Books Jo Walton Reads Jo Walton’s Reading List: November 2024 Space stations, selkies, Grendel, and a reminder about this year’s Best Series Hugo nominations By Jo Walton | Published on December 4, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share November began in Chicago with friends, and I took the train to Plymouth, Massachusetts, where I saw some Boston friends, and then I came home to Montreal, where I still am. I was writing in Chicago and Plymouth and have been writing a bit at home too, and I have high hopes of finishing this novel this year. I read twelve books, and they were an assorted lot, as usual. Alliance Rising — C.J. Cherryh and Jane Fancher (2019) Re-read, because the sequel came out. Set before Downbelow Station and indeed at the earliest point of chronology of any book in the Alliance-Union series, this is an exciting space adventure about a struggling space station and the struggling FTL merchanters who supply her. There are factions and alliances, parts of it are very tense and exciting. This is generally an excellent novel in Cherryh’s own tradition—if you like Ann Leckie or Arkady Martine, you should be reading Cherryh and this is a good place to start. If you have already been reading Cherryh, then you will notice some things that would be invisible to a reader who started here, which is an interesting experience. Knowing the future history of this universe affects what you can hope for. A Sweet Sting of Salt — Rose Sutherland (2024) Selkie romance novel set in Nova Scotia that didn’t quite work for me—I wanted it to be more overtly fantastical. Or less. That would have worked too. There’s a problem with genre which is that if the reader knows that one of the characters is a selkie, if the book is sold and recommended as being about a selkie, if it says in the blurb that it’s a “stunning queer reimagining of the classic folktale The Selkie Wife” then the writer cannot keep the selkie bit as an exciting surprise for later. The other characters may or may not know, but the reader knows, and so teasing the question just does not work. There’s a lot of very good detail of everyday life, and while I think the village is idealised into being less racist and less homophobic than it really would have been, that’s the kind of thing books like this do. But this annoyed me by treating the selkie thing both as a Big Revelation and as a cause of a Big Misunderstanding (my least favourite genre romance trope)—and as both it gets smoothed over much too fast. It’s not as if I was saying “Where’s the selkie, I thought there was supposed to be a selkie?” It was really obvious who was the selkie, and how the story was being retold, and that would have been fine except that it was written as if the reader was supposed to be surprised and excited at the “revelation.” Disappointing. Siena: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval City — Jane Stevenson (2022) Not quite as good as Light of Italy, Stevenson’s book on Urbino, but nevertheless an excellent volume on the history of Siena which clarified many things and answered many questions. I think this would be readable even if you know nothing about anything, and Stevenson writes in a lively engaging style. I’ve just looked her up to check that she is, indeed, an academic, which she is, but I discovered that she’s also written a historical fiction trilogy about Elizabeth of Bohemia secretly marrying an African prince, which sounds amazing, but sadly does not have a US edition. Get on that, publishers! Anyway, if you’re interested in Siena, and in the ways Italian city states were independent republics and then stopped being independent republics, read this. I learned a lot. The Barbie Murders — John Varley (1980, alternate title Picnic on Nearside) Re-read. It was interesting re-reading this after so long. Varley’s natural length is the short form, and all his best work is novella-length or shorter, and this collection contains some of his best work. When they first appeared they were startling and full of new ideas that made my head explode, and when I find that the Suck Fairy has been at them and I did not enjoy reading some of them now it feels like a betrayal of my fifteen-year-old self. I can find my fifteen-year-old head really easily, and my fifteen-year-old head is yelling at me for not seeing how brill these are, and really, is right. In the context of 1980 this was an astonishing collection, and I see why I thought so. But with my present head, it feels patchy and like a historical artefact of a moment of science fiction more than like something I actually enjoyed reading. Slow Dance — Rainbow Rowell (2024) An adult romance novel from Rowell, and I loved it. It also made me realise how seldom I see real contemporary American working-class people in fiction, because that’s what we have here. A divorced mother of two from Ohio who’s never seen the ocean and her best friend from school who’s in the navy find a way across their mutual spikiness and history towards eventual happiness. Really well written, as you’d expect, and powerful. Alliance Unbound — C.J. Cherryh and Jane Fancher (2024) Don’t read this without reading Alliance Rising first. And if you have read other Cherryh Alliance-Union books I guarantee there is something in here that will make you choke on your tea. I thought this was great and it had a really powerful end. I couldn’t put it down once I started it. But what I want to say isn’t that. What I want to say is that we have a Best Series Hugo now, and if we don’t nominate the Alliance-Union series this year when there is a new book out in it, we may not ever have another chance. Cherryh was born in 1942; she’s 82. She’s going to write a finite number of new books. The award is for the series, not for the new volume. This series has been going since 1981, it has won two Hugos for individual volumes (Downbelow Station and Cyteen), it is one of the best series ever, one of the series that has shaped what stories of future history and space can be. And there’s a thing that happens where women writers become invisible as they get older. They keep writing, and selling books, but they don’t get award recognition and visibility. I understand that it’s easy to get excited about a new writer, and hard to stay excited about someone continuing to be excellent, but I don’t understand why this happens disproportionately to women. But anyway, if you have read any book in the Alliance-Union universe you can nominate the series for Best Series Hugo next year, and you should keep that in mind when it comes to nomination time. Are there five series with a volume out in 2024 that you think are better than this one? Really? If not, remember that it’s eligible and give it a nomination slot alongside the new hot things. Grendel’s Guide to Love and War — A.E. Kaplan (2017) A version of Beowulf set in modern American suburbia, but so very different from Maria Dahvana Headley’s The Mere Wife even though they both have characters with PTSD and use Grendel’s POV. Anyway, this is very good and clever, very enjoyable, much more enjoyable to read, but much less serious. Kaplan is a very gripping writer, and the parallels are fun, and I really liked the community here, and the old women with so much agency. Seen from a different angle, this is a YA book about grief, and a very good one, and it might be better to think of it as that with Beowulf sprinkles than as a retelling. Lyra Celtica — edited by Elizabeth A. Sharp and William Sharp (1896) This is a very strange poetry anthology. Edited by William Sharp, who wrote poetry as Fiona Macleod, and his wife. The Sharps have collected and translated, or had translated, a lot of traditional Celtic poetry from Irish, Scots Gaelic, Welsh, Breton, and Manx, and then added a lot of contemporary (to them) poetry from poets of those nationalities, but who mostly wrote in English, including a fair sprinkling of William Sharp’s own work. It’s arranged by nation. This volume contains some things that are stunningly bad, but also a lot that is surprisingly delightful. I found it on Gutenberg when I was looking for something completely different, and I’m not at all sorry I read it. I like assorted anthologies, and this one was very assorted indeed, and contained a lot of poets I’d never heard of. Wooing the Witch Queen — Stephanie Burgis (2025) I got an advance copy because I saw two reviews that made it sound like a ton of fun. It is a ton of fun, but it wasn’t what I expected from the way people described it. It’s romantasy, and it’s about a serious nerdy young queen who’s leaning hard on projecting “evil” to defend her kingdom from her usurping uncle and an invading empire, and a young archduke in disguise who’s working as her librarian. In many ways it is a gothic, except that the young person who comes to the scary house to work and falls in love with the owner is the man. Just what I wanted on a pain day. Marry Me in Italy — Nicky Pellegrino (2024) Romance novel set in Italy. Nicky Pellegrino was my find of 2020, I have read all her books and pre-ordered this one but saved it for when I was home. It has two stories which twine together around food and Italy. Pellegrino is very good at writing about Italy, and also about writing about people reconsidering their lives and priorities. Both women here do this. Really very good example of the genre. The Edinburgh Mystery: And Other Tales of Scottish Crime — edited by Martin Edwards (2022) In the series of British Library Crime Classics that collects short mystery stories. There’s a fascinating gem from Josephine Tey here, and a generally very high level of stories. The Conan Doyle is a little bit of nothing, but apart from that these were almost all great. I wonder if it’s because the theme was Scotland, and not a thing that lends itself to less variety like “country house weekends” or “police detectives.” I always really enjoy these whatever the theme, but this one felt much more varied than most. There’s a Welsh one, I may get that next. Before the Coffee Gets Cold — Toshikazu Kawaguchi (2015) Translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot. Odd little novel about a cafe in Tokyo which has a very limited kind of time travel—you have to sit in a particular seat, usually occupied by a ghost, and available only when the ghost goes to the bathroom. You can only meet someone who has been in the cafe, nothing you can do can change the present, and you can only stay in the past until the coffee gets cold. Within these restrictions, the novel weaves a number of changes, though they are of necessity small-scale and not world changing—people changing things in their own lives. The book is sweet and surprisingly interesting, partly, I think, because it is a glimpse of a different culture with different assumptions. [end-mark] The post Jo Walton’s Reading List: November 2024 appeared first on Reactor.

When I came across this video by the Babylon Bee, a popular satire website, I couldn’t stop laughing. Imagine a Woke Apocalypse (The Woking Dead, as the channel joked) with people turning into politically correct zombies. It’s a take-off on the popular series, The Walking Dead, and as usual with The Bee, it’s right on target. Realistically, many of our institutions have been infected by the Woke Virus, causing a near-apocalyptic situation in the United States. The only cure is regular exposure to logic and getting folks out of the echo chamber. I hope this video brought you a giggle, too. Have any of your friends or family members succumbed to the infection? Let’s discuss it in the comments section. The post Scenes from “The Woking Dead” (HUMOR) appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

President-elect Donald Trump’s confirmation last month of his plan to deploy military assets for immigration enforcement sparked a constitutional debate. Legal scholars and commentators quickly declared such action forbidden by long-standing prohibitions on military involvement in domestic law enforcement. But this conventional wisdom misreads both the letter and spirit of American law. A careful examination of a pair of longstanding statutes reveals military support for immigration enforcement is permissible. The issue hinges on two 19th century laws: the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 and the Insurrection Act of 1807. When properly understood, both allow the president to use active-duty military forces to support the deportation of illegal immigrants. Posse Comitatus: A Firewall Between the Military and Law Enforcement Since our nation’s founding, Americans have been wary of standing armies and their role in civilian affairs. Concerns about military involvement in domestic law enforcement dates back to colonial experiences under British rule, particularly the quartering of British troops in civilian homes and their use to enforce British law. This experience was so troubling that it influenced several key elements of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The Third Amendment, ratified in 1791, explicitly prohibits American soldiers from occupying private homes inside the county during peacetime. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, informed by a distrust of a large military force employed against its citizenry, codified the separation of military and civilian law enforcement. This act established a firewall between military force and civilian law enforcement. The term “posse comitatus,” Latin for “power of the country,” dates back to the medieval England tradition of local sheriffs organizing citizens to assist in maintaining public order. A form of this practice made its way to the American Old West: Sheriffs called for volunteers—“a posse” of the county—to chase down bandits. This power allowed sheriffs to deputize civilians to temporarily suppress lawlessness and maintain order. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 derives its name from this practice with a crucial distinction: It specifically prohibits the military from acting as this civilian force. The law’s architects recognized that using soldiers instead of citizens for domestic law enforcement would fundamentally alter the relationship between military power and civil society. They sought to ensure that federal troops were kept out of local law enforcement. Yet this legislative barrier against using military force for domestic law enforcement is not absolute. Congress regularly makes exceptions, allowing military support to civilian law enforcement for actions such as protecting federal property, conducting domestic counterterror operations, and engaging in counterdrug efforts. In cases related to immigration enforcement, courts have ruled the Posse Comitatus Act only prohibits direct military involvement in law enforcement actions such as detaining citizens. Support activities, from transportation to surveillance, remain legal. This distinction between direct enforcement and support operations provides the legal basis for Trump’s proposed use of military assets in his planned deportation program. Military Assets Against Illegal Immigration Today: U.S. Troops at the Southwest Border The military currently provides support for immigration enforcement. Today, roughly 4,000 service members assist Customs and Border Protection along the southwest border. They operate surveillance aircraft, transport Border Patrol personnel, and maintain vehicles. These activities fall within the established legal framework for military support of immigration operations. The incoming administration has the potential to significantly expand this support role. Military aircraft could transport detainees, military installations could provide temporary housing facilities, and military personnel could assist with administrative and logistical tasks. None of these activities would violate Posse Comitatus because they do not involve direct law enforcement actions. The Insurrection Act: A Broad Authority for Military Force But what about using military forces to support law enforcement and enforce the law? This is where the Insurrection Act becomes crucial. The Insurrection Act, a composite of laws enacted between 1792 and 1807, represents a significant exception to the traditional separation of military and civilian law enforcement in the United States. The act grants presidents extraordinary power to deploy federal troops on American soil—a power that is typically forbidden but also vitally important to the success of federalism. The act’s broad language, largely unchanged since the Civil War, allows presidents to deploy troops whenever they believe domestic unrest, rebellion, or resistance to federal law makes normal enforcement impossible. This extensive authority is rooted in Congress’s constitutional power to call forth the militia to “execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions,” as described in the Constitution. The act effectively creates a presidential override of the prohibitions against using military forces for domestic law enforcement. What was initially conceived as an emergency power for a young nation now stands as a powerful tool for Trump, who might see state resistance to federal immigration enforcement as justification for military deployment. Illegal Immigrant Safe Havens: Local Government Resistance to Federal Law Some jurisdictions have already declared their intention to resist federal immigration enforcement. Six states have already publicly announced plans to resist Trump’s plan to deport thousands of undocumented immigrants. Under the Insurrection Act, such resistance justifies the use of military force. The deployment of military forces by a president inside the United States to enforce the law when local governments refuse to do so is not unprecedented. This happened several times during the Civil Rights era, most famously when President Dwight Eisenhower invoked the Insurrection Act to send the 101st Airborne to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957 when state officials obstructed federal desegregation orders. Nearly seven decades later, the principle remains unchanged: Local authorities cannot nullify federal law. If they attempt to do so, the president has authority to direct military power to enforce it. Invocation of the Insurrection Act in such an instance would permit American troops to detain undocumented immigrants inside the United States. The Constitution provides remedies when state and local authorities obstruct federal law enforcement. The incoming administration has legal authority to use military assets to support immigration enforcement. Those who claim otherwise misunderstand both the law and its historical context. Originally published by Real Clear Wire We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Yes, the President Can Deploy Troops to Enforce Immigration Law appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Children are often told little white lies that can be mistaken as facts. Most of the time we can figure out the truth on our own, like that fact that no (sadly), carrots don't actually give you night vision. The problem is some of those fun little myths that adults tell us as kids can stay with us later on in life. They might seem harmless, but some of these myths can actually be downright... Source

Sometimes, losing weight is difficult and I personally believe it’s because people refer to the process as ‘dieting’. However, if you are looking for a ‘lifestyle change’ instead of ‘dieting’ then losing those extra pounds and learning to burn body fat isn't as much of a dreaded chore. Instead it’ll become a victory that you can celebrate every single day! So, the first step is tossing that word completely! All Natural Solutions To Burn Body Fat A lifestyle change… A lifestyle that’ll become natural to you over time. It’ll be the small victories that’ll mean the most. Remembering that you are doing this for yourself and NO ONE ELSE will take you further than you thought possible. You alone are in charge of your health and fitness and it’ll become the best gift you have ever given yourself. You can’t put a price on that! My goal with this article is to get you started based on my personal experience. These are basic steps to get you started and well on your way to a healthier YOU! In this article, I’ll cover the following: The importance of protein (I’ll also include a list of protein rich foods) Low calorie foods Teas you can drink to burn fat Healthy snacks Daily workout Online support Before I begin, I wish you all great success in this journey! Let’s get started! The Importance Of Protein Every cell in your body contains protein. Having and keeping protein in your daily diet helps your body to repair tissue and to make enzymes. Most importantly, protein is the building block for your muscles, bones, cartilage, blood, and skin. Now, the question of “how much protein do I need per day?”. The US Department of Agriculture recommends that all men and women over the age of 19 should get at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (or 0.37 grams per pound). That means a woman who is 130 pounds should get at least 48 grams of protein, which could look like 7 ounces of salmon or 7 eggs. ( source ) Here is a list of foods that are rich in protein, including vegetarian options: Chicken breast – 23.5 grams Egg whites – 11 grams Salmon – 23 grams Sardines – 25 grams Halibut – 27 grams Tuna – 23.8 grams Turkey breast – 17 grams Lentils – 9 grams Black beans – 9 grams Chickpeas – 9 grams Chia seeds – 16 grams Cashew nuts – 18 grams Peanuts – 28 grams Almonds – 21 grams **Grams of protein per 100 gram serving Low Calorie Foods Here is a list of low calorie healthy foods that would make great additions to any meal or eaten as a snack. Cucumber – 16 calories Apple – 52 calories Celery – 16 calories Kale – 49 calories Tomato – 17 calories Orange – 47 calories Zucchini – 17 calories Brussel sprouts – 43 calories Asparagus – 20 calories Beets – 43 calories Cauliflower – 25 calories Grapefruit – 43 calories Watermelon – 30 calories Onions – 40 calories Carrots – 41 calories Mushrooms – 38 calories Broccoli – 34 calories Cabbage – 25 calories **calories based on per 100 gram servings 7 Teas You Can Drink To Burn Fat Here is a list of teas and their individual roles in helping your body burn fat and lose weight: White tea – breaks down stored fat Barberry tea – blocks fat cells from growing Oolong tea – burns up to a pound a week Green tea – increases your metabolism Mate tea – helps to burn calories Mint tea – suppresses hunger Goji tea – helps to burn calories Healthy Snacks Here’s a list of healthy delicious snacks that are under 100 calories! Apple slices with organic peanut butter – ¾ cup of sliced apples and 2 teaspoons of organic peanut butter. Hard boiled egg –  they are packed with protein and only 78 calories. Blueberries – they are packed with antioxidants and are only 83 calories for a 1 cup serving. Almonds – they are packed with protein and are a great energy booster. You can eat 14 almonds for less than 100 calories. Pistachios – they are loaded with protein and 20 pistachios are around 80 calories. Cranberries – ¼ cup of dried cranberries are just 93 calories. Daily Workout If you are looking for an effective (fat burning) daily workout for beginners, then this is it! Start with this routine in the morning hours: 10 jumping jacks 10 squats 10 calf raises 10 side reaches 10 lunges 10 jumping jacks 10 squats Remember to rest your body as needed. When beginning any workout routine, you should start with 3 days a week and work your way up. Also, remember to stay hydrated. You should consume 8 – 8oz glasses of water a day. Online Support As I mentioned before, you should make this lifestyle change only for yourself because, after all, your health and well being is ultimately up to you. However, it is also important to have support. Online support is a great place to start. For example, consider joining a Facebook group or other social media groups with like minded individuals. This is a great way to share your personal story and to read testimonies from others. It is also a great way to gain insight and to get advice about the next steps in your journey. There are so many great resources and tons of valuable information available online. With technology of today, your options as you go along are virtually limitless! **The information within this article is for informational purposes only. Read our full disclaimer here. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook! Check out these articles on other ways to maintain a healthier lifestyle: 7 Tips to Developing Healthy Eating Habits In Your Kids 13 Delicious and Healthy Ground Turkey Recipes 16 Healthy Dinner Recipes Under 600 Calories  

Teetering on the Edge: Europe's 'It's Only Money' Has Suddenly Become 'It's ALL About Money'

Do you get the sniffles when Tiddles gets too close? There could one day be a solution in the form of anti-allergy cats, and thanks to new research, that day just got a step closer.

You may feel cold, but technically you are in the Sun's atmosphere.

CBS’s host of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert, and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel were displeased on their Tuesday shows that some people are still criticizing President Joe Biden for pardoning his son, Hunter. For both men, the re-election of Donald Trump makes such criticisms moot. For his part, Colbert focused on the intra-party squabbles, “Now, some of Joe's fellow Democrats are also a little upset. Colorado Senator Michael Bennet tweeted, ‘President Biden's decision to put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans' faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.’” Colbert was unmoved, “Okay, not sure how much interest Americans have in the idea of justice right now. After all, we had an election, and we did just re-elect a guy whose slogan was ‘Like my crime? Then hit me, baby, one more time.’”     Speaking of Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis was next to face Colbert’s ridicule, “Democratic Governor Jared Polis said that President Biden has a bigger family to think about, because "When you become president, your role is Pater familias of the nation." Yes, the president is the nation's dad. We all remember FDR’s immortal words.” Colbert then played a spoof of Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy” speech with the fake FDR declaring, “December 7th, 1941, a date which you promised to shovel the walk! Do it quick, and I won't tell your mother, who’s also my cousin. Weird time to tell you, but there you go.” Meanwhile, over at ABC, Kimmel focused on the GOP response, “Back home in Washington, Republicans are absolutely exploding with pretend outrage after President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter. One of those who expressed righteous indignation is Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who warned us of the long-term perils associated with a situation like this.” In a clip, Cornyn proclaimed, “It's a terrible example. Because without any accountability for people breaking the law, getting a pass, in other words, there is no deterrent effect or no accountability that teaches our young people and others that, yes, you need to follow the law. And yes, there are consequences if you don't.” The CSPAN clip was then edited to show footage of an audience laughing at Cornyn. For his part, Kimmel, clearly alluding to Trump, responded, “And you know what? People say politicians have no sense of humor. These guys have seriously got to be kidding with this. I don't think I can take it—they do it with a straight face over and over again.” What Colbert and Kimmel don't get is that the Hunter pardon is not an attempt by Biden to apply Trumpian standards to his son, but the continuation of a swampy tradition that predates Trump, which makes all the Trump criticism look like a one-sided power play. Here are transcripts for the December 3 shows: CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 12/3/2024 11:38 PM ET STEPHEN COLBERT: Now, some of Joe's fellow Democrats are also a little upset. Colorado Senator Michael Bennet tweeted, "President Biden's decision to put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans' faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all."  Okay, not sure how much interest Americans have in the idea of justice right now. After all, we had an election, and we did just re-elect a guy whose slogan was "Like my crime? Then hit me, baby, one more time."  Now, come in close, come in close, I can’t do it yet. I can’t bring myself to do it. Democratic Governor Jared Polis said that President Biden has a bigger family to think about, because "When you become president, your role is Pater familias of the nation." Yes, the president is the nation's dad. We all remember FDR’s immortal words. FAKE FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT: December 7th, 1941, a date which you promised to shovel the walk! Do it quick, and I won't tell your mother, who’s also my cousin. Weird time to tell you, but there you go. COLBERT: Just-- it was a weird time for him to bring that up. *** ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live! 12/3/2024 11:42 PM ET JIMMY KIMMEL: Meanwhile, back home in Washington, Republicans are absolutely exploding with pretend outrage after President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter. One of those who expressed righteous indignation is Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who warned us of the long-term perils associated with a situation like this. JOHN CORNYN: It's a terrible example. Because without any accountability for people breaking the law, getting a pass, in other words, there is no deterrent effect or no accountability that teaches our young people and others that, yes, you need to follow the law. And yes, there are consequences if you don't.  KIMMEL: And you know what? People say politicians have no sense of humor. These guys have seriously got to be kidding with this. I don't think I can take—they do it with a straight face over and over again.

Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister withdrew his bid to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration on Tuesday after becoming the subject of intense criticism for his past COVID enforcement and progressive policies.Chronister withdrew just days after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to head the DEA on Sunday. Within just a few days, it was uncovered that Chronister had bragged about arresting a local pastor for violating COVID regulations by hosting church services, released 165 inmates due to social-distancing regulations, withheld paid sick leave for deputies who were unvaccinated, encouraged social distancing on boats, and even celebrated Pride Month. 'Next time politicians lose their ever-lovin minds, he can redeem himself by following the Constitution.'"To have been nominated by President-Elect Donald Trump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime," Chronister said in a Tuesday post on X. "Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I've concluded that I must respectfully withdraw consideration." "There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling," Chronister continued. "I sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County." Chronister was met with backlash from prominent voices in the days after his nomination, most notably from Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. "I’m going to call 'em like I see 'em," Massie said in a Sunday post on X following the nomination. "Trump’s nominee for head of DEA should be disqualified for ordering the arrest of a pastor who defied COVID lockdowns.""This sheriff ordered the arrest of a pastor for holding services during the COVID panic," Massie said in a Tuesday post on X in response to the withdrawal. "He was tapped by Trump to head the DEA. Glad to see him withdraw from consideration. Next time politicians lose their ever-lovin minds, he can redeem himself by following the Constitution."Chronister is now the second Trump nominee to have withdrawn from their respective bids. Less than two weeks after his nomination in November, former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida dropped his bid for attorney general, claiming that he had become a political distraction for the Trump transition team. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!