The suspect allegedly quarreled with an employee at the apartment complex

'U.S. Figure Skating mourns the loss of coaching legend Frank Carrol'

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Emergency situation in France

'She re-entered the courthouse at 11:21 a.m'

'We make the headlines only with blood'

Books book review An Evocative, Surreal Debut: Mouth by Puloma Ghosh A review of Puloma Ghosh’s new short story collection. By Alexis Ong | Published on June 11, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Puloma Ghosh’s short story collection, Mouth, pulses with relatability. The taste of awkward social maneuvers and restless impulses form a sweet nostalgia for a younger, weirder time when my body didn’t hurt from just getting out of bed. Whether Ghosh writes about obsession, compulsion, care, aloneness, it’s easy to fall into the rhythms of her characters, particularly the disconnected twentysomething protagonists who evoke the familiar mix of hard-headed rebelliousness and twee precociousness that defines so many MFA aspirations.  This isn’t necessarily a criticism. Mouth is a polished debut, bristling with neat prose and nuanced excursions into speculative presents and futures. The collection is packed with bangers, but at times, feels like Ghosh is making efforts to tame and contextualize her weirdness for a finicky literary audience that might be allergic to anything remotely close to the dreaded subworlds of genre. “In The Winter” felt most guilty of this—the shortest story in the collection which was decidedly not for me. “Natalya,” presented as an autopsy report, is a well-formed experiment with format and tone, but more often than not, felt like a perfunctory and unremarkable post-mortem of a relationship that wasn’t quite on par with the rich peculiarities of its bookmates. “Anomaly” is one such oddball—a seemingly straightforward tale of online dating with a surreal twist, and possibly my favorite in the book. The protagonist works an unfulfilling call center job while encased in a soundproof glass cubicle—a logical extrapolation of our existing surveillance-riddled reality—and half-heartedly spends her spare minutes swiping and ignoring bad icebreakers. She’s also living in a world struggling with a time war rife with spies and timeline-meddling—things usually confined to a grand sci-fi premise—which Ghosh smartly downplays to become an unnerving but very effective contextual backdrop. And when our protagonist does land a date, her would-be paramour suggests going to visit an anomaly, a vaguely menacing tear in spacetime that has inexplicably become a corny tourist attraction supervised by the government. It’s a lovely examination of absurdity and human hubris; after all, what could possibly go wrong at a cosmic aberration that has its own mini-train and fried cheese curd vendor?  Buy the Book Mouth Puloma Ghosh Buy Book Mouth Puloma Ghosh Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Another standout is “Leaving Things,” which does a tremendous job of evoking aloneness and resilience in a place slowly being emptied of human life. The protagonist, a trained vet, attempts to save a pregnant wolf—a bizarre act given that her town is subject to strange and increasing wolf attacks—but is only able to save what she believes is the baby in its belly. “Leaving Things” on its face isn’t a complex story; it’s easy to grasp the symbolic connections that Ghosh offers about the town’s disappearing women, duty of care, and autonomy. It’s an almost comical account of the protagonist’s predicament where Ghosh doesn’t quite follow the predictable trajectory of a love story, nor does she navelgaze on the unexpectedness of surprise motherhood, but builds something fresh and strange and distinctly her own.  When Ghosh is on fire, her prose is incandescent with the heat and bite of personal conviction. What I like best is her treatment of impulsiveness; her best characters are truly carpe diem’ing their way to their most authentic selves in the most bizarre circumstances. Occasionally, though, it’s possible to see where perhaps an early reader may have asked for a little more clarity, or a smidge more exposition or context, to the detriment of Mouth’s overall vibe. It reminds me a little of an old n+1 essay from 2010, MFA or NYC, specifically the increasingly uniform neatness and relatable appeal of MFA program output, while also making me neurotically question my own biases as a reader and critic. Stylistically, Ghosh’s prose also exudes a neat efficiency, but without eroding the sincerity and eccentricity of her ideas, especially when her characters are being fervently horny as is befitting their youth. But in places, like some of the flashbacks in “Lemon Boy,” I’m yanked out of Ghosh’s distinctive cadence by curiously stiff phrasing and the sense of an invasive formality and the diminishing sort of neatness and accessibility laid out in that n+1 essay. Ghosh is better than this, and I hope she knows it.  Still, going down into that New England basement is visceral. In “Lemon Boy,” I am reading the true words of a real-deal Masshole who knows that the real horror of unfinished-basement college parties in Cambridge and Somerville isn’t damp wood or rats, but the monstrous indifference of the people around you.  Mouth is bookended by two of Ghosh’s most powerful stories, “Dessication” and “Persimmons.” The first is a delightful take on coming-of-age stories and identity, where the protagonist slowly befriends an undead girl—another Indian girl—at their small town’s ice rink; there’s also the silhouette of a larger world here that practices conscription for men, which Ghosh skillfully keeps just out of view. It’s a ruthless little story that wields teen-girl figure-skating as a weapon, as well as the inescapably long shadow of immigrant mothers and their legacies; to enter Ghosh’s world through this ice-wrought portal feels like an exquisitely cold, sharp baptism.  On the other end, “Persimmons” is still a mother-centric narrative tied up in responsibilities and legacies, but full of untouchable life and old, decaying structures waiting for the moment of relevance. Ghosh takes the smalltown claustrophobia in “Dessication” and reshapes it to fit a planetary setting in “Persimmons.” The result is a remarkable escalation of tension as the protagonist Uma prepares to fulfill a prophecy that bypassed her mother. Here, Ghosh is extra evocative with places and textures, mirroring her character’s farewell to the physical world. This wet, fleshy rite of fulfillment is how I leave Mouth—a violent burst of obligation, resentment, and vindication. It’s a very different sibling to how the themes are explored in “Dessication,” an almost joyful return to what feels like Ghosh’s raw voice, and a fitting end to a formidable debut. [end-mark] Mouth is published by Astra House. The post An Evocative, Surreal Debut: <em>Mouth</em> by Puloma Ghosh appeared first on Reactor.

Featured Essays robots Mixtapes for Sad Robots A sentient boombox stands beneath its own window and blasts “In Your Eyes” By Tenacity Plys | Published on June 11, 2024 Photo by Possessed Photography [via Unsplash] Comment 0 Share New Share Photo by Possessed Photography [via Unsplash] Music makes us more human. It’s an underhyped technology really—certain talented humans are able to transmit complex emotional states to others with very high fidelity, using only soundwaves! There’s a reason music played such a central role in the Voyager probe’s documents on human civilization—to explain humanity without language, one should use either music or math (and math is expressed in human language, so that’s more complicated). I tend to relate to AI characters; whether that’s my nonbinary gender or my neurodivergence is anyone’s guess. In my new graphic novel, the baby artificial intelligence SN_33P—pronounced Sneep, they/them pronouns—gains the ability to feel human emotions by listening to their creator’s old punk albums. They’re able to scan her files and experience every note simultaneously, but gains human-level sentience by listening in real time. (Unfortunately, this also gives them the ability to feel grief about their creator’s impending execution—but I’m getting ahead of myself.) I especially love when an AI has the same kind of existential dread and identity crises that we do—what’s more human than mental illness?? With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to make playlists imagining what kind of music would give higher consciousness to each of my favorite literary AIs. Most of these playlists are a little concerning; the kind of music where you’d ask your friend if they were okay if you saw them listening to it. I hope you worry a couple of your friends with the songs herein! Justice of Toren from Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice Justice of Toren is a musically-inclined artificial intelligence, just like SN_33P! She’s a sentient spaceship in service to a galactic empire with a tradition of lyric poetry and romantic ballads, many of which are featured in the Ancillary Justice books. The plot of the book is driven by Justice of Toren’s love for one of the officers that lived aboard the ship, and her encounter decades later with someone who reminds her of that officer. Justice of Toren eats, sleeps, and breathes lesbian yearning, so I created a playlist to match. It’s got standards like MUNa and boygenius, plus up-and-coming artists like Hemlocke Grove, a Kate Bush-esque artist who writes about heartbreak to the tune of serene 80s synths. Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey HAL9000 also likes music, as does Stanley Kubrick, the director of 2001: A Space Odyssey. He sings the nursery rhyme “Daisy, Daisy” in the film version of 2001, though classical is generally the vibe of the movie. 2001 is dark and meditative, almost spooky, with Kubrick’s signature emotional detachment. Hal doesn’t even have emotions for the first half of the movie, though his feelings are strong once they develop. He has the monolith to thank for his depression when it manifests, meaning it’s kind of an alien mental illness. In keeping with the film and Hal’s character, I went with generally highbrow depressive music, so you’ll find long, complex compositions in here, dark basslines, and an emphasis on musicianship. Like any sadboy, he can at least take comfort in his superior taste. Ana from Jess Rothenberg’s The Kingdom The Kingdom is about a robotic Disney princess (not really Disney, but like it’s obvious) who has been created to interact with kids at the theme park where she lives. She unexpectedly meets a young, hot guy who works as a janitor at the park and decides to revolt against her creators as a response to her sexual awakening. (Don’t we all?) The book is about exploring your identity after being told who you are your whole life. Ana would listen to Lana del Rey, for her twisted perspective on the prison of femininity. She’s sort of aligned with “femcel” culture—artists like Mitski and Fiona Apple who write intricate meditations on loneliness and bitterness. I also put “Boys Will Be Boys” by Dua Lipa on there, along with “labour” by Paris Paloma and a little Ethel Cain for good measure. Murderbot from Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries The Murderbot Diaries follow a spaceship crew and their assigned robot SecUnit. This particular SecUnit overrides its external orders and names itself Murderbot, but instead of murdering anyone (most of the time) it quiet quits at its job and lazes around watching TV whenever possible. Murderbot is especially obsessed with soap operas. For Murderbot, I’ve chosen dramatic music that feed MB’s hunger for tea, along with high-octane pop of all kinds—Charlie XCX, Ashnikko, Azaelia Banks, and Flo Milli, to name a few. This is a playlist with attitude that’s designed for high-femme bed rotting—it’s by far the “cuntiest” playlist on here, but make no mistake, Murderbot is just as sad as the other bots on this list. Slackbot from Calvin Kasulke’s Several People Are Typing In one of the most fun and original books I’ve read recently, Several People Are Typing, an everyday office worker’s consciousness is accidentally uploaded into the Slack app. He asks Slackbot for help, and Slackbot becomes sentient as it interacts with him, leading to a battle between Slackbot and the office worker for his vacant body back in the real world. Since Slack is the ultimate corporate app (except for its archnemesis Microsoft Teams), I think it would be into vaporwave, the meme genre from 2014. I put some trancewave in there for good measure, and some corporate sounding stock music. Perfect for your next sad company off-site! Klara from Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun Klara is the closest to my character SN_33P, because she has the innocence of a child. She’s meant to be childlike, because she’s a kid’s toy programmed to act like a friend their age. Like most Ishiguro protagonists, she’s a little naive. She really loves the sun, because she’s solar powered, and her dearest wish is to make her owner Josie happy—even as Josie grows up and out of her friendship with Klara, Toy Story style. The result is perhaps the most depressed playlist of them all. It starts with Sufjan Stevens’ “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” and ends with “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman. In between, there’s FKA twigs, Phoebe Bridgers, and Ethel Cain at their most plaintive and vulnerable. When your inner child is feeling especially wounded, this is the playlist you need. [end-mark] The post Mixtapes for Sad Robots appeared first on Reactor.

The son of a sitting president has been found guilty in a federal criminal court for the first time. A Wilmington, Delaware, jury found Hunter Biden guilty on all three federal felony gun charges he faced Tuesday morning. He violated laws meant to prevent drug addicts from owning firearms, the jury decided.   The case related to his purchase of a revolver in 2018. The prosecution says he lied about his drug use when he bought the gun six years ago. Tuesday marked the 12-member jury’s second day of deliberation in the criminal federal gun trial of President Joe Biden’s only living son in Wilmington. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty. Biden could face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000, though as a first-time offender, he is likely to receive a shorter sentence than the maximum. The sentence is up to the judge. “Yawn,” said Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA founder and CEO, in response to the verdict.  Hunter Biden guilty.Yawn.The true crimes of the Biden Crime Family remain untouched.This is a fake trial trying to make the Justice system appear "balanced."Don't fall for it.— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 11, 2024 Stephen Miller, a former senior adviser to Donald Trump, alleged the Department of Justice may be protecting President Joe Biden from the verdict, interfering with the 2024 presidential election. DOJ is running election interference for Joe Biden— that’s why DOJ did NOT charge Hunter with being an unregistered foreign agent (FARA) or any crime connected with foreign corruption. Why? Because all the evidence would lead back to JOE.DOJ is Joe’s election protection racket.— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) June 11, 2024 Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., released a statement on the verdict. ?STATEMENT?Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal was smoked out after scrutiny by a federal judge. Today’s verdict is a step toward accountability but until the Department of Justice investigates everyone involved in the Bidens’ corrupt influence peddling schemes that generated…— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) June 11, 2024 CNN speculates the president may overturn his only living son’s sentence. WATCH: IMMEDIATELY after a jury in Delaware finds Hunter Biden guilty on all counts in his gun case, CNN starts speculating that President Joe Biden may commute Hunter's sentence. pic.twitter.com/CNeTwcDrSH— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) June 11, 2024 Joe Biden previously referred to his son at the smartest man he knows, said Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas. Well it looks like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Joe Biden called Hunter the smartest man he knows. Well the smartest man Joe knows just got convicted of a REAL crime. How will the leftist media spin this, or will they choose just not to cover it? pic.twitter.com/uwKo2krtdG— Wesley Hunt (@WesleyHuntTX) June 11, 2024 Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., said the verdict is a step toward restoring law and order in the United States. If it were not for the IRS whistleblowers coming forward to the Ways and Means Committee, Hunter Biden would have never faced accountability for the crimes he has committed.Today’s verdict is a step towards ensuring equal application of the law, regardless of one's last name.— Rep. Jason Smith (@RepJasonSmith) June 11, 2024 Biden’s lawyers rested their case Monday without calling Biden to testify in his own defense. Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell told the judge Friday that they were “down to that last decision” of whether to call the defendant. The prosecution accused Biden of making two false statements when filling out the paperwork to purchase the revolver. The 54-year-old father of four claimed not to be addicted to or actively using illegal drugs when filling out the form, and he also claimed his statement was true. The prosecution alleges he was addicted to crack cocaine during that period. Prosecutors have also alleged that he unlawfully possessed the weapon for 11 days. On Friday, the prosecution presented evidence of Biden’s crack cocaine addiction in the years leading up to and around the time he purchased a Colt Revolver in October 2018. Biden’s lawyers argue the prosecutors haven’t offered evidence their client was on drugs when he signed a federal form attesting that he was not using illegal substances, which he signed in order to buy the gun. The defense denies that Biden took drugs during the 11 days he possessed the gun. The president said last week that he would accept the jury’s verdict and has ruled out a pardon for his son.  The post BREAKING: Jury Delivers Verdict in Hunter Biden Gun Trial appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Concerned about potential governmental overreach during the COVID-19 pandemic, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has formally requested Dr. Anthony Fauci to participate in a transcribed interview. The interview, set by the Committee and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, aims to probe Dr. Fauci’s alleged role in the Biden White House’s censorship initiatives. We obtained a copy of the letter for you here. Dr. Fauci, who held the dual roles of Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden and leader of the White House COVID-19 Response Team in 2021, is at the heart of allegations suggesting that senior officials under his leadership coerced one of the globe’s largest social media platforms into censoring discussions around the COVID-19 lab leak theory under White House “pressure.” Chairman Jordan’s letter to Dr. Fauci emphasizes the critical nature of his testimony, stating, “The Committee on the Judiciary and Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government are conducting oversight of how and to what extent the Executive Branch has coerced or colluded with companies and other intermediaries to censor Americans’ speech. We believe that you are uniquely positioned to aid the Committee’s oversight, as you served as Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden and Chief Medical Advisor for President Biden’s COVID-19 Response Team. During your tenure, the Response Team participated in extensive efforts to unconstitutionally monitor and censor Americans’ speech on social media platforms. Accordingly, we request that you appear for a transcribed interview and produce documents relevant to our investigation.” The allegations of censorship are further complicated by accusations against Dr. Fauci for sidelining opposing views within the scientific community, notably those of Dr. Robert Redfield, former CDC Director, who supported the lab origin theory of the virus. Such actions purportedly exemplify a broader attempt to suppress dissenting opinions on the pandemic’s origins. Furthermore, recent reports from the Coronavirus Select Subcommittee allege Dr. Fauci may have also engaged in efforts to “destroy” or “hide” essential records concerning the virus’s origins, potentially using personal emails and other non-official communication methods to evade the Freedom of Information Act and public scrutiny. In his testimony on June 3, 2024, before the Coronavirus Select Subcommittee, Dr. Fauci claimed to have maintained “an open mind” about the lab leak theory and denied influencing the narrative to downplay it—a statement contradicted by Facebook’s action influenced by the Biden Administration’s Response Team. The documentation demanded by Chairman Jordan includes extensive records of communications from January 1, 2019, to the present, involving Dr. Fauci and any connections with executive branch employees, contractors, agents, and technology companies, including social media giants. These documents are intended to clarify the extent and nature of any information control concerning COVID-19 content and the authenticity of such content on prominent platforms. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Fauci is Called to Testify on Accusations of COVID Speech Suppression appeared first on Reclaim The Net.