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EAS Watcher<p><a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/EAS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EAS</span></a> <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/WEA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WEA</span></a> for Sherman, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KS</span></a>; <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a>, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KS</span></a>: National Weather Service: DUST STORM WARNING for this area until 3:30 PM MDT. Be ready for sudden drop to zero visibility. Pull Aside, Stay Alive! When visibility drops, pull far off the road and put your vehicle in park. Turn the lights off and keep your foot off the brake. Infants, the elderly and those with respiratory issues urged to take precautions. Source: NWS Goodland KS <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/Sherman" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Sherman</span></a>, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KS</span></a>; <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a>, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KSwx" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KSwx</span></a>** DO NOT RELY ON THIS FEED FOR LIFE SAFETY, S</p>
EAS Watcher<p><a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/EAS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EAS</span></a> <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/WEA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WEA</span></a> for Sherman, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KS</span></a>; <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a>, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KS</span></a>: Dust Storm Warning issued March 14 at 2:33PM MDT until March 14 at 3:30PM MDT by NWS Goodland KS Source: NWS Goodland KS <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/Sherman" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Sherman</span></a>, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KS</span></a>; <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a>, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KSwx" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KSwx</span></a>** DO NOT RELY ON THIS FEED FOR LIFE SAFETY, SEEK OUT OFFICIAL SOURCES ***</p>
EAS Watcher<p><a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/EAS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EAS</span></a> <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/WEA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WEA</span></a> for Sherman, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KS</span></a>; <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a>, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KS</span></a>: National Weather Service: DUST STORM WARNING for this area until 3:30 PM MDT. Be ready for sudden drop to zero visibility. Pull Aside, Stay Alive! When visibility drops, pull far off the road and put your vehicle in park. Turn the lights off and keep your foot off the brake. Infants, the elderly and those with respiratory issues urged to take precautions. Source: NWS Goodland KS ** DO NOT RELY ON THIS FEED FOR LIFE SAFETY, SEEK OUT OFFICIAL SOURCES ***</p>
EAS Watcher<p><a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/EAS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EAS</span></a> <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/WEA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WEA</span></a> for Sherman, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KS</span></a>; <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a>, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KS</span></a>: National Weather Service: DUST STORM WARNING for this area until 3:30 PM MDT. Be ready for sudden drop to zero visibility. Pull Aside, Stay Alive! When visibility drops, pull far off the road and put your vehicle in park. Turn the lights off and keep your foot off the brake. Infants, the elderly and those with respiratory issues urged to take precautions. Source: NWS Goodland KS <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/Sherman" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Sherman</span></a>, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KS</span></a>; <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a>, <a href="https://m.ai6yr.org/tags/KSwx" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KSwx</span></a>** DO NOT RELY ON THIS FEED FOR LIFE SAFETY, S</p>
🦋•𝑂𝑝𝑎𝑙•🐿 :verified:<p>Buenos días a todos! Hago spam del vídeo de ayer &lt;3</p><p>youtu.be/ZttOjrv8kHs?si…</p><p><a href="https://tkz.one/tags/cdmnewgen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cdmnewgen</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/newgen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>newgen</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>thomas</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/cdm" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cdm</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/coraz%C3%B3ndemel%C3%B3n" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>corazóndemelón</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/cdmi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cdmi</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/corazondemelon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>corazondemelon</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/gamergirl" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gamergirl</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/gameplay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gameplay</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/gameplayespa%C3%B1ol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gameplayespañol</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/otome" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>otome</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/otomeespa%C3%B1ol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>otomeespañol</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/otomegame" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>otomegame</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/otomes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>otomes</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/doblajesespa%C3%B1ol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>doblajesespañol</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/doblaje" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>doblaje</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/cdmtwt" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cdmtwt</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/gamer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gamer</span></a> #2025 <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/cozygames" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cozygames</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/cozy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cozy</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/doblaje" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>doblaje</span></a></p>
🦋•𝑂𝑝𝑎𝑙•🐿 :verified:<p>Acabo de subir nuevo vídeo ^^ Ven a verlo </p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/ZttOjrv8kHs?si=Jv0tJM9un7T7xrSH" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">youtu.be/ZttOjrv8kHs?si=Jv0tJM</span><span class="invisible">9un7T7xrSH</span></a></p><p><a href="https://tkz.one/tags/cdmnewgen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cdmnewgen</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/newgen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>newgen</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>thomas</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/cdm" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cdm</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/coraz%C3%B3ndemel%C3%B3n" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>corazóndemelón</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/cdmi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cdmi</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/corazondemelon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>corazondemelon</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/gamergirl" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gamergirl</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/gameplay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gameplay</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/gameplayespa%C3%B1ol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gameplayespañol</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/otome" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>otome</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/otomeespa%C3%B1ol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>otomeespañol</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/otomegame" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>otomegame</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/otomes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>otomes</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/doblajesespa%C3%B1ol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>doblajesespañol</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/doblaje" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>doblaje</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/cdmtwt" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cdmtwt</span></a> <a href="https://tkz.one/tags/gamer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gamer</span></a> #2025</p>
Chuck Darwin<p>Elon Musk’s allies are turning a once-obscure federal IT unit into the linchpin of their sweeping campaign to tear down the federal bureaucracy, <br>sparking fears of improper overreach and chaos among tech employees in the government.<br>
During a tense meeting Monday, employees of the Technology Transformation Services (TTS) section of the General Services Administration questioned Musk ally and Tesla alum <a href="https://c.im/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Shedd" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Shedd</span></a> about the agency’s future, <br>-- after he and a cohort of unidentified 20-somethings spent the preceding days peppering staff with questions about their accomplishments and reviews of their work. </p><p>Shedd, who was named the director of the unit last month, <br>told the workers that the administration viewed them as “Swiss army knives” <br>who can roll out services across federal agencies.<br>
“You guys have been doing this far longer than I’ve been even aware that your group exists,” <br>said Shedd, according to a recording of the meeting obtained by The Washington Post. </p><p>“The way the administration sees you is you’re kind of the gold standard of how to go in and get work done at these agencies, <br>how to understand the technical problems that they have.”<br>
In the background of those reassurances, however, Musk’s deputies have been quietly assessing the competency and loyalties of the existing staff <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/05/elon-musk-federal-technology-takeover/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">washingtonpost.com/business/20</span><span class="invisible">25/02/05/elon-musk-federal-technology-takeover/</span></a></p>
Chuck Darwin<p>Government Tech Workers Forced to Defend Projects to Random Elon Musk Bros</p><p>A recent high school graduate and former Neuralink intern have joined meetings to review lines of code and other work history of career public servants, <br>sparking chaos at a major government agency.</p><p>The recent installation of Elon Musk ally <a href="https://c.im/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Shedd" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Shedd</span></a> atop the federal IT structure has thrown an agency in charge of servicing much of the US government’s technical infrastructure into disarray<br><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-government-tech-workers-gsa-tts/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">wired.com/story/elon-musk-gove</span><span class="invisible">rnment-tech-workers-gsa-tts/</span></a></p>
Chuck Darwin<p>The federal courts will NOT refer to the Justice Department, allegations that <br>Supreme Court Justice <a href="https://c.im/tags/Clarence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Clarence</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a> may have violated ethics laws . <br>Thomas has agreed to follow updated requirements on reporting trips and gifts, <br>including clearer guidelines on hospitality from friends, <br>the U.S. Judicial Conference wrote to Democratic senators who had called for an investigation into undisclosed acceptance of luxury trips. <br>Thomas has previously said he wasn’t required to disclose the many trips he and his wife took that were paid for by wealthy benefactors like Republican megadonor Harlan Crow <br>-- because they are close personal friends. <br>The court didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. <br>The Supreme Court adopted its first code of ethics in 2023 in the face of sustained criticism -- though the new code still lacks a means of enforcement.<br>It’s unclear whether the law allows the U.S. Judicial Conference to make a criminal referral regarding a Supreme Court justice, <br>U.S. District Judge Robert Conrad wrote. <br>He serves as secretary for the conference, which sets policy for the federal court system and is led by Chief Justice John Roberts.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-clarence-thomas-f9c9fee5554e5859e7f6185698fb4f76" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">apnews.com/article/supreme-cou</span><span class="invisible">rt-ethics-clarence-thomas-f9c9fee5554e5859e7f6185698fb4f76</span></a></p>
Frankie ✅<p>Federal courts won’t refer Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to attorney general over ethics </p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-clarence-thomas-f9c9fee5554e5859e7f6185698fb4f76" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">apnews.com/article/supreme-cou</span><span class="invisible">rt-ethics-clarence-thomas-f9c9fee5554e5859e7f6185698fb4f76</span></a> </p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/news" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>news</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/politics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>politics</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/uspol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>uspol</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/uspolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>uspolitics</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/GOPCult" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>GOPCult</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ethics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ethics</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/corruption" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>corruption</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/scotus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>scotus</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>thomas</span></a></p>
Chuck Darwin<p>New ethics inquiry details more trips by <a href="https://c.im/tags/Clarence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Clarence</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a> paid for by wealthy benefactors</p><p>Investigation by Senate Democrats found that Thomas accepted gifts and travel worth more than $4.75m since 1991</p><p>Republicans have said the investigation is a way to undermine the conservative majority court, <br>and all the Republicans on the committee protested against the subpoenas authorized for Crow and others as part of the investigation. </p><p>No Republicans signed on to the final report, <br>and no formal report from them was expected.</p><p>Thomas has said that he was not required to disclose the trips that he and his wife, Ginni, took with Crow <br>because the big donor is a close friend of the family and disclosure of that type of travel was not previously required. </p><p>The new ethics code does explicitly require it, and Thomas has since gone back and reported some travel. </p><p>Crow has maintained that he has never spoken with his friend about pending matters before the court.</p><p>The report traces back to the late justice Antonin Scalia, saying he “established the practice” of accepting undisclosed gifts and hundreds of trips over his decades on the bench. </p><p>The late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and retired justice Stephen Breyer also took subsided trips when they were on the bench but disclosed them on their annual forms, it said.</p><p>The investigation found that Thomas has accepted gifts and travel from wealthy benefactors worth more than $4.75m by some estimates since his 1991 confirmation <br>and failed to disclose much of it. </p><p>“The number, value and extravagance of the gifts accepted by Justice Thomas have no comparison in modern American history,” according to the report.</p><p>It also detailed a 2008 luxury trip to Alaska taken by Justice Samuel Alito. <br>He has said he was exempted from disclosing the trip under previous ethical rules.</p><p>Alito also declined calls to withdraw from cases involving Donald Trump or the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol <br>after flags associated with the riot were seen flying at two of Alito’s homes. <br>Alito has said the flags were raised by this wife.</p><p>Thomas has ignored calls to step aside from cases involving Trump, too. <br>Ginni Thomas supported Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election that the Republican lost to Democrat Joe Biden.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/21/ethics-inquiry-supreme-court?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">theguardian.com/us-news/2024/d</span><span class="invisible">ec/21/ethics-inquiry-supreme-court?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other</span></a></p>
Georgiann Baldino<p>"as they traded memos, Justice Neil <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/Gorsuch" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Gorsuch</span></a> emerged as a fervent objector to the idea that the [<a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/ethics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ethics</span></a>] code be anything more than voluntary, the Times said.<br>"<a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a> and Justice Samuel <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/Alito" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Alito</span></a> apparently backed him up, arguing against critics of the court as bad faith actors." </p><p>Daily Beast <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/scotus-leak-reveals-didn-t-144448402.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">yahoo.com/news/scotus-leak-rev</span><span class="invisible">eals-didn-t-144448402.html</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/SCOTUS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SCOTUS</span></a></p>
petersuber<p>New leaks make clear that Justices <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Jackson" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Jackson</span></a>, <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Kagan" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Kagan</span></a>, and <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Sotomayor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Sotomayor</span></a> wanted the <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/SCOTUS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SCOTUS</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/CodeOfEthics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CodeOfEthics</span></a> to be enforceable. <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Alito" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Alito</span></a>, <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Gorsuch" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Gorsuch</span></a>, <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Roberts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Roberts</span></a>, and <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a> did not.<br><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/03/us/supreme-court-ethics-rules.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">nytimes.com/2024/12/03/us/supr</span><span class="invisible">eme-court-ethics-rules.html</span></a> </p><p>The article is silent on <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Kavanaugh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Kavanaugh</span></a> and didn't identify the position of <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Barrett" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Barrett</span></a>.</p><p><a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/USLaw" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USLaw</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/USPolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USPolitics</span></a></p>
Chuck Darwin<p>Leonard Leo, an influential conservative lawyer who advised Donald Trump during his first term forcefully pushed back Friday on talk that one or more conservative Supreme Court justices might retire after Trump again takes office in January. <br>
Leo, who helped the president-elect select three Supreme Court picks during his first term, said in a statement that discussions of Justices <a href="https://c.im/tags/Clarence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Clarence</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a>, 76, or <a href="https://c.im/tags/Samuel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Samuel</span></a> A. <a href="https://c.im/tags/Alito" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Alito</span></a> Jr., 74, stepping down are unseemly.<br>
The comment drew a rebuke from <a href="https://c.im/tags/Mike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mike</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Davis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Davis</span></a>, a Trump aide who is advising him on potential judicial picks this time around, <br>while <a href="https://c.im/tags/Leonard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Leonard</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Leo" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Leo</span></a> appears to be keeping his distance.<br>
“No one other than Justices Thomas and Alito knows when or if they will retire, and talking about them like meat that has reached its expiration date is unwise, uninformed, and, frankly, just crass,” Leo said in the statement. </p><p>“Justices Thomas and Alito have given their lives to our country and our Constitution, and should be treated with more dignity and respect than they are getting from some pundits.”<br><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/08/trump-supreme-court-leonard-leo-mike-davis/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">washingtonpost.com/politics/20</span><span class="invisible">24/11/08/trump-supreme-court-leonard-leo-mike-davis/</span></a></p>
Babs E. Blue #IStandW/Zelensky<p>Dear <a href="https://genomic.social/tags/DonaldTrump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DonaldTrump</span></a>…..the bard is right….”Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!” </p><p>And <a href="https://genomic.social/tags/Alito" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Alito</span></a> and <a href="https://genomic.social/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a> and your crackpot wives….FU</p><p><a href="https://genomic.social/tags/Harris2024" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Harris2024</span></a></p>
Chuck Darwin<p>The Maga legal networks that could 💥topple Planned Parenthood 💥and gut women’s healthcare:</p><p>In the second year of Donald Trump’s presidency, <br>a young lawyer with crisply shorn blond hair approached the podium at a gathering for Texas members of the Federalist Society, <br>a conservative legal group that wields immense power in the US judicial system. </p><p>As vice-president of the group’s Fort Worth chapter, <a href="https://c.im/tags/Matthew" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Matthew</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Kacsmaryk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Kacsmaryk</span></a> had the honor of presenting the first speaker.</p><p>“We are blessed to have Judge <a href="https://c.im/tags/Edith" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Edith</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Jones" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Jones</span></a>,” Kacsmaryk announced. </p><p>Jones, a longtime judge on the US fifth circuit court of appeals, <br>stepped on stage to introduce the evening’s guest, her friend, <br>the supreme court justice <a href="https://c.im/tags/Clarence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Clarence</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a>. <br>In her introduction, Jones also hailed the four new conservative judges Trump had appointed to join her on the appeals court.</p><p>“They’ve raised the bar for the fifth circuit since I got on,” she said. “And that’s thanks to the <a href="https://c.im/tags/Federalist" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Federalist</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Society" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Society</span></a>, to Leonard.”</p><p><a href="https://c.im/tags/Leonard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Leonard</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Leo" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Leo</span></a> needed no last name in his introduction to this crowd<br>as he took his seat in a black leather chair across from Thomas. </p><p>The justice was the featured speaker <br>but Leo may have been the most important person in the American legal system in that room <br>– a conservative activist who had built the Federalist Society into a political powerhouse <br>and helped Trump create the supreme court majority that, <br>in 2022, erased federal protections for abortion.</p><p>His influence continues to be on display now in one of the most consequential cases moving through the American legal system <br>– one that seeks to strike another blow to abortion rights <br>💥and could possibly bankrupt Planned Parenthood, <br>one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare for women. </p><p>It’s a lawsuit that has been filed by an anti-abortion activist tied to Leo and heard by judges <br>– from the lower courts to the fifth circuit appeals court <br>– who are also linked to Leo</p><p>Three of the people on the stage at the Federalist Society event in Fort Worth in 2018 <br>– Kacsmaryk, Jones and Leo <br>– have all played key roles in the case. </p><p>Though the stakes in this case couldn’t be higher for one of the nation’s oldest healthcare providers, <br>it is about more than abortion or healthcare. </p><p>The lawsuit is a parable about Leo’s power amid a presidential election season <br>whose outcome will probably determine to what extent Leo will continue to reshape the makeup and ideology of the nation’s courts.</p><p>The case was filed in February 2021 by an anti-abortion activist <br>who had conducted what he described as an <br>“extensive undercover investigation” of the organization. </p><p>He accuses Planned Parenthood of fraud <br>– claiming that it owes $1.8bn in fines, fees and reimbursements to the Medicaid program. </p><p>It’s an amount that could force the 108-year-old nonprofit healthcare provider to shutter clinics across the country.</p><p>The lawsuit is titled <br>"USA v Planned Parenthood"<br>because it was filed under a federal whistleblower law <br>that allows citizens to sue on behalf of the US government <br>over allegations that federal programs have been defrauded. </p><p>It is the latest in a series of legal actions that started in 2015 <br>after Texas’s health officials used footage from the activist’s hidden-camera recordings as a basis to expel Planned Parenthood from the state’s Medicaid program.</p><p>The activist and his allies claimed the videos showed Planned Parenthood was illegally selling fetal tissue and endangering pregnant people’s health.</p><p>Planned Parenthood repeatedly denied wrongdoing. </p><p>Investigations in multiple states triggered by the video resulted in no disciplinary action against the healthcare provider.</p><p>The US government <br>– the source of 90% of the Medicaid funds paid to Planned Parenthood clinics in Texas <br>– disputes that Planned Parenthood owes the federal government money. </p><p>Federal officials say in a court filing that they found no evidence that Planned Parenthood had improperly billed for its services <br>and that they found no reason Planned Parenthood should have been removed from Medicaid. </p><p>Experts in healthcare law expected the case to be dismissed quickly.</p><p>Yet none of these facts are as important to understanding the significance of this case as knowing where it was filed: <br>in the federal courthouse in Amarillo, Texas <br>– home to zero Planned Parenthood clinics.</p><p>This wasn’t an accident.</p><p>The US district court in Amarillo is under the purview of the US fifth circuit court of appeals, <br>making it likely that any upward appeals in Planned Parenthood’s case would be heard in the hard-right appeals court, <br>including by judges appointed by Trump or other conservative stalwarts like Jones. </p><p>And by the time the Planned Parenthood case was filed, Kacsmaryk <br>– that young attorney on stage making introductions at the Federalist Society event in Texas <br>– had been serving as the federal district court judge for Amarillo for nearly two years. </p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/22/maga-courts-planned-parenthood-case?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">theguardian.com/us-news/2024/o</span><span class="invisible">ct/22/maga-courts-planned-parenthood-case?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other</span></a></p>
Chuck Darwin<p>In July, after a would-be assassin’s bullet grazed Trump’s ear during a rally in Butler, <br>Pennsylvania, <br>-- another wave of giving came in to the Trump campaign. </p><p>Musk officially endorsed him on X within an hour of the shooting. </p><p>But the following week, <br>Biden dropped out of the race <br>and endorsed Kamala Harris as his successor. </p><p>Democrats, especially those who had been reluctant to support the eighty-one-year-old incumbent, <br>began dumping record sums into the race: </p><p>Harris brought in $200 million in her opening week as the Party’s official candidate. </p><p>In August, her first full month atop the ticket, Harris’s network raised $361 million to Trump’s $130 million. </p><p>Her operation, the Times reported, was bigger than Trump’s “in nearly every discernible category.”</p><p>But, even as Trump’s momentum faded, <br>most of the billionaires who had returned to his side were sticking with their choice. </p><p>“Do they have buyer’s remorse? No,”<br>one veteran Republican fund-raiser told me in August. </p><p>He allowed that “there’s concern about Trump being able to turn to a disciplined message,” </p><p>but, for this group, at least, Harris was never a conceivable option. </p><p>“They view her as even further left than Biden from a policy perspective,” the veteran fund-raiser said. </p><p>“There wasn’t an alternative to not be for Trump<br>—the alternative would be for no one.”</p><p>Another possibility was for major Republican donors to switch their emphasis to the Party’s efforts to hold on to the House and win back the Senate. </p><p>One Republican fund-raiser, a former Haley supporter, <br>spoke to me from the sidelines of a summer retreat that House Speaker Mike Johnson held for big givers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, <br>where he found a number of donors more skeptical about the White House race. </p><p>“They’re just saying they’re going to sit out the Presidential for the time being and focus on the down ballot,” he said. </p><p>“The races where, even if Harris wins, if we unleash gargantuan resources in that particular race, we can still win.”</p><p>Among the donors who have reluctantly swung to Trump was the billionaire <br><a href="https://c.im/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Peterffy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Peterffy</span></a>, <br>a Wall Street mogul and a six-figure donor to Trump in 2020, <br>who had vowed to do <br>“whatever I can” <br>to make sure the G.O.P. had a different nominee in 2024. </p><p>Federal campaign-finance records show that, <br>through the summer, <br>Peterffy donated some $7 million to G.O.P. politicians and Party organizations, <br>-- but he had given nothing publicly to Trump. </p><p>In August, he donated $844,660 to the Trump 47 joint fund-raising committee, <br>which helps support the ex-President’s campaign.</p>
Chuck Darwin<p>Trump and guns loom large as scandal-hit supreme court gets back to work </p><p>The US Supreme Court embarks on its next nine-month term on Monday </p><p>with public confidence in the court still reeling <br>following recent extreme rulings <br>compounded by the ethically dubious conduct of some justices.</p><p>As the new term begins, the dust cloud kicked up by controversial opinions delivered at the end of the last term has barely settled. </p><p>In particular, the July decision of the six-to-three rightwing majority to grant Donald Trump substantial <a href="https://c.im/tags/immunity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>immunity</span></a> from criminal prosecution for actions he carried out as president astonished even seasoned observers of the country’s top court.</p><p>“That ruling was shocking, it was a rip to the constitutional fabric, and it gave vast new power to presidents to break the law,” <br>Michael Waldman said at a recent webinar by the Brennan Center, the progressive thinktank, of which he is president.</p><p>Despite the ructions caused by its actions, the increasingly hard-right court shows no signs of reining itself in. <br>The first big case of the new term that will be addressed on Tuesday takes the justices back into the vexed area of <a href="https://c.im/tags/gun" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gun</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/controls" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>controls</span></a>.<br>The case, 💥Garland v VanDerStok💥, concerns “<a href="https://c.im/tags/ghost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ghost</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/guns" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>guns</span></a>”, <br>kits that can be assembled at home that are increasingly used to skirt around basic gun regulations <br>including serial numbers and federal background checks. </p><p>➡️The Biden administration imposed restrictions on ghost guns in 2022 that were promptly blocked by a lower court, sending the case to the supreme court for adjudication.</p><p>The case has potentially huge implications for gun control. <br>⚠️A decision that exempts ghost guns from basic regulations would punch a giant loophole in America’s already lax approach to firearms.</p><p>As it is, US courts are wrestling with chaos and confusion in the wake of recent supreme court gun rulings. </p><p>In his <a href="https://c.im/tags/Bruen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Bruen</span></a> judgment, the hard-right justice<br>🔥 <a href="https://c.im/tags/Clarence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Clarence</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a> invented a new rule that any handgun ban must comport with the country’s “history and tradition” <br>– a phrase which has set federal judges scrambling to try to make sense of it.</p><p>The ghost gun case has emerged out of the fifth circuit court of appeals, <br>which has the distinction of being the <a href="https://c.im/tags/most" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>most</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/rightwing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>rightwing</span></a> appeals court in the US. <br>Six out of its 17 active judges were appointed by Trump.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/06/trump-guns-us-supreme-court?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">theguardian.com/us-news/2024/o</span><span class="invisible">ct/06/trump-guns-us-supreme-court?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other</span></a></p>
Beachbum<p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://c.im/@cdarwin" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>cdarwin</span></a></span> When we take the House and Senate I hope impeachments follow the swearing in of our new Congress! <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/Kavanaugh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Kavanaugh</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/Barrett" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Barrett</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/Alito" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Alito</span></a> And, why the heck hasn’t the DOJ indicted <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/GinniThomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>GinniThomas</span></a> for seditious conspiracy and plotting a coup. <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/Uspol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Uspol</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/FBI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FBI</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/DOJ" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DOJ</span></a></p>
Chuck Darwin<p>Through his role in securing the nominations of Clarence <a href="https://c.im/tags/Thomas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thomas</span></a>, John <a href="https://c.im/tags/Roberts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Roberts</span></a>, and Samuel <a href="https://c.im/tags/Alito" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Alito</span></a> to the Supreme Court, <br><a href="https://c.im/tags/Leonard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Leonard</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Leo" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Leo</span></a>’s political cachet began to grow. </p><p>An avid networker, he cultivated friendships with other members of the court, <br>spending a weekend in Colorado hunting with Judge Antonin <a href="https://c.im/tags/Scalia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Scalia</span></a> <br>— himself a devout Catholic and, like the Corkerys, close to <a href="https://c.im/tags/Opus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Opus</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Dei" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Dei</span></a>. </p><p>Surrounded by such religious zeal, it didn’t take long for their example to reawaken his own Catholic faith, and Leo soon began tapping his network of <a href="https://c.im/tags/darkmoney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>darkmoney</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/backers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>backers</span></a> to support religious causes. </p><p>He twice bailed out the <a href="https://c.im/tags/Becket" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Becket</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Fund" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Fund</span></a>, a nonprofit named after a twelfth-century English martyr, that officially worked to protect religious freedoms, <br>especially those that were important to conservative Catholics. </p><p>He reveled in his reputation as the financial savior of this important community. </p><p>Soon afterwards, President Bush picked Leo as his representative to the "United States Commission on International Religious Freedom,"<br>a federal agency set up to police religious freedom around the world. </p><p>Despite its lofty aims, the commission had a tiny budget and its commissioners were unpaid. </p><p>Within Washington circles, many saw it as nothing more than an office for amateurs who meddled in foreign policy. </p><p>Undeterred by the skeptics, Leo made the most of his time at the commission to push his own Catholic agenda <br>— traveling to places like Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, and Vietnam to investigate allegations of religious persecution. </p><p>His own faith seemed to grow during that time, <br>with Leo occasionally reprimanding his staff for putting him in a hotel too far from a church, <br>making it difficult for him to attend Mass. </p><p>Some colleagues began to note a particular bias in the way he carried out a role that conflicted with the commission’s stated aim of championing the freedom of all religions. </p><p>He became embroiled in a lawsuit after one former colleague accused him of ❌firing her because she was Muslim. </p><p>Several staff members resigned because of the controversy, <br>and Leo was fired not long after. </p><p>Despite the scandal, his time at the commission deepened Leo’s faith and helped him cultivate his image as a serious political figure. </p><p>By the time of the <a href="https://c.im/tags/Federalist" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Federalist</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Society" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Society</span></a>’s twenty-fifth anniversary dinner in November 2007, <br>his influence was clear. </p><p>Leo shared the stage with the president and three sitting Supreme Court Justices <br>— Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito. </p><p>Chief Justice John Roberts sent a video message. </p><p>“Thanks in part to your efforts, a new generation of lawyers is rising,” President Bush told the assembled members. </p><p>At the time of this dinner, Leo was still recovering from the sudden death of his daughter Margaret just a few weeks before her fifteenth birthday <br>— an event that had a profound impact on him. </p><p>Margaret had been born with spina bifida and used a wheelchair. </p><p>Events around her death had reinforced Leo’s faith. </p><p>The previous summer, during a family vacation, Leo had promised Margaret that he would try to go to Mass more regularly. </p><p>Over the years, Margaret had developed an obsession with anything religious, and would nag her parents to take her to Mass. </p><p>She especially loved angels <br>— and priests, insisting on a hug every time she saw one. </p><p>The day after they returned from vacation, Leo got up early to go to Mass <br>— as promised — and looked in on Margaret. </p><p>As he was walking down the hall, she started gasping for breath and died shortly afterward. </p><p>“I will always think that she did her job,” he later said. “She did her job.”</p>