And personally, I think sometimes the unfinished product is nicer than the finished product. What's been some moments or projects over the past ten years with HAGEL that you feel like you connected to the most? I have a special place in my heart for Off-White. I really remember the moment I got the first DM from Virgil and I didn't realise how big it was or how important that was for the studio. The whole process was so memorable – working on that project with Virgil in a new way even though it was really stressful. I maybe wasn't ready to do Off-White at that moment, as I’d never done a whole collection, but I was like, yeah, let's go for it. And I didn't know what I got myself into, but it was amazing. It was that whole ride and it worked out amazingly. It was a standout project. What did take from your time working with Virgil? Well, a lot. The funny thing is I expected that a creative director would be onsite at the studio always, but Virgil did so many things. In fact, all the creative directors I have worked with do so many things, and Virgil was the first to show me how it’s possible. I'm one of those people that if I have a design meeting, I'm going to sit down with you, and Virgil showed me a whole new way of working and approaching everything. For instance, maybe something could be done 80 per cent of the way, and then he could turn that last 20 per cent into something magical. And I've never seen that before. And also he taught me to just be open, and the vibe that he would create in the office, at the studio, and backstage at fashion shows was magical. In a way, Virgil discovered me and then because of that, the industry started to know a bit more about what I was doing. And then from there, it was like a hurricane. You’re in, you don’t know what's happening, but you have to keep up with that and try to stay chill within. STUDIO HAGEL x VALENTINO STUDIO HAGEL x VALENTINO Virgil Abloh and Mattias Off White x HAGEL Off White x HAGEL Off White x HAGEL Off White x HAGEL STUDIO HAGEL x VALENTINO STUDIO HAGEL x VALENTINO What are some further highlights from the past ten years? One would definitely be the change in my design style. When I started my studio, I had a traditional way of designing and it's using pencil and paper and just starting to sketch. And then my girlfriend did design academy and she said there's also other ways of sketching, like by making rough prototypes. So that's how I came up with these spoofs in the beginning, as I got to a point that I'm like, ‘fuck it, I'm just going to try it and see how it works’. I had nothing to lose, and at that moment, it started as a joke and now it's like the centre of our studio. It's the main thing we do. So I think that moment was very important in my career. Another highlight was working for Valentino. I remember like it was yesterday heading over to Rome, meeting Pier Paolo and he literally said to me, ‘I don't understand what you do, but I like it so let's work together’. I'm like, alright, let's go for it. And we made amazing sneakers. So that was super cool. But also lately now working with big sports brands, working on the PUMA Mostro, for instance, doing this workshop that we have, and starting to fall in love with each other. I think that's also a thing that I'm super proud of. Ten years ago, I just knocked on some doors back in the Netherlands and say, ‘Hey, can we maybe do some design?’ And now we're doing a workshop here with PUMA! Speaking of PUMA, your experimental work on the Mostro, which is a silhouette that is very nostalgic for me by the way, was really interesting. Talk to me about the work you did on the Mostro and your connection to it. I also have warm feelings with the Mostro from back when I was an intern just getting into the footwear industry. It was during this time that I got a bit more into fashion and I travelled around with sales guys all over Holland to visit these cool shops. It was right when the Mihara Yasuhiro colab and the Jil Sander colabs were in all these stores and I was like, ‘these are art pieces’. I'd never ever seen something like that. And that's also the moment I first saw the Mostro, I remember I bought them in a sand colour with red or something. It's kind of a weird colour combination. But that was my first time. And then I found out that they got rereleased and that nostalgic connection is the reason I wanted to create one. And I wanted to approach it from the angle of it being a monster, right, and the first thing that I had in mind was how can we make the Mostro even more monstrous? And then one of the key things that caught my eye is those heavy spikes. So the first idea was to make those heavy spikes really, really heavy and even more monstrous. And then we teamed up with the HP for the 3D design and print. And even that 3D print, just to give you an idea about how monstrous that was, they had to print a cage around it, because it’s finished in powder, and then if they didn't do the cage around it, you probably get stabbed by those spikes. So it was kind of dangerous, which is perfect for this shoe. We're very proud of it and it worked out perfectly. And still some people are like okay so now what? You made that Mostro and you can't even stand on it. But for us it's always a starting point and never an end result, and I already have an idea on how to make them a wearable shoe. But in saying that, we're like this is an exaggerated version that is more of an art piece, so maybe it's at like 300 per cent of the idea and then we can dial it back until the idea and vision is still there but it’s wearable. Was this version of the Mostro your favourite that HAGEL worked on? Actually one of my favourite Mostros we did is the ballerina because it started out that we wanted to do something as a water shoe. You know those kids water shoes that are all plastic and a sandal kind of thing? And we were like, okay, what if we turn a Mostro into that. And while making it, we were playing around with everything trying to figure it out and then I cut open the whole Mostro and I wore it for the first time. And I was looking at my colleague and was like, ‘what if we just make a ballerina out of it?’ Ultimately we decided that was way better, so we pivoted that idea completely. Maybe one day we will make a water shoe, but at that point, we had the freedom and it felt good to do a ballerina and it turned out amazing. So what are you working on at the moment? What's coming out with PUMA and what are you working on with other brands? We have more design explorations with PUMA. At the moment we're doing a workshop and it's like we're starting to fall in love as collaborative partners, so we're also working on some things for the future and we’ll just see how that’s going to turn out. We also work with ASICS still, and we're starting up whole new brands. So in the background, those are the main design things that we're doing. And also this year is important for us as it's our 10th anniversary and we're going to celebrate it with a big event in Amsterdam at the end of August and I want to organise an exhibition. Because we host Makers Monday over on Instagram, I want to create a moment where everybody can come and see those pieces in real life and even see how some of these pieces are really shitty whereas some are maybe better in real life. We also want to do workshops for the community during that weekend and throw a party of course. And then if we're happy with how it goes in Amsterdam, then we are going to explore if we can also travel to other cities as well – maybe New York, Milan, Tokyo, those kinds of cities. I want to get the brand a bit more out there, so we’re going to focus on making the brand a bit more abstract. We want to do a combination of pieces that aren’t available for sale and pieces and products that can be owned by people. We want people to feel like they can connect with the brand, whether that’s by owning a piece or attending a workshop. That sounds awesome, we’ll keep an eye for that. And lastly, when do you feel you are at your most creative? In a way, it’s when I’m bored. I miss being bored, to be honest. I believe being bored is one of the best ways to have some rest. This industry keeps on going, right? You never stand still, your mind, your mental health, it doesn't stop. So being bored, I really believe that's a good thing and that's an essential thing to have in our industry. Just to stop and rest a bit. And people see it as a negative thing being bored, but I miss it for sure because sometimes those amazing ideas, those pivotal moments come when you’re bored, like under the shower or if you're on a bike somewhere. Those are the moments that you don't have that much on your mind so being bored is essential. For more designer collaborations, check out a brief history of Riccardo Tisci’s Nike collaborations.

'South Beach' Handball Spezials On-sale: 27 Feb 25 Style Code JS4083 Colorway South Beach Pack https://www.sneakerfreaker.com/releases/adidas-handball-spezial-south-beach-pack-jd-sports-price-buy-spns/ Miami's iconic South Beach neighbourhood has inspired a plethora of iconic colourways, and the latest has just arrived on a duo of JD Sports-exclusive Handball Spezials. The Spezial line is the jewel in the adidas crown and has been since forming in 2014 under the direction of Trefoil super fan Gary Aspden. Since their beginnings, Spezial have crafted ultra-premium models and iterations and resurrected hidden gems from the Herzogenaurach archive for the modern day. However, no matter how many special packs, collaborations or retros they do, Spezial’s magnum opus will always be the Handball. Usually, the adidas Handball Spezial is reserved for muted colourways, but these JD exclusives have switched it up on the colour wheel. Aptly dubbed the ’South Beach’ pack, this duo have gone for the classic Miami blue and pink combo. Each is an inverse of the other, with a mostly pink pair boasting blue accents and then the opposite. Adding extra sauce is the gold branding details on the tongue and lateral, alongside plush suede uppers with pristine leather Three Stripes. Rounding out this iteration is the gum sole, which is featured on almost all Spezial Handballs – back in the 70s, they used gum soles so the timber handball floors wouldn’t get scuffed. Both the blue and pink colourways in the adidas Handball Spezial ‘South Beach’ pack are out right now exclusively to JD Sports. Tap that link below to cop!

jesus fucking christ! ANOTHER LEFT-FOOTED RWer????????????? and one who was still 17yo 2 months ago

Tom Sachs X Nikecraft: General Purpose Shoe (Studio) https://store.tomsachs.com/collections/frontpage/products/nikecraft-general-purpose-shoe-studio Your sneakers should not be the most exciting thing about you. They are tools. They do their job so you can do yours. It took us 10 years to make a sneaker this simple, as simple as can be and no simpler. The NikeCraft General Purpose Shoe is the new uniform for the Tom Sachs Studio team. It could be your uniform too. The NikeCraft General Purpose Shoe features: Exclusive Studio colorway Durable knitted upper material (open enough to breath, tight enough to ward off a few raindrops) 3-piece molded cup sole: Durable rubber outsole, soft gum rubber midsole and EVA foam core Blue nylon herringbone donning straps Debossed “NIKE” logo in Tom Sachs’ handwriting on heel Premium microfiber collar Size chart ranging from Women's US 5-14.5, 15.5, and 16.5 and Men's US 3.5-13, 14, and 15 S/N: 2020.331 Nike #DA6672-200 Made in Vietnam NikeCraft products are manufactured to the exact specifications of champion athletes throughout the world. The design and construction of NikeCraft products support all the activities of your life and tell your story. NikeCraft shuns innovation for its own sake, but embraces it as a necessity. Top quality products fulfill their intended purpose while remaining as hard-wearing as possible. Before recycling, there is reuse. Before reuse, there is durability.

INSANE🤬

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/157944668/liverpool Mo Salah reaches 52 G/A in 39 games with Liverpool this season. Insane.

Galatasaray https://thedailybriefing.io/i/157944668/galatasaray Didier Drogba sends a message to Galatasaray after José Mourinho was accused of racism: “Dear Galatasaray… You know how proud I was to wear the yellow and red jersey, also my love for the most decorated club in Turkey. We all know how passionate and heated rivalries can be, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience it. I’ve seen the recent comments about José Mourinho. Trust me when I tell you I have known José for 25 years and he is 𝐧𝐨𝐭 a racist and history (past and recent) is there to prove it. Let’s focus on our games, support our brilliant lions and let’s win the league to get close to our 5 stars. How can my dad be a racist… come on guys.”

Anneliese Dodds resigns over Keir Starmer’s aid budget cuts The MP for Oxford East says it was ‘not a decision I wanted to make’ and the prime minister’s order would ‘bolster Russia and China’ https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/anneliese-dodds-quits-cabinet-over-starmers-aid-budget-cuts-dxc0fxd00 Anneliese Dodds, the international development minister, has resigned from the government over Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to cut the international aid budget to pay for an increase in defence spending. In a scathing letter to the prime minister, Dodds said that pulling back from development spending would bolster Russia and China. Dodds accused Starmer of abandoning the world’s poorest with a political decision that appeared to be “following in president Trump’s slipstream”. She also attacked the prime minister for refusing to have a cabinet debate about whether to raise the additional money needed for defence spending through tax rises or increased borrowing. Instead, she said he had taken a “tactical decision” for the overseas aid budget “to absorb the whole burden”, suggesting that he had tried to take an “easy path” to securing Britain’s defence. Dodds said she had delayed the announcement until after Starmer’s visit to Washington to avoid disrupting his attempt to reach a deal on Ukraine but pointedly confirmed she was only told about the cuts the day before they were announced. “These cuts will remove food and healthcare from desperate people — deeply harming the UK’s reputation,” Dodds wrote. “You have maintained that you want to continue support for Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine; for vaccination; for climate; and for rules-based systems. Yet it will be impossible to maintain these priorities given the depth of the cut; the effect will be far greater than presented.” Dodds’s departure is the first resignation over policy of Starmer’s government and threatens to galvanise growing left-wing discontent within Labour. She was Starmer’s first choice as shadow chancellor when he became Labour leader and his demotion of her has been seen as a sign of how he has marginalised the party’s soft left. Dodds said she had been willing to find some savings from the aid budget to boost defence spending, but told Starmer she had “expected we would collectively discuss our fiscal rules and approach to taxation, as other nations are doing”. She warned that even raising defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP may be “only the start”. “It will be impossible to raise the substantial resources needed just through tactical cuts to public spending,” she said. She said there were “no easy paths” to increasing defence spending. “Strategic decisions for the sake of our country’s security cannot be ducked,” she added. Dodds said that the cuts would force the UK to stop providing aid across large swathes of the world. “The cut will likely lead to a UK pull out from numerous African, Caribbean and western Balkan nations at a time when Russia has been aggressively increasing its global presence,” she wrote. She added that it would also leave the UK “shut out of numerous multilateral bodies” and “having a reduced voice” in the G7, G20 and climate negotiations. “All this while China is seeking to rewrite the global rules and when the climate crisis is the biggest security threat of them all.” Dodds stressed that she would continue to support Starmer’s government, but her decision was hailed by critics of the prime minister’s decision. Sarah Champion, the Labour chair of the Commons international development committee, praised Dodds’s “honourable” decision, suggesting that she had no option but to resign. “You knew cuts were unworkable to deliver the PM’s commitments but held back resigning to not mar the DC visit,” she told her.

She hoped Trump’s victory would change her life, but not like this Ryleigh Cooper is normally more focused on motherhood than politics. Then came DOGE. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/27/fired-federal-worker-trump-voter/ BALDWIN, Mich. — Ryleigh Cooper exhaled as she slid onto the couch after nine hours of work for the U.S. Forest Service, still covered in the blue paint she used to mark trees for local loggers. Then she got the text. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” her union leader wrote. It was the second Thursday in February, and a historic White House purge aimed at federal workers like Cooper was sweeping the country. But the headlines felt far away from her life in rural Michigan. She figured her job, with paychecks totaling about $40,000 a year, would be safe from the cost-cutting campaign led by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. Besides, motherhood was her most pressing concern. Cooper, 24, and her husband were trying to get pregnant, but the doctor said that IVF might be their best chance. Trump had promised to make it free. That is what she thought about in the voting booth. Now she was staring at her phone, learning that probationary workers in the Forest Service were the next to be fired by his administration. Cooper was likely to be one of them, her union head told her. Her eyes watered. She knew it wasn’t personal. Every day brought new rumors of cuts, and her performance evaluation from last fall found her “fully successful” — the highest possible score. She reminded herself that she had done everything right: graduated college with a 3.5 GPA, finished her first semester of work toward a master’s degree in forestry with a 4.0, rescued two dogs and two cats from the local shelter, chosen a man who held her on the shower floor when she found out she had endometriosis, a condition that can lead to infertility, and told her, “It’s okay, there is more than one way to be a parent.” She thought about the Facebook posts she had seen a few days earlier. “It’s February 3,” her grandmother posted, “and we’re going in the right direction.” “Any government employee who is afraid of transparency,” wrote the man who taught her AP government class in high school, “is a criminal!” Cooper knew the people in her life meant well, but she wanted her future to be different from theirs. She had grown up watching her family struggle as her mother lost one job, then another, then another. She was just a few months shy of her graduate degree and close to a promotion that could nearly double her salary. Even $50,000 or $60,000 a year, she thought, could help get her a house a few counties over, with better schools. For now, she and her husband lived in Baldwin, a village of about 1,000 people where the high school track is made of cracked concrete and weeds. They had purchased their home because it was cheap, less than $150,000, and close to their families, who could help with child care. It takes three minutes to drive past Baldwin’s one post office, one bar and one bowling alley, which also serves pancakes and omelets for breakfast. The median household income is about $23,000, according to the most recent American Community Survey, putting it among the poorest towns in Michigan. In the winter, locals ice fish from shanties warmed by propane heaters and drive snowmobiles to bars. In the summer, they drive lawn mowers to gas stations, though Cooper said she would never do that. Most people in Baldwin like Trump; more than 62 percent in Lake County, which includes the town, voted for him in November and in 2020. But people don’t talk about it. Politics here, at least until recently, felt removed from everyday worries. Now it was in her living room, as she turned to her husband and burst into tears. “I think I’m getting fired,” she said. Getting fired meant she would no longer have health insurance, including the 12 weeks of paid maternity leave that was a guaranteed benefit of her federal service. Also gone would be the promotion that would allow her to plan for the kids she so badly wanted to have. She wondered if Trump was going to break his promise to make IVF free, and if it would even matter if he did. Her husband sat beside her and squeezed her hand, still processing. Together they had been counting. Sixteen days until they could try again. Twenty-eight until she could take her next test. After she was sexually assaulted at 16, Cooper had sworn she would never be caught unprepared. But here she was. Betrayed by her body, which would not cooperate. Betrayed by her family, who supported firing federal workers like her. And, perhaps most painfully, betrayed by herself. Cooper did not want to think about what happened three months prior but her mind went there anyway. To the voting booth in Baldwin’s town hall, where she filled out every part of the ballot before turning to the box that said “Presidential.” She recalled staring at it for 15 minutes. She did not want to vote for Trump. Cooper hated what he said about women and hated how he treated them. Her family always said the women who accused the president of sexual assault had either made it up or deserved it. Cooper heard them and kept her own experience a secret, thinking that they might feel the same way about her. She voted for Joe Biden in 2020, her first time casting a ballot in a presidential election. But life felt more complicated these days. Her mortgage was too expensive, groceries were nearly $400 a month, and one single cycle of IVF could cost more than 10 percent of her annual household income. Trump, at a campaign stop an hour and a half south of her, had promised to make IVF free. She knew that from a video clip she saw on TikTok. And she had believed him. She also believed him when he said that Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for the next Republican administration that suggested mass cuts to the federal workforce, was not his plan. So Cooper filled in the bubble next to his name, thinking of the daughter she wanted. She planned to name her Charlotte. The days after she got the text passed quickly. A call from the district ranger, who is in charge of the Forest Service in Baldwin, telling her to pack up her things. A box of printed performance reviews and tree identification books and a framed picture from her wedding last fall under a willow tree. A text from her co-worker who brought candy to refill the jar at her desk but arrived to find it, and her, gone. Four days after Trump fired her, Cooper was in bed with her husband. She picked up her phone and saw the news. There was a new executive order to expand access to IVF. She read the White House fact sheet, which talked about Trump’s request for policy recommendations to reduce costs of the service. But it still wasn’t free, and she was out of a job and out of a plan. “Delivering on promises for American families,” read the White House’s announcement. “That’s bulls---”, she recalled thinking, and put down her phone. The Ultimate "Leopards Ate My Face" Rendition

https://bsky.app/profile/bamjcasta.bsky.social/post/3lj5567kfus2a

THIS is the level of batshit crazy that is infecting the US. An American friend of mine's mother received this text from a Trumper MAGAt long-time friend of hers (verbatim, with the original typos): ------------------------------------------------------------------------- “The future is going Tobe great and things are going to improve drasticallygor the better! You are going To be amazed at the improvement that is going to happen with God leading and directing the uncovering of what has occurred over the years. Uncovering stupid spending of billions of dollars and some people that are dead are still receiving social security benefits! Ilnow your distatste for the conservative party but the media is leading you astray by spreading their lies. I do a lot of research. My sister and my oldest daughter are NBC CBS and the other news media outlets and I am saddened. God’s Word says “ my. people perish for lack of knowledge”. I am going to boldly tell you something that you will reject but it is the truth and the prophets of today are 100% in agreement. President Trump is God’s annointed one to lead this nation back to a Christian nation and respected by the other nations. He has a cabinet that is appointed by God and all are on the same page and united. God also says “touch not my annointed”. God is still on the throne and HE is in charge. I will ask you one question to dwell on “why did Jesus shed HIS BLOOD on CALVERY’S CROSS”? Jesus is Lord and King. HE is going to return to receive those that are HIS but not those that are not. I am a born again and saved Jesus is my LORD and SSVIOUR. I am through preaching but not testifying to my relationship with Jesus Christ and what happened at the CROSS and Jesus rise from the dead on the 3rd day. And how it has affected mankind. I accepted Jesus as my Saviour and LORD many years ago and I can face each day because Jesus is ALIVE. The Holy Spirit lives with in my heart. I am so blessed!! I will always love you even if we have different views but I love Jesus more than anyone or anything. Heaven is my Home when my life ends here on earth. Yes I am a Jesus “freak”but I share that label with many. April will probably be our trip to Atascosa. It should be spring weather by that time. Yes life is going to change for the better with God at the helm - in spite of those attempting to stop HIS going forward. Satan is defeated! Those interfering will be judged. Just so you understand I am not above sinning - but repenting erases the sin. All sin and come short of the Glory of God. I am in that group. ❤️❤️🫂🫂🙏🙏” -------------------------------------------------------------------------