A quick update about the status of Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student detained by ICE:
Federal Judge Jesse M. Furman, for now, prevented Mr. Khalil’s deportation [NBC; Forward]. However, Mr. Khalil remains in ICE custody, and his “have not been able to hold a private conversation with their client since his arrest” [NYT].
Mr. Khalil’s legal team remains hard at work, and Judge Furman has remained a critical role in pushing for due process in this case. “Judge Furman ordered the government to let Mr. Khalil’s lawyers speak with him Wednesday and Thursday as they prepare a new filing calling for his release. He also set a schedule for the lawyers to file arguments as to where the case should be heard” [NYT]. This filing has come in the form of Mr. Khalil’s “legal team filed an amended habeas petition and complaint with the federal court in the Southern District of New York, challenging his detention by ICE” [ACLU Press Release].
Given that “Trump said Khalil’s arrest was the first of many to come” [NBC], the outcome of this case will set an important legal precedent going forward fighting the Trump administration’s open racist and xenophobic agenda. I can only hope Mr. Khalil’s legal team is successful.
Additionally, I believe it is important to note that Judge Furman is a Jewish man – and has a history of being involved in legal cases against Trump [Forward]. The Trump administration has already used Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest not just to infringe upon free speech, but to pit Palestinian and Jewish peoples against each other [Forward]. Do not fall for this. No matter his claims, Trump is not fighting antisemitism – rather, he is punishing Palestinian people, enforcing racism and xenophobia, and setting up Jewish people to be political scapegoats in one fell swoop.
The voucher program included a multiple-choice question that asked parents why they were applying. Among the nine options provided was this one: “To access a different racial mix of students for my child.”
This is how ALL State Education Programs will work if DOGE & the lawless Trump administration is allowed to get & close the Education Department
Hey, so it turns out we’ve been living with two gas leaks in our house for an unknown amount of time and we need to replace our entire furnace unit. There are people coming on Thursday to do it.
We are taking out a line of credit to get it done because for our safety we have to, but the interest is significant.
I feel like I’m asking for a miracle, but if I can sell 2000 ebooks or 500 audiobooks of Hunger Pangs through my Payhip, that would cover it. You can also gift people copies through Payhip gifting system or by donating to the donate pile so I can run giveaways.
The water heater still needs replaced but that leak has been addressed safely and is no longer slowly killing us.
If you like what I do and want to support me in other ways I have a Patreon and a Ko-fi. (You can ignore the 18+ warning that comes up on my Patreon, they’ve had me wrongly flagged as an adult content creator for years.)
Please, I cannot stress this enough do not give money you don’t have. Even sharing this and telling people about my books is a wonderful help. I’m just trying to alleviate some of the financial strain from Mothman.
I’m going to have a lie down now in a well-ventilated space. Maybe have a soothing scream first.
Buy a copy, you won’t regret it. (But be warned, we don’t have the sequel yet as the universe has been pretty much effing Joy over regularly since publication.)
It’s coming I swear. I actually felt secure enough in my progress to post the prologue to my patreon and ko-fi in January.
I just need to keep persevering despite the horrors 🤞
Its significantly cheaper to travel long distances compared to other options like flying or driving. In a lot of cases it may even be faster than flying, and even when its slower, its not slower by a large amount.
Its better for the environment, and trains are just cool.
I have rode the High Speed Trains in Europe.
Once you’ve experienced them, you will understand the hype. They are also very comfortable and very scenic.
You can go from Amsterdam to Paris in about 3 hours. This would be like going from Mississauga to Ottawa in 3 hours instead of almost 5.
I think “comfortable and scenic” is accurate, but undersells it.
Being in high speed rail is far more comfortable than a plane. The seats are good, the ride is very smooth (no turbulence! no take off and landing! none of anything like that!), and you can get up to find the restroom whenever you want, no seatbelt sign or any of that.
It is so much faster than many other forms of transport not just because of its own speed, but because train stations can be centrally located and easy to get to (unlike most airports), and don’t have the excess security theatre of airports that slows down the process. So the entire experience feels quicker and easier from start to finish.
trains are better for the environment by a huge margin than flight and than driving as well. and the scenic element is indeed much nicer – you get to watch the landscape go by and change, without the stress of driving.
trains are incredibly efficient at moving large volumes of people. there’s a reason that much of europe and asia has invested in them, and a reason that we had railroads across north america until the truck and car lobbies essentially ruined investment in this mode of transport.
ALT
amhrancas 