The post When Cats Are Terrified of the Outside World: Olga’s Fears by Christopher Bays appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga. Outdoor cats enjoy their freedom and aren’t as vulnerable to obesity as indoor felines. Although they must dodge speeding vehicles, avoid predators, and deny their urges to consume antifreeze and other toxic chemicals, they rarely get bored. The rodents and songbirds keep them entertained until they’re ready to nap on the roof of a car or a neighbor’s lawn chair. Olga’s Origin After Olga and her siblings were born, their owner dumped them in a ditch. I’m unsure if she was born outdoors or how long she stayed in the ditch before the Humane Society rescued her, but the experience may have affected her love of the natural world. She’s an indoor feline who has never attempted to run outside. She runs to the front door when she hears the doorbell, naps on the windowsill, and stays glued to the windows near the bird feeder, but she doesn’t seem interested in venturing out. When the birds in my backyard get too close to the backdoor, Olga attacks the blinds and rubs her paws on the glass, which sounds like someone cleaning a windshield with a squeegee. I didn’t know Black-eyed Juncos could tolerate our climate. Are they migratory birds? Avoiding the Backyard If I open the door, she runs away. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about her sneaking out, but it’s strange that she’s afraid of the backyard, even when it’s full of squawking birds. I like birds and wouldn’t encourage her to hunt them, but I’m more concerned about the anoles and skinks in my yard. They’re easier to hunt, and if Olga developed a taste for them, there would be fewer around to eat houseflies, gnats, mosquitos, and roaches. Olga may also hesitate to step outdoors because of the large canine population in my neighborhood. However, she’s more alarmed by the sound of helicopters, hot air balloons, and garbage trucks than barking dogs. She doesn’t have much experience with canines and didn’t seem too concerned when a large stray somehow squeezed through a gap in my fence and happily defecated near her favorite bird feeder. Christopher, you need to dust off the ceiling fan blades. The Snow Day A few years ago, I walked outside with Olga to see what she thought about the snow covering my yard. We were outside for less than a minute, but she couldn’t wait to get back inside. She jumped off my shoulder, walked cautiously toward the back door, and screamed at me to show her disapproval. I’m sure that didn’t improve her view of the outside world, but she’s just as reluctant to go outdoors when the grass is green and the wildlife is plentiful. I don’t feel as guilty about depriving her of the fresh air when she seems content to play with tools and destroy the furniture. She stays in shape by running laps around the house and playing fetch, and while she lights up when she sees a bird in the yard, she doesn’t get anxious or depressed by her confinement. House cats may have predator DNA and the instincts to chase and pounce, but Olga is happy in her indoor world. My ancestors may have loved the snow, but I don’t. This article is a part of Christopher and Olga's series. Read his previous article: When Toys Put Cats in a Trance: Olga’s Transformation The post When Cats Are Terrified of the Outside World: Olga’s Fears by Christopher Bays appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Books book announcement Erewhon Books Announces An Accident of Dragons by Cheri Radke The Dragon of Summer makes an unconventional choice in Teddy, the… special companion of the former Lord Summer. By Reactor | Published on November 25, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share An Accident of Dragons by Cheri Radke will be available Summer 2026 from Erewhon Books. Learn more about the book below, plus preview an excerpt! No one would have chosen a Lord Summer so wholly ill-suited for the role—no one except the Dragon of Summer herself, it would seem. An indolent and foppish peacock getting a bit old for his typical charms to play well, Teddy has no doubt that the nobles of Summer find him ridiculous. They all know that the only reason the dragon chose him was on account of his connection to the previous Lord Summer as his, uh, special companion. Still, as long as Teddy can keep the dragon happy, and her blessings continue to bring peace and prosperity to the Isle of Summer, surely he’s doing well enough. Right? When Summer lays a rare and highly valuable egg, Teddy’s care-free life threatens to fall apart as the egg’s unexpected appearance dredges up long-repressed memories, and outside forces turn avaricious eyes on the insular island. A mysterious, dragon-worshiping cult covets the egg, and when Teddy bungles a self-interested attempt to give it to them, they sail away with his young daughter instead. If he hopes to save her, Teddy can no longer afford to ignore how his personal shortcomings are putting his country and the people he loves at risk. To match wits with an ambitious sorceress who presents an unflattering mirror of his own flaws, he must face the reality of just how, precisely, he became Lord Summer.  Author Cheri Radke says: “For a fantasy book that aims to be cozy in tone, pulpy in plot, but literary in themes and character development, I couldn’t imagine a better home than Erewhon. I’m delighted to have this opportunity to work with Diana Pho to dive deep into the themes of imposter syndrome, middle age, the traps of gender expectations, the questionable costs of living in a seeming utopia… and of course dragons! Above all, I hope people will have fun reading An Accident of Dragons—maybe almost as much fun as I had writing from the point of view of my lovably ridiculous and whimsical narrator.” Editor Diana Pho added: “I could NOT stop smiling while reading this book! Teddy is a bit of a mess and not the noblest of men, but his wit and charisma won over my heart. I loved every single moment of his adventure living up to the title of Lord Summer. Readers looking for a fresh take on dragons and on queer cozy fantasy, for fans of John Wiswell, Emily Tesh, and Marie Brennan, will adore An Accident of Dragons!” A bad fit The first sign of something afoot was in the fit of my favorite evening jacket. It was not too tight across the belly, mercifully, but rather too tight across the shoulders and even in the arms. Many men would perhaps take a sanguine view of this development, but I confess I found it disconcerting. When a man is on the wrong side of forty, I suppose he has simply gotten used to the shape of his own body, allowing of course for seasonal fluctuations and changes of habit. Of late I had done nothing more strenuous than twirling ladies about the dance floor, so I harbored no delusions that this sudden muscular growth was of my own doing. My dragon was having her own way with me, it was clear. I had known such things might occur when I had entered my contract, but it had been seven years with no obvious changes to my person. I had rather thought I was too old to be affected so, that such gifts were the province of men and women who were born dragon-bonded. Where would it end? Could my clothes be let out, or would I require an entirely new wardrobe to be made for me? On second thought, that did not sound so bad. Still, I could not help but wonder about the why of the thing. Did the dragoness Summer feel I would need strength in the days to come? I did not hold with the idea that dragons are prescient in any way, but there was no question that Summer often knew a good deal more about the world and its happenings than I could ever fully account for. If she wanted me girded for a fight, well, I didn’t much savor the thought. I’d never been a fighter. I attempted to reach out to the dragon and ascertain what she meant by all this, but she was napping and utterly disinclined to acknowledge me. So that was that. Once I accepted that the jacket would fit as well as it would fit for the present, it was still early for my dinner engagement, but I thought I might check in on my wife. A ball for the equinox was coming up, and as we would be expected to appear prominently, I had several logistical considerations to discuss with her. Her apartment was one level above my own in the palace, so I trotted up the stone steps and let myself in. My stepson Brook was there, a lad of sixteen—no, seventeen! I’m sure he was seventeen—studying some text or other in a focused manner. I could swear he got bigger every time I looked at him, and he now struck me as comically oversized for the delicate settee he lounged across. My own darling little Zinnia, only five years old, played on the floor with a gray tabby cat. The particular animal was not familiar to me, but I was unsurprised by its presence. Cats were always following me and Zinny around. It all looked quite homey. Canna—that’s my lady—sat at her desk going through our official correspondence, but she set it aside at my entry and turned her attention to my thoughts on the ball. She was as capable as ever in absorbing the necessary details, despite my own rather chaotic style of imparting information. She even reminded me that we’d already gone over most of this, perhaps with an air of puzzlement over why exactly I had bothered to come. I think she suspected that I sometimes showed up out of boredom and loneliness more than having true business to discuss, though that was not fair at all. I knew Canna placed less importance on these shows of pageantry than I did, but I felt it was incumbent upon me to put on a good show for the people of Summer. It was truly the least I could do. Canna’s only concern about the festivities regarded the gown I had chosen for her. “I know I told you to pick whatever you like,” she said to me. “But I went for my fitting yesterday, and well, don’t you think it’s a bit much?” “I’ve no idea what you mean,” I said, all honesty. “It’s very close fitting and low cut, isn’t it? Won’t I look a bit ridiculous, dressing like a young thing?” “Nonsense!” I told her. “You’ve a figure as fine as anyone. I don’t see why you shouldn’t show it off. And it’s in fashion.” “If you really don’t think it will look odd…” “If you won’t be comfortable in it, of course we can choose something else,” I told her. “But ask yourself—why should I wish to make my wife look ridiculous? I assure you, it’s perfect, and you will look a marvel dancing in it.” I took her hand and spun her about the sitting room, and she laughed in almost girlish delight. I always loved to make Canna laugh, for a rare pleasure is all the more to be savored. “Besides, no one will be looking at you anyway. I’ll be right beside you, and I promise my outfit will be twice as outrageous, and I’ll be twice as pretty.” I winked at her. Canna laughed even more. I was feeling rather good about the whole thing—until I caught a glimpse of my stepson Brook frowning at me. Well, let him. Why should I feel guilty about flirting with my own wife? In fact, I had a sudden inclination to spend more time with her. “You know, I feel it’s been an age since I left the palace,” I said to her. “I thought I might go out sailing tomorrow.” “That sounds nice,” she replied without much interest. “Perhaps you’d like to join me?” I persevered. “Oh.” She looked a bit quizzical. “Wouldn’t you rather take a… friend out with you?” I knew what she meant, but I rather resented that she’d reference the idea of me having lovers in front of her son. The boy hated me enough as it was, and he surely knew what she was getting at as well as I did. It was all a little unfair anyway. For all my reputation as a libertine, I hadn’t been with a man in months. “I don’t have any friends,” I ended up saying. And that was perfectly true on both the literal level and what I’d meant to convey, though it came out quite a bit more pathetic than I had intended. Still, I am nothing if not swift to recover from social missteps. “But it’s no matter. I’ll take Zinnia. You’d like to go sailing with me tomorrow, wouldn’t you, Zinny?” Zinny looked up at me from the floor and nodded slowly, like a queen passing solemn judgment. You never knew what you were going to get with Zinny—impish terror or tranquil sage. It varied by the moment. I’d been told this was the way of things with dragon-bonded children. Her little upturned face was in some ways like a perfect miniature of mine, but also entirely her own. She never ceased to amaze me. “Good then. Perhaps I could come back after dinner to collect her?” I asked Canna. “She can stay at mine tonight so that we can head out in the morning. And I’ll make sure to wash her hair before I bring her back.” “Noooo,” Zinny objected. She meant about the hair, of course. My daughter would as soon let her hair turn to brambles and invite birds to nest in it, but I saw to it that the wild crown at least got washed and detangled, even if she wouldn’t let me do anything else to it. No one in Summer knew how to handle a tight curl such as ours, so I trusted no one but myself to manage her hair for her. I ignored her objection. Canna agreed to my plan with no trouble, so with a quick kiss for Zinny and an even briefer peck for Canna, I was off.  My dinner engagement was in the Abalone Room, another three levels up, and my legs started to ache by the second stair. That was no doubt another sign of a change, for I was well accustomed to all this trotting up and down the levels of the palace, the vast underground warren built into the cliff face. Twelve levels stood between my rooms and my dragon’s sea caves, and I managed that jaunt almost daily. At the time, I wondered if I were simply dreading the dinner so much that my body rebelled. Each quarter, the various high-ranking officers of the Sea Guard and the Home Guard gathered to discuss their state of affairs, and they all absolutely loathed having me there, quite as much as I loathed being there. I couldn’t say if the officers had always resented including Lord Summer in their discussions, or if it was just me (or perhaps a healthy dose of both). But what could they do? Claim that the monumentally massive dragon snoozing under the palace was somehow not a relevant factor in the protection and defense of the island? As for that, well, I had my own doubts whether the dragoness Summer was as reliable a guardian of the land of Summer as most of its denizens liked to imagine. She obviously could defend the island from almost any threat, don’t mistake me. I’d no doubt she could tear a fleet of ships to pieces as casually as I might swat aside a flock of angry coots. But would she bother? Well, probably. Yes, most likely. It was not much worth worrying about, was it? And certainly not worth talking about, not by me of all people. My role was to make people feel like the dragon was friendly and under control. I was the last to arrive and cursed myself for forgetting that these military types are all frightfully punctual. I wasn’t truly late, not by any civilized standard, but I imagined that they did not take such a charitable view of the matter. Admiral Rostrum scrutinized me with particular scorn, I rather thought. A square-jawed, gray-haired, solidly-built man, the admiral no doubt had little tolerance for my sort and scarcely made a secret of it. Very little provocation was required to prompt him to expound upon the vital importance of traditional family values to ensure the continued stability and prosperity of Summer, as if all that weren’t due to the dragon anyway. If the admiral weren’t so damned competent and well-liked, I might have been tempted to throw my weight around for once and force his early retirement. But the admiral knew his business, and truly it was none of mine, so I tolerated him on the occasions we had cause to interact. As I took my seat at the head of the table, I made my apologies for keeping them waiting. “No doubt you had other important matters to attend to, Lord Summer,” Admiral Rostrum observed as he let his gaze wander over my clothes and my perfectly coiled curls. I pretended not to catch his implication and smiled as charmingly as I could manage. Imagine being accused of being too fussy about sartorial matters while actually wearing an ill-fitted jacket. A great deal of their business remained a mystery to me, so I knew the greater part of wisdom would be to stay silent as much as possible and absorb what I could. It was not always easy for me to abstain from conversation, but it was made simpler that day by my seemingly insatiable appetite. I could scarcely talk with my mouth full, so I ate and listened and ate and listened. Our military was a bit of a pathetic showing, if I’m to be honest. Half a dozen ships rounded out a fleet whose main function was to chase away pirates and small-time raiders. A sparse land-based militia served even less obvious purpose, but was nevertheless well supplied with all the shiny weapons and smart-looking uniforms they could desire. Considering how unlikely it was that any nation would ever launch a full-scale assault against us and risk engagement with the dragon, this little show of military theater was deemed more than sufficient by most in Summer. But needless to say, these officers took it all very seriously. On this occasion, they had some vague concerns about cults rising and gaining power in the otherlands, but I’d heard all that before. I’d spent some time in the otherlands myself before becoming Lord Summer, and I well knew the way those types of manias came and went like changing seasons there. The otherlands weren’t like Summer—which was steady and predictable and always comfortable—but the general malaise of such places was nothing new and nothing to fuss about. At some point I became aware that a veritable mountain of empty oyster shells and various crustacean husks had grown in front of me, and it was attracting some curious stares from around the table. Somehow I had consumed enough for five or six men, and the worst of it was that I was still hungry. I normally have a light appetite, so I had never known this particular mortification before. Fortunately I was intimately acquainted with so many other forms of embarrassment that I could rise to the occasion with equanimity. I offered only a chagrined shrug to the glances until the evidence could be mercifully cleared away. The business of the evening wound down, and the officers turned to more casual conversation. Still it was mainly centered on ships and companies and things that I had little involvement with, so my attention wandered as I sipped my brandy. “I heard that your son is going to be joining the roster of the Godwit before long. You must be quite proud.” Captain Grace was speaking to me, without doubt, and yet I had a hell of a time making sense of it. First I had to suss out that she must mean Brook, since there was no one else who might reasonably be called my son. Then there was the idea that he was joining the Sea Guard, which was very much news to me. To cover my obvious surprise, I niggled over a detail. “The Godwit? Not the Avocet?” “As far as I am aware, he never approached my mate regarding serving on the Avocet,” Captain Grace replied cordially, and of course she would know, as it was her ship. “Ah, well, I must have simply assumed then, seeing as it was his late father’s ship and all,” I replied. “But then I believe in letting young people manage their own affairs as much as possible.” “I quite agree.” Captain Grace smiled at me. “He’ll do well on the Godwit,” Admiral Rostrum joined the conversation in a genial tone. The Godwit was his ship, the flagship of the little fleet. “A fine strapping lad like that ought to flourish once he can live amongst men and get out from under the skirts of coddling women and… others.” That could scarcely be allowed to stand, but must be handled with tact. It would be best to swallow him whole and spit out the bones at leisure. No, no, that wouldn’t do at all! But I was already talking. “Oh, yes, I’ve no doubt that the best way to get a boy to ‘man up’ is to surround him with sweaty, half-naked men all day and all the night too.” Silence did not so much settle over the gathering as strangle it in its tracks. Captain Grace covered her mouth with her napkin, which might have been covering a chortle. The rest of the table was less ambiguous in their disapprobation. I could recognize when it was time to clear the stage, so I made my excuses and pushed off. I did give the admiral a wink on my way out, just to see his flabbergasted face. After that minor rout, I needed something to ease my heart before I faced my daughter. It was late for a visit to the tailor, but I thought old Reed might still be at work in his little shop, and it was on the same level of the palace. Besides, it was important to make sure my outfit for the equinox ball would still fit properly in light of recent changes to my person. The shop was closed up, but Tailor Reed opened at my rap and let me in with a cheerful air. First things first, I explained Lady Canna’s hesitations about her dress, and we discussed if it were possible to make it a bit more conservative without spoiling the overall effect. Reed was brilliant about such things and offered several quite sensible suggestions. I told him to do whatever Lady Canna liked best. I could not keep him from the scent of the true difficulty for long though; Reed perceived at a glance the trouble with my jacket. He took my new measurements with a mournful air. So distraught was he that I began to suspect all his apparent affection for me had more to do with the way my slender frame held clothing than any other virtue of mine. “For once, I had a Summer who was easy to fit,” he moaned. “Still, I suppose this isn’t so bad yet. You’re not going to keep going with it, are you?” “I’ve no idea,” I told him. “I don’t control it.” “Surely you must have some influence with her?” he pleaded. Now that was touchy territory for a tailor. The whole mystique of being Lord Summer required some, shall we say, finesse on the topic of just how much influence I held over the dragoness. “Well, you know, it’s complicated. Perhaps in my heart I wanted to change. I will endeavor to make clear that this is quite enough though.” “Yes, yes, quite enough. You don’t know the struggles I went through with Leo all those years, or with Jack after him.” I wished he hadn’t mentioned Jack. Excerpted from An Accident of Dragons, copyright © 2024 by Cheri Radke. The post Erewhon Books Announces <i>An Accident of Dragons</i> by Cheri Radke appeared first on Reactor.

Books SFF Bestiary A Quick Survey of Canadian Lake Monsters Let’s take a look at some of Nessie’s Canadian cousins… By Judith Tarr | Published on November 25, 2024 Okanagan Lake, Home of Ogopogo (Photo: Jack Borno, CC BY-SA 3.0) Comment 0 Share New Share Okanagan Lake, Home of Ogopogo (Photo: Jack Borno, CC BY-SA 3.0) Canada is big. Really big. And has hundreds of thousands of lakes. Over 100,000 in Manitoba alone, according to the Canadian Broadcast Corporation. At least a few of these lakes have their own monsters. The most famous one, Canada’s Nessie, is the Ogopogo of Lake Okanagan in British Columbia. I’ll talk about her in another article. Here, let’s look at some of the less celebrated monsters. We have no idea how many actual lake monsters there are. So much of Canada is wilderness, and the population in much of the rest is thin. Even if people are seeing strange things in remote lakes, we may not be hearing about them. It’s not just colonizers imposing their own myths and legends on the lands they’ve taken, bringing tales of the water horse and the kelpie to the so-called New World. First Nations peoples told stories of strange things in the water. Maybe they were (or are) animals unknown to science. Maybe they were (or are) spirits. Or maybe they’re real. Canadian lake monsters in general fall into a couple of categories. One is a long, snakelike, undulating creature. The Ogopogo is one of these. So is Cressie, in Crescent Lake in Newfoundland, and the Manipogo of Lake Manitoba. These may be large eels. The other kind of lake monster is a shorter, stockier creature with a heavier body and sometimes flippers. Lake Superior’s Mishipeshu is unusually aggressive and has been known to capsize boats—including, it’s said, the Edmund Fitzgerald. Mishi is scaled and vaguely saurian, and appears in a precolumbian petroglyph with the head of a lynx and the body of a snake. She might be a prehistoric survivor, a living dinosaur. Or she might be an enormous, prehistoric-looking fish. The Turtle Lake Monster is smaller than Mishi but fairly similar in type. It’s eight to ten feet long, dark in color, and possibly scaled, though it might be smooth-skinned, with a head like a horse or a dog. It could be a seal or a large otter, though an interesting and very Canadian suggestion is that it’s a moose. That would explain the color, the ambiguous texture, the hump, and the horselike head. Moose are strong swimmers and will take to the water to get from here to there. If you’re looking out over the lake and see the head and the hump, you might see a lake monster instead of a large herbivorous mammal. That may explain the noises the monster is said to make, as well: Moose can make grunting sounds when they swim. Another possibility is a sturgeon. They’re mostly bottom feeders, but they can and do rise up to the surface. They breach like whales, fly straight up into the air. They can easily swamp a boat. Both moose and sturgeon are huge. Even if they’re not aggressive, if you’re out on the water and get in their way, they can be dangerous. If you see them from a distance, especially in poor light, they may look even bigger, and take on a mythic quality. They’re real and literal monsters.[end-mark] The post A Quick Survey of Canadian Lake Monsters appeared first on Reactor.

The story of Tsarina Alexandra and Tsar Nicholas has been told in a variety of different ways. And it makes sense, the true history of their family reads more like a fairy tale. Alexandra was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria and became the Tsarina of Russia. She relied on a mystic healer to help cure her sickly son shortly before the family was then swept up in the Russian revolution. Source

Sen. JD Vance just won a promotion to vice president. The Ohio Republican lawmaker and his incoming boss—once-and-future President Donald Trump—did so in mandate-producing fashion. Beyond just their trouncing of Democrats Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, Trump and Vance also outperformed just about all down-ballot Republicans. That makes the Senate Republicans’ choice as their leader—K Street darling Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.—extraordinarily nauseating. Trump supporters had rapidly rallied en masse behind Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.  Republican senators voted him third out of three—via secret ballots.  Because transparency and responsiveness to the electorate. Not. And just recently we had the addled outgoing Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky reportedly saying: “There will be no recess appointments” of Trump Cabinet nominees. We the People voted for Trump—as a repudiation of Washington business-as-usual. Senate Republicans have repeatedly responded with a resounding “Screw you guys.” Thankfully, the choice of Vance’s Senate successor doesn’t fall to the Senate. “According to Ohio law, when a Senate seat vacancy occurs, the sitting governor ‘may appoint some suitable person having the necessary qualifications for senator,’ People magazine reported, adding: “This is good news for Republicans as Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine is expected to pick another member of the GOP to succeed Vance. “DeWine’s appointee will serve as interim senator until Dec. 15, 2026. Then, the winner of that year’s special election will fill the remainder of Vance’s term until 2028.” DeWine presides over a state that just voted for Trump 55.2% to 43.7%.  That’s a mandate-producing 11.5% spread. He should listen to his Ohio constituents and pick the most Trumpian senator—the way his state (and the rest of U.S.) picked Trump. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is seen here on July 14, ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Three lead possibilities have emerged, but only one stands out as the proper successor to Vance. DeWine described his prospective choice thusly:“‘It has to be someone who could win a primary. It has to be somebody who could win a general election, and then two years later, do it all again.’” Let us look at the leading three—through DeWine’s prism. State Sen. Matt Dolan: “(C)ompeted in the GOP Senate primary and was endorsed by Mr. DeWine, is a potential choice for the Ohio governor to consider. But gaining support among Trump voters in the primary could be difficult for him, as he carries many moderate positions in a state Mr. Trump carried by double digits,” The Washington Times reported Monday. Quite obviously not the Trumpian choice.  He just lost a U.S. Senate primary—for not being Trumpian enough. That should be an immediate disqualification for a free pass to a U.S. Senate seat. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose: “Mr. LaRose served in the Ohio Senate between 2011 and 2018, and President-elect Donald Trump endorsed Mr. LaRose’s 2022 reelection bid for Secretary of State.” But “Mr. LaRose was defeated in the GOP Senate primary in March for the chance to take on incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, a contest that Republican Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno ultimately won in the general election.” LaRose did garner a Trump endorsement two years ago for his current gig.  But LaRose just lost this year’s Republican primary for the Ohio’s other Senate seat. Which is a DeWine disqualifier. And Trump didn’t endorse him for it.  Trump instead endorsed primary election—and then general election—winner Bernie Moreno. That brings us to Rep. Mike Carey: “Carey is currently serving in his first full term after winning a special election in November 2021 to represent Ohio’s 15th Congressional District,” The Daily Caller reported. “Trump notably endorsed Carey before the district’s competitive Republican primary in August 2021 during which Carey defeated ten other candidates winning nearly 40% of the vote.” Trump didn’t just endorse Carey once. He did it three times—again in 2022 and again in 2024: “‘Congressman Mike Carey is a tireless advocate for the incredible people of Ohio’s 15th Congressional District,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social on March 17, 2024, in an endorsement of Carey’s reelection bid,” according to the Daily Caller, adding: “‘A Proud Veteran, Mike is fighting to Secure the Border, Uphold the Rule of Law, Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes, Eliminate Needless Regulations, Support our Brave Military / Veterans, and Protect and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.’ “‘Mike Carey is an America First Champion—He Endorsed me on the first day of my Campaign, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement!,’ Trump added.” Carey has been endorsed by Trump every time he’s run for Congress. And he has repeatedly passed all of DeWine’s litmus tests to replace Vance: Carey’s won a special election. He’s dominated a highly contested primary. And he would be replacing Trump’s VP pick Vance and joining Ohio’s Senate delegation—fellow Trump-endorsee Moreno. All of that demonstrates that Carey can and will win general elections and that he is the most Trumpian of the choices. Trump’s domination of Ohio in the presidential and Senate elections means Carey is the absolute right choice to be Vance’s replacement. Here’s hoping DeWine listens to his Ohio constituents. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post The Most Trumpian Lawmaker Should Replace Vance in Ohio’s Senate Seat appeared first on The Daily Signal.

This Is What Governments Do To Economies, Example #65734985098

Listing three giraffe species as endangered under the act would entitle them to federal protections.

When females switch social groups, they take all kinds of tricks with them.

The agency stresses that the risk to the general public remains “low”.

Canadian police arrested a Jewish journalist Sunday after pro-Hamas radicals made clear that his presence would not be tolerated in a public space. Ezra Levant, the conservative publisher of Rebel News — one of the few media outfits in Canada that does not receive funding from the Trudeau government — was reporting on a pro-Hamas demonstration near Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue, a historically Jewish neighborhood in Toronto. Levant was keen to capture some of the radicals' comments and costumes on film, including one demonstrator who dressed up as Yahya Al-Sinwar, the terrorist leader of Hamas whom Israeli forces killed in October. Pro-Hamas radicals at the rally also held signs featuring the inverted red triangle, a symbol used by Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades to identify Israeli military targets. In footage from the pro-Hamas rally, which took place opposite a pro-Israel counter-demonstration, radicals can be heard condemning Israel as well as celebrating Hezbollah, even though, like Hamas, the group is currently listed by the Canadian government as a terrorist entity. Although Levant was lawfully exercising his rights in a public space, police swooped in to remove him when it became clear he had prickled the mob with his efforts to peacefully chronicle the event. "Police arrested me for 'causing a disturbance' when I was silently filming a pro-Hamas protest in a Jewish neighborhood in Toronto," Levant told Blaze News. "The cops said that my mere presence was causing a disturbance because the pro-Hamas people didn't want me there." 'I am the law.' Officers swarmed Levant then forcefully carted him away while pro-Hamas radicals yelled, "Get him out! Get him out!" and "Go home!" "Since when do foreign provocateurs, promoting a banned terrorist organization, get to veto who can and can't walk on a sidewalk?" Levant told Blaze News. "Outrageous." Blaze News reached out to the Toronto Police Services for comment but did not receive a response by deadline. When asked for comment, the City of Toronto referred Blaze News to the TPS. In the lead-up to his arrest, Levant can be seen in one video discussing the absurdity of his removal with an officer who told him, "Look around you. They're not happy that you're here." "You know you're a disgrace," Levant told the officer. "You're a coward also. You'll do what they say because it's the path of least resistance." When instructed to leave the area, Levant, a former lawyer, told the officer, "You're violating my Charter rights." The officer responded by insinuating Levant was inciting the mob, then informed the journalist, "I am the law." Another officer chimed in, asking Levant, "So you're refusing to leave? ... Why?" "Because I'm a Jew, I'm a citizen, and I'm your boss," said the journalist. "You know what?" responded the officer. "In the interest of keeping peace here, public safety, you're under arrest for breach of the peace." Pro-Hamas demonstrators cheered while police handcuffed Levant and carted him away. Levant, appearing somewhat shaken by the turn of events, told his cameraman, "I'm being arrested because I'm standing on a sidewalk in my city. I'm a Jew who lives in this neighborhood, and I'm being arrested because the police say that that's the path of least resistance." Levant told Blaze News, "Police handcuffed, searched and jailed me for a few hours, but in the end they declined to press charges. It was obviously 'the path of least resistance.' They knew I’d be compliant, whereas the pro-Hamas thugs have been on a rioting rampage in Canada recently (e.g. in Montreal)." Pro-Hamas and anti-NATO radicals backed by over 25 leftist groups took to the streets of Montreal Friday, launching incendiary devices, torching vehicles, attacking first responders, and vandalizing storefronts while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — whose electoral district, or riding, is in the city — was busy dancing at the Taylor Swift concert in Toronto. David Menzies, a reporter at Levant's Rebel News, was similarly arrested earlier this year on multiple occasions for daring to cover pro-Hamas rallies, including one at Toronto City Hall. 'It's a public place!' Thousands of people, including Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, gathered for an event on April 7 focused on demands for the release of the remaining Israeli captives taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023. Anti-Israel demonstrators tried to crash the event. "Incredibly, there was a protest of a few dozen people — the pro-Hamas types — which was particularly gross because to me this was like crashing a funeral," Menzies told Blaze News following his release. "They're spouting their rhetoric, which by the way includes calls for genocide like, 'from the river to the sea,' and 'intifada.'" Menzies attempted to interview elements of the mob outside of city hall but was allegedly assaulted. Police intervened — not to help but to arrest the reporter. "It's a public place!" Menzies told one of the arresting officers in an apparent state of disbelief. "This is literally the public square." Menzies later told Blaze News he was charged for alleged breach of the peace and trespassing. Menzies, like Levant, is accustomed to abuse by the state. After all, he was allegedly assaulted by Trudeau's bodyguards in 2021; roughed up by an RCMP officer, then carted away by York Regional Police after asking Trudeau's deputy minister questions in January; and arrested both on Nov. 11 and in March for asking pro-Hamas protesters questions. Canada is hardly the only Western nation where the sensitivities of pro-Hamas activists and other radicals are given priority over other citizens' rights. Blaze News reported earlier this year that London's Metropolitan Police threatened to arrest Gideon Falter, the head of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, if he remained in an area of the city where pro-Hamas demonstrators were marching. 'Sir, you are quite openly Jewish.' Footage of the confrontation showed Falter, wearing a kippah, ask a police sergeant, "So basically, because I'm Jewish, I can't cross the road today?" "Because of the march," said the sergeant. Falter pressed the issue, saying, "Yes, because I am Jewish?" "That is part of — unfortunately part of the fact," said the sergeant. The sergeant, who ultimately threatened to arrest Falter for breach of the peace, made a point of noting, "At the moment, sir, you are quite openly Jewish." Last week, Barbara Slowik, Berlin's chief of police, admitted to the German newspaper Berline Zeitung that "there are areas — and we have to be honest here — where I would advise people who wear a kippah or are openly gay or lesbian to be more alert." Slowik said she wouldn't "defame any groups of people here" but acknowledged that "there are certain neighborhoods where the majority of people liv[ing there] are of Arab descent, who also have sympathies for terrorist groups." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!