Excerpts Sarah Beth Durst Read an Excerpt From Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop Kiela and her assistant‚ Caz the sentient spider plant‚ navigate the low stakes market of illegal spellmaking and the high risk business of starting over. By Sarah Beth Durst | Published on February 14‚ 2024 icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut The Spellshop‚ a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks‚ unexpected friendships‚ sweet jams‚ and even sweeter love—publishing with Bramble on July 9. Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully‚ as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium‚ she hasn’t had to.She and her assistant‚ Caz‚ a magically sentient spider plant‚ have spent the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks‚ preserving their magic for the city’s elite. But when a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames‚ she and Caz save as many books as they can carry and flee to a faraway island Kiela was sure she’d never return to: her childhood home. Kiela hopes to lay low in the overgrown and rundown cottage her late parents left her and figure out a way to survive without drawing the attention of either the empire or the revolutionaries. Much to her dismay‚ in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor‚ she finds the town neglected and in a state of disrepair.The empire‚ for all its magic and power‚ has been neglecting for years the people who depend on magical intervention to maintain healthy livestock and crops. Not only that‚ but the very magic that should be helping them has been creating destructive storms that have taken a toll on the island. Due to her past role at the library‚ Kiela feels partially responsible for this‚ and now she’s determined to find a way to make things right: by opening the island’s first-ever secret spellshop.Her plan comes with risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the kind and quirky townspeople of her former home‚ she realizes that in order to make a life for herself‚ she must learn to break down the walls she has built up so high. “I came to apologize‚” Larran said. Oh! That was nice! But wait‚ no‚ he couldn’t be here right now. Kiela had left the spellbooks piled on the bed‚ and who knew what was happening with the in-progress spell in the garden… He really had to go away. “You didn’t need to do that.” Standing on the front step‚ he hadn’t crossed over the threshold‚ but he also wasn’t showing any signs of wanting to leave. Glancing behind her‚ out the back door to the garden‚ she saw Caz hide the spellbook beneath her father’s shirt. I can’t let him come in. “I did. I mean‚ I do‚” he said. “I… pushed too hard. With the chimney. With the eggs. I didn’t ask what you wanted.” He was blushing. “I’m not really good with people.” You and me both‚ she thought. “I’m sorry I snapped at you.” She wanted to add: Now‚ leave. But she couldn’t figure out how to phrase it politely. “I’m sorry I caused you to‚” he said. “And I promise I won’t show up uninvited again.” He looked so earnest and so obliviously unaware of the fact that he was already in violation of that promise that she couldn’t help but laugh. “Other than right now‚” he clarified. “Allow me to make it up to you…” He took a step forward‚ as if to walk through the doorway‚ and Kiela wedged herself diagonally‚ leaning her shoulder against one side of the doorframe while her feet were in the opposite corner‚ as if that were a casual and normal way to stand. He halted. “If you’d like to make it up to me…” She paused‚ hoping a brilliant idea would come to her. What could she propose? A walk in the woods? A trip into town? A visit to the bakery? What would interest him enough that he’d abandon his idea to come into her house‚ where he could see the spellbooks and discover she’d cast a spell in the garden… “Your merhorses!” He looked confused‚ and she was suddenly aware of how ridiculous it was for her to think she could block the doorway if he decided he wanted to walk through. He towered over her without even trying. If he wanted to‚ he could have scooped her up one-handed and set her aside‚ but thankfully‚ he stayed put on her front step. “My merhorses?” he repeated. “You offered to let me ride one‚” Kiela said. Wait—was that what she wanted to do? She’d never done such a thing. She’d seen it‚ when she was a kid‚ and she’d begged her parents to let her try. When you’re older‚ they’d always said‚ but by that time‚ they’d moved to the city‚ where there were no merhorses or merfolk or anything but minnows and trash in the canals. Caz piped up behind her. “You did! You said it. Before. I heard you.” “I didn’t think you wanted…” Larran began‚ and then he shook his head. “Yes‚ that’s a wonderful idea. The ocean’s warm today. Perfect weather for it. I just didn’t think you’d be interested.” “Of course I am!” She smiled brightly at him‚ and it felt so fake that she thought her cheeks might crack. She hoped he couldn’t tell that under normal circumstances she would never voluntarily suggest any kind of extended social activity. If he’d shown up just an hour later‚ after she’d had time to hide all the evidence… Cheerfully‚ Caz shooed her outside. “Great! It’s settled. Have fun‚ you two.” Shoving with his tendrils‚ he shut the door firmly behind her. “If you want to change your clothes…” Larran suggested. “Nope‚ I’m fine as is.” “Your skirt will get wet. Likely‚ all of you will—” “I’ll dry‚” she said quickly. “I’m not made of sugar.” Larran smiled at her‚ and Kiela looked up at him and hoped this wasn’t a mistake. He led the way toward the path through the forest‚ and she glanced back to see Caz plastered against the window‚ filling the panes with his leaves‚ as he watched to ensure they left. She then followed Larran through the green‚ to the cliffs. The wind had picked up‚ and it blew her blue hair into her face. She pushed the strands back behind her ears. Waiting for her at the top of the wooden stairs‚ Larran held out his hand. She blinked at it. “I’m fine.” He blushed‚ lowering his hand. “Ah. Of course.” Just because she’d lived most of her life in the city didn’t mean she was incapable of doing anything for herself. The sooner he learned that‚ the better they’d get along. Buy the Book The Spellshop Sarah Beth Durst Buy Book icon-close The Spellshop Sarah Beth Durst Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Of course‚ he’d be more impressed with my ability to be independent if I hadn’t almost burned down my house‚ lost my one and only chicken‚ and violated imperial law all within twenty-four hours. At least he didn’t know about the last one. She intended to keep it that way. Kiela followed him down the stairs‚ holding on to the railing as the wind picked and pulled at her hair and her clothes. The sea was choppier than it had been when she’d gathered the rosebuds. White crests rose and disappeared. She heard waves crash against the rocks as if they wanted to shatter them. He hadn’t said anything since they’d started down‚ and she wondered if he was regretting agreeing to this. And fixing her chimney. And gifting her eggs‚ cheese‚ and cinnamon buns. He’d only stopped by to apologize; he couldn’t have anticipated a brief courtesy call turning into an outing in which he’d have to spend time with her. Why had he said yes? He can’t have been charmed by my friendliness‚ Kiela thought. She hadn’t encouraged any of it. Perhaps it had to do with whatever had happened when they were children. She wondered again what she’d done back then to make him feel he had to try so hard to be nice to her now. Or what her parents had done. But instead she asked‚ “How do you ride a merhorse?” Turning his head‚ he smiled back at her‚ and she knew she’d asked the right question. “First‚ you need to earn one’s trust…” He went on to describe the different merhorses in his herd and which treats they preferred. “Sian‚ she’s the golden mare‚ is fond of tomatoes. I discovered that when the apple trees on Caltrey sickened and wouldn’t produce anymore. You might want to start with her. She can be fast‚ but she won’t play tricks.” “Tricks?” Kiela asked. “A few of them like to submerge with riders on them‚” Larran said. “Merhorses have a sense of humor‚ you see‚ but it’s not quite a human sense of humor.” Maybe she should have stayed back at the cottage and found a different way to distract him from the spellwork in the garden. The merhorse herders had always looked so gloriously wild and free when she used to watch them as a child. Now it was beginning to sound a bit more reckless. She wasn’t used to taking risks. That’s a good enough reason to do it. Her life seemed to be all about taking risks lately‚ starting the second she’d taken the lift down to the canals. Maybe that’s who I need to be now if I want to thrive here—a person who takes risks. He led her past his house‚ a sweet yellow cottage squeezed between the cliffs and the sea. It had a porch that wrapped around the front‚ as well as a balcony on the roof. Rocks served as a buffer between his porch and the waves. He paused to remove his boots and socks‚ and she did the same‚ leaving them safe on the sand. She used the ribbons on her skirt to hike it up above her knees. Following Larran‚ she climbed barefoot over the stones that jutted out into the sea. Spray flew into the air as the waves crashed against the boulders. He straddled two rocks‚ put his fingers in his mouth‚ and whistled. The whistle pierced the wind. In answer‚ several merhorses neighed. Kiela watched the herd swim toward the shore. There were at least a dozen of the half-fish half-horse animals‚ and each was as beautiful as the sea itself. Water sprayed from the manes‚ and Kiela couldn’t tell what was horse and what was ocean. Closer‚ she could see how sleek and perfect they were. They weren’t like some of the illustrations in the library’s illuminated manuscripts‚ half a horse stuck unceremoniously to half a fish. Instead‚ they were one cohesive creature. The horse head and neck‚ with forelegs‚ flowed into a sleek dolphin-like body that narrowed into a gorgeous mermaid-like tail covered in shimmering scales. Their coloration varied from pale to jewel tones—shades of blue‚ green‚ purple‚ and red. One was as golden as the sun. Kneeling‚ Larran snapped his fingers. “Sian‚ to me!” He beckoned to Kiela to come closer as one of the mares separated herself from the rest and swam forward‚ her hooves pawing at the waves as her tail propelled her toward the rocks. She was a rich gold with black streaks in her mane‚ and her eyes were a fathomless blue. “Aren’t you a beauty‚” Kiela cooed. The horse-fish tossed her mane as if she understood her. From one of his pockets‚ Larran produced a tomato. This time‚ he didn’t have the excuse that he was rushing to her smoke-filled house. He simply had a tomato in his pocket. She wondered if they ever ended up squished. He handed it to Kiela. “Hand flat‚” he said softly. “Offer it to her.” Squatting next to him‚ Kiela held the tomato out flat on her palm. Water from the wet rocks soaked into the hem of her skirt‚ but she ignored it—she’d dry‚ eventually. Sian swam forward and then treaded water a few feet too far away. “You’re new‚ that’s all‚” Larran said‚ still soft. “She’s being cautious‚ but not as wary as she could be. If she was with foal‚ she’d never have come this close. But she isn’t. None of them are.” There was a note in his voice that sounded… sad? Worried? She wanted to ask more questions. Were they supposed to be with foal? If so‚ why weren’t they? But before she could form the words on her lips‚ Sian stretched out her neck and swam closer. Kiela held still‚ marveling to be so close to such a beautiful creature. They were one of the wonders of the Northern Sea. No one knew how they were created‚ whether by a deliberate spell or by accidental magic‚ but the stories claimed they’d suddenly appeared one season‚ while a group of island fisherfolk were trying and failing to catch any fish. Day after day‚ the fisherfolk had been returning with empty nets. Their families were starving‚ and their villages were dying. But then one day‚ the merhorses appeared and drove the fish directly into their nets. From then on‚ there was a relationship between the islanders and the merhorses. Herders like Larran would care for the herds‚ ensuring they were healthy‚ helping them with the often-dangerous birthing of foals‚ feeding them when the winter drove the fish too deep for the horse-fish to dive. In return‚ the merhorses would aid the fisherfolk in their boats during the spring‚ summer‚ and fall. “The key‚” Larran said‚ so close to her ear that she felt the warmth of his breath‚ “is to not be afraid. She won’t let you drown. You need to trust.” What if this time the merhorse decided she didn’t like her rider? What if that nonhuman sense of humor that Larran had mentioned caused her to dunk Kiela? To think it funny if she panicked‚ flailed‚ and drowned? Larran wouldn’t have agreed to this if he didn’t think it would be okay. She didn’t know if she trusted Sian. But part of her wanted to trust Larran. She just didn’t know if it was the sensible part or the new reckless part. She thought of what she’d done in the garden with the seeds and the spell. Even knowing how dangerous it was‚ she didn’t regret the attempt. I’ll try again. And again. Until it works. It was worth the risk. “How do I mount?” Kiela asked. “Like this.” And then his strong arms were around her waist‚ lifting her onto the back of the horse-fish. He lowered her gently‚ as if she were a precious thing he didn’t dare break. She felt the warmth of his skin through her shirt‚ and then she felt the cold of the waves as her legs dipped into the ocean. She hiked her skirt up to her thighs‚ but it was already soaked. He held her a moment longer‚ allowing the merhorse to become accustomed to her. “How do I steer?” she asked. “You don’t‚” he said. “She steers. You ride.” He then released her. Instinctively‚ she leaned forward and grabbed onto Sian’s mane as the merhorse lunged away from the rocks. Sea spray and wind spattered Kiela’s face. The merhorse picked up speed‚ jumping through the waves like a dolphin. Kiela clung to her mane‚ feeling as if she were holding on to seaweed‚ slippery but soft. She let out a shriek as Sian leaped over the top of a large cresting wave‚ and then she laughed as they sailed down the other side. She’d never felt anything like this. It was terrifying. And wonderful. She felt as if her blood had become the wind‚ and her breath had become the sea spray. She tasted salt‚ and she tasted freedom. Both were glorious. They galloped away from the island into the wide blue. Beside her‚ Kiela saw Larran on a purple merhorse. He had the widest smile on his face‚ and she knew she was seeing him in his element. This was where he belonged. This was what he loved. She could see it as plainly as she could read words on a page. He’d allowed her into his world with this ride. It was a gift‚ as much as the cinnamon buns and the chimney repair. It was easy to be annoyed with him for the way he’d overstepped. But maybe‚ after this‚ she could forgive him. At least a little. Maybe he was just as awkward with people as she was‚ in his own way. The men and women on the fishing boats raised their hands in greeting as Kiela and Larran rode by. Larran waved back. She didn’t dare release the mane‚ but she smiled as they passed. Soon‚ they were beyond the last of the boats. Only blue was around them. Waves swelled gently‚ and the horse-fish slowed. They swam side by side‚ and Kiela caught her breath. On their sail in the library boat‚ she and Caz had been surrounded by as much blue‚ but somehow this was different. She felt a part of it‚ linked to the sea. Her dress was soaked‚ and her skin was saturated. She had goose bumps all over from the chill of the wind‚ but she didn’t care. She didn’t want this to ever end. “You like it?” he asked‚ almost shyly. Kiela turned to him with a smile that felt like a laugh. “Oh‚ yes!” “Not everyone does.” “I guess I’m not everyone.” He smiled. “You’re not.” It was the first time such a sentiment felt like a compliment. At a leisurely pace‚ they rode in companionable silence back toward shore. Halfway there‚ she remembered the question she wanted to ask: “Why hasn’t Sian foaled?” “None of them have‚” he said with a sigh. “Not for five years.” Five years? “Not one in five years?” “A merhorse doesn’t foal easily. They aren’t as fertile as other creatures‚ and their birthing… It’s difficult‚ and often fatal for the foal. Sometimes for the mother as well. It used to be the sorcerers would visit twice a year‚ once to help them conceive and once to help with the birthing. We’d have new foals every single year‚ at least five or six. Sian’s herd… It used to be triple in size.” As Bryn had said‚ the herd was dwindling‚ which meant the fisherfolk would catch less‚ which meant the islanders would have less to eat and less to trade. Kiela thought of how run-down the village had looked and the hint of desperation‚ of flat-out poverty‚ she’d seen in the people. Behind the friendly smiles‚ there was a lot of struggling going on. It might not have been visible to Kiela as a child—and indeed‚ it might not have been true when she was a child‚ since the emperor had only just begun to tighten the laws and withdraw the sorcerers—but it was clear now. She rode the rest of the way deep in thought. When they reached the rocks‚ Larran helped her dismount. She thanked Sian and also Larran. “That was magnificent‚” she said sincerely. He smiled‚ again a bit shyly. “I’ll take you whenever you want.” “I’d love that.” “If you’d like to join me for a meal… and to dry off…” Her blouse stuck to her skin‚ her blue hair was plastered to her neck‚ and she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. But there was an idea that had dug its talons into her mind and wouldn’t let go. “I have to check on my garden. And Caz. There’s a lot to be done around the house.” Larran’s smile dipped‚ and for an instant‚ she wished she’d said yes. “I understand.” She wanted to tell him that it wasn’t him. Not this time. She wasn’t just making up excuses to leave. Pulling on her socks and boots over her wet feet‚ she said‚ “Another time?” He brightened. “Another time‚” he agreed. Excerpted from The Spellshop‚ copyright © 2024 by Sarah Beth Durst. The post Read an Excerpt From Sarah Beth Durst’s <;em>;The Spellshop<;/em>; appeared first on Reactor.

In May of 1961‚ actress Sophia Loren was one of the first celebrities to appear on the cover of Vogue magazine‚ and this helped usher in a new era of “cover girls.” The 1960s and 1970s saw an unforgettable lineup of gorgeous stars and models‚ like Brigitte Bardot‚ Beverly Johnson‚ Cheryl Tiegs‚ and Twiggy featured on magazine covers around the world. Let’s take a look back at the stunning women... Source

Republican lawmakers and pro-life activists gathered Wednesday on Capitol Hill to call for transparency and clarity regarding the deaths of “The Five‚” preemie-sized aborted babies whose bodies are in the possession of Washington‚ D.C.‚ officials. Pro-life activist Terrisa Bukovinac‚ the founder of the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising and the co-discoverer of “The Five‚” spoke out on Wednesday at the House Triangle‚ as did other pro-life activists‚ such as Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America and the Rev. Patrick Mahoney‚ a pro-life activist who has asked the city to allow him to give the babies a respectful burial. Mahoney said that he and his wife‚ who oversaw a memorial service for babies killed by notorious abortionist Kermit Gosnell‚ have been fighting for the babies for the past two years‚ even going to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s house with a large screen to show the babies in front of her home. Gosnell‚ convicted of killing three babies and a pregnant mother‚ is currently serving life without parole in prison. .@revmahoney‚ who oversaw a memorial service for Kermit Gosnell's infant victims‚ has been fighting to give "The Five" a proper burial for the past two years‚ even going to D.C. Mayor Bowser’s house with a huge screen to confront her with the reality of the babies' deaths. pic.twitter.com/iWMMW5zctT— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 14‚ 2024 “Forgetting the dead is akin to killing them all over‚” Mahoney said‚ quoting Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. “We want to ensure that they are not just thrown in some sort of pauper’s grave as discarded trash or something that has no value. We’re working with the Archdiocese [of Washington] and their attorney. Our hope would be‚ after the autopsy‚ that we would have a very moving and powerful service; hopefully‚ at the [National] Cathedral‚ and then they would be buried here in Washington‚ D.C.” The press conference was led by Rep. Chip Roy‚ R-Texas‚ who is chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government‚ and Rep. Andy Biggs‚ R-Ariz.‚ who is chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance. In an interview following the press conference‚ Roy told The Daily Signal that he and Biggs are trying to use their subcommittee positions to highlight the issue and “shame these folks into having to do what is right.” Congressman Chip Roy (@chiproytx) speaks to @DailySignal after today's press conference on "The Five" aborted babies whose deaths D.C. officials refuse to investigate: "Congress has jurisdiction over D.C. We need to exercise that jurisdiction." pic.twitter.com/LhlVnO03Wc— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 14‚ 2024 “We shouldn’t have to do that‚” he added. “But Congress has jurisdiction over the District of Columbia. We need to exercise that jurisdiction. Now look‚ getting anything through this House and Senate‚ into the White House isn’t easy. But we can use our megaphones‚ and we can highlight the issues‚ and hopefully‚ we can get justice for these five‚ and at a minimum‚ we can make sure that we can use these precious lives to try to stop this in the future.” Biggs and Roy had sent a letter last week to Bowser and the D.C. police chief calling on them to preserve the remains of “The Five.” The D.C. Medical Examiner‘s Office has had those babies’ remains‚ recovered from a D.C. abortion clinic‚ in its possession for almost two years now. Pro-lifers believe the babies may have been illegally aborted in violation of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act or the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act. The Daily Signal reported last week that Thomas More Society lawyer Martin Cannon “got a call from the Medical Examiner’s Office indicating that the [Justice Department] has advised them that there is no reason to keep those babies anymore.” Cannon is representing pro-life activist Lauren Handy‚ who faces charges of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Handy says the babies are important evidence in defending her from the DOJ’s charges. On Friday‚ after many calls from lawmakers for D.C. officials to stop the disposal of the babies’ remains‚ the D.C. medical examiner told the American Center for Law and Justice that it will not immediately dispose of the bodies of “The Five.” The medical examiner did not give the ACLJ a new timeline for the babies’ disposal‚ but it did refer to a long queue of people and organizations who have been making demands on the medical examiner‚ such as the slew of lawmakers who have demanded that Office of Chief Medical Examiner retain the remains. Lawmakers hold a press conference on “The Five” aborted babies in DC’s possession for almost 2 years now. @chiproytx calls for investigations into whether they were illegally aborted. pic.twitter.com/j4liwWS6f9— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 14‚ 2024 Rep. Anna Paulina Luna‚ R-Fla.‚ was also present at the press conference on Wednesday. Following the presser‚ she shared with The Daily Signal that she also is engaged in helping the babies receive a proper burial. “We have received word from friends of ours in the community who have stepped up to cover the costs of caskets for the five babies to give them a respectful burial‚” she said. “These children deserve justice and a dignified funeral.” As a new mother‚ Luna said‚ she is both heartbroken and enraged that there has been “little to no movement on getting justice for the brutality and inhumanity they were treated with.” “Lauren Handy‚ Terrisa Bukovinac‚ and the others who found these children should be commended for their bravery in finding these babies‚” she said. “Congress needs to demand an investigation into this whole incident. D.C. and [abortionist] Cesar Santangelo cannot get away with this‚ and there needs to be full retribution for their crimes.” Luna noted that Santangelo has multiple allegations of medical malpractice and was accused‚ in one lawsuit‚ of bungling the removal of a baby so badly that fetal debris ended up in the lungs of the mother‚ who died. “The ‘doctor’ who broke federal law was sued by the family of a young woman‚ who he so brutally mangled that she died‚” Luna said. “They found fetal tissue in her lungs … .” .@PYNance says D.C. abortionist "Santangelo is basically operating as Kermit Gosnell in Washington‚ D.C. It has to stop. I have friends that work in the medical community‚ at Georgetown Hospital. They see the damage that he has wrought‚ all the time. He is a madman…" pic.twitter.com/u2bqNAsB0U— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 14‚ 2024 Jamie Dangers‚ the legislative director for SBA Pro-Life America‚ emphasized the names of each of “The Five” in a statement Wednesday. “Angel‚ Christopher‚ Harriet‚ Holly and Phoenix are five children‚ better known as the ‘D.C. Five’‚ whose lives were cut short at a late-term abortion center‚ just blocks from the White House‚” she said. “These children are the faces of the pro-abortion Left’s ‘reproductive freedom.’” “As a country‚ we cannot turn a blind eye to these barbaric abortions happening in our nation’s capital—where abortions are unlimited through all nine months—and across the country‚” Dangers added. “These children should be vibrant two-year-olds‚ but instead they are lying in a morgue waiting for justice.” Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Lawmakers Hold Press Conference Demanding ‘Justice for the Five’ Aborted Babies appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The controversy surrounding transgenderism and women’s sports has been a hot topic in the media and politics. But the debate has also played out in corporate advertising‚ as major brands like Target‚ Starbucks‚ and Bud Light raced to embrace the LGBT agenda. Dove‚ the soap and personal care brand‚ boarded the rainbow train in 2021 when it praised Laurel Hubbard‚ a male weightlifter who competed as a woman in the Olympics. Dove posted on X‚ then Twitter: “History in the making. Congrats to Laurel! Here’s to more trans representation in sports.” Perhaps that post wasn’t surprising three years ago‚ when more brands felt comfortable using social media to promote their ideologies. However‚ after this year’s Dove ad during the Super Bowl (the company’s first since 2015)‚ Americans are left confused about where the soap giant actually stands. Dove is currently trying to build a “body confidence in sports” campaign‚ using the hashtag #KEEPHERCONFIDENT. In the latest commercial‚ Dove featured only biological girls and capped off its message with a floating body bar blimp in Las Vegas and a banner that read‚ “Let’s help keep girls in sports.” But has Dove changed its views on trans-identifying men in women’s sports? Or is it looking at the impact of these yearlong boycotts and thinking better of being Bud-Lighted? Some argue that’s still up for debate. Riley Gaines‚ a former 12-time All-American NCAA swimmer‚ isn’t convinced that Dove’s stripes truly have changed‚ posting on X that this likely was an act to make more money. “But even that is a stunning shift for corporate America‚ whose CEOs—until recently—have literally banked on their progressivism to win over customers‚” said Suzanne Bowdey‚ editorial director and senior writer at Family Research Council’s The Washington Stand. “Just one year after Bud Light’s collapse‚ companies like Rip Curl are actually offering public apologies for their trans activism‚” Bowdey said. “Fed-up Americans are starting to realize they’re making an impact—and that’s not only motivating more consumers‚ it’s also forcing a sea change in the way major brands do business.” Although Dove still has plenty of LGBT ties (it made a video at the end of 2023 to “shine a light on the stories and experiences of activists within the queer and trans communities”)‚ this reversal is an indication of how radioactive the trans takeover of sports has become. Dove spent money to make a statement about girls sports at the biggest football game in the world. The question‚ then‚ is why? “I think what [we’re seeing] here is what happens when you’re not really interested in the truth‚” Joseph Backholm‚ Family Research Council’s senior fellow for biblical worldview and strategic engagement‚ hypothesized. The bottom line‚ Backholm pointed out‚ is the bottom line. “Dove is trying to sell soap‚” he said. “Sometimes they think the thing that will help them do that is celebrating women. Sometimes they think the thing that will do that is virtue-signaling on LGBT issues.” Backholm said we see brands flip back and forth because “people who believe feelings determine truth are often comfortable holding contradictory positions if those positions‚ independently‚ make them feel virtuous.” As for Dove’s 180 on transgenderism in sports‚ Backholm added: “I think the reason Dove chose to market to girls rather than the LGBT community in their Super Bowl ads is probably explained by economic interest. Women are a significantly larger market than men who think they’re women.” “Given what has happened to Disney‚ Bud Light‚ and others in recent years‚” he said‚ “Dove has probably decided they should avoid advertising campaigns that will destroy their stock price. It’s a rational decision.” Originally published by The Washington Stand Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Has Dove Changed Its Stance on Transgenderism in Sports? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

In June of 2022‚ in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization‚ the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 50-year-old Roe v. Wade and clarified that there was no constitutional right to abortion. Within minutes of the court’s ruling‚ hard-line liberals  across the nation were howling about restricted access to abortion and devising new and novel ways to ensure its protection. The latest creative effort to secure abortion access‚ mounted by a group of satanists in Idaho‚ was just defeated in federal court. In September of 2022‚ the Satanic Temple sued Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador and the state of Idaho on behalf of its female members who were “involuntarily pregnant” (either because they were too young to consent or because their birth control had failed) over the state’s abortion law. The Idaho Fetal Heartbeat Statute makes the act of aborting a protected unborn child a crime when a fetal heartbeat has been detected. The law allegedly conflicted with the satanists’ belief that “one’s body is inviolable‚ subject to one’s will alone.” The Satanic Temple threw every legal claim it could against the wall in hopes that something would stick. The organization sought relief under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983 (a law permitting citizens to sue government officials for violating a federally protected right) for violations of certain constitutional rights‚ including the Takings Clause of the 5th Amendment‚ which prohibits the government from taking “private property … for public use‚ without just compensation.” It argued that the uterus of a pregnant woman was a physical thing in which she had property rights‚ and the government couldn’t take away those property rights without compensating her.    Yes‚ you read that right. They argued that the commercial value of surrogacy in Idaho proved the economic value of the uterine property rights of its female members‚ and the state had interfered with those rights in violation of the Fifth Amendment. The satanists also sought relief pursuant to the 13th Amendment‚ which states in relevant part: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude … shall exist within the United States‚ or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” The plaintiffs claimed that forcing women to carry their pregnancies to term instead of aborting required them to provide the unborn child with oxygen‚ nutrients‚ antibodies‚ body heat and more‚ without compensation or consideration—something they said amounted to involuntary servitude. Next up? A claim that the state abortion ban unconstitutionally discriminated between women who became pregnant by accident and those who became pregnant by rape or incest. Under the Idaho law‚ the latter group of women were allowed to abort‚ but the former were not. Here‚ the satanists advanced a claim that the state had violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment‚ which states that no state “shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” They argued that because both sets of women had not wanted to become pregnant‚ but were treated differently‚ the state had violated the satanists’ constitutional rights. Lastly‚ the satanists brought a claim under Idaho’s Free Exercise of Religious Protection Act for violation of the Satanic Temple members’ rights to partake in the “Satanic abortion ritual.” They claimed that the state was forcing them to violate their “religious belief” that an embryo or fetus was part of a woman’s body with no humanity of its own. They also claimed that pregnant satanists exercise this “religious belief” by engaging in the “Satanic abortion ritual.” And what is this ritual? Well‚ it’s an ordinary chemical or surgical abortion—but with the repetition of certain personal affirmations regarding a satanic woman’s “autonomy and free will.” In his opinion dismissing the satanists’ case‚ Chief Judge David Nye of the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho came just short of calling their legal claims ludicrous. As an initial matter‚ Nye addressed the Satanic Temple’s claim that the state had “eviscerated a woman’s fundamental right to engage in protected sex.” He wrote: “Defendants do no such thing. The statutes at issue do not discuss the right to engage in private sexual activities in any way … the challenged regulations here deal with abortion. … [T]here is no longer a federally recognized constitutional right to abortion. There is no right to abortion in the state of Idaho‚ either.” Nye then turned to the defendants’ procedural arguments. He dismissed the state of Idaho from the case since Idaho had not waived its sovereign immunity‚ and the state could not be sued in federal court without its consent.   Nye then turned to standing—the requirement that a plaintiff show it has suffered a concrete injury‚ traceable to the defendants’ action‚ that would be redressed by a favorable decision from a court.He wrote that the Satanic Temple had no standing as an association on behalf of its members‚ or even on its own behalf. That was because it had not identified any specific individual who had suffered or would suffer the harms it alleges defendants’ actions were causing—in short‚ any Idaho members of the Satanic Temple who would be adversely affected by Idaho’s abortion law. The Satanic Temple also lacked standing on its own as an organization—even though it ran its own “Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic‚” with a network of providers that prescribed abortifacients. The judge held that in order to establish standing as an organization‚ the Satanic Temple would need to prove that its providers were licensed in Idaho‚ and that one of its members had become “involuntarily pregnant” and wanted to obtain an abortion from the clinic‚ a causal chain that the court concluded was “too attenuated.” Nye then did something he didn’t need to do‚ but seemed to enjoy doing anyway: Even though the satanists had already lost on standing‚ he went on to address and dispatch their claims on the merits. As for the Fifth Amendment takings claim‚ Nye wrote that the American legal tradition has consistently viewed abortion as a crime—not a property taking. None of the “traditional property law principles‚” historical practice or Supreme Court precedent had ever recognized a property right for a woman to abort her unborn child‚ and in fact‚ no authority recognized a woman’s uterus as traditional “property” at all. Regarding the 13th Amendment involuntary servitude argument‚ Nye called it “blatantly absurd.” He wrote: Women who conceive children through consensual sex do not suffer “the very essence of involuntary servitude outlawed by the Thirteenth Amendment.” … [Plaintiff’s] argument here goes too far. Were the Court to take this logic to its end‚ it could find that any obligations the law imposes on parents for the support and upbringing of a child would constitute involuntary servitude and justify the termination of the child. Such a result is blatantly absurd. [The satanists’] involuntary servitude claim must be dismissed. Nye then turned to the satanists’ 14th Amendment equal protection claim that Idaho had treated rape victims better than involuntarily pregnant women in violation of the Constitution. The court held that women “who engage in sex just for the pleasure and intimacy it brings” are not a protected class‚ but that even if they were members of a protected class‚ which would subject the law to a heightened level of scrutiny‚ the defendants would have met their burden of establishing that the state’s abortion law was narrowly tailored to achieve its compelling interests in protecting unborn children and preventing abortions. Nye never addressed the merits of the satanists’ claim that the Idaho law violated the Idaho Exercise of Religious Freedom Act. This was because the satanists had already had a chance to amend their complaint‚ had seemingly abandoned their state law religious freedom claim‚ and then asked the judge in a late-in-the-game brief to allow them to assert a free exercise claim under the 1st Amendment. The judge‚ clearly out of patience‚ wrote that if the satanists want to allege any new claims‚ they would have to do so in another lawsuit. This isn’t the first run the Satanic Temple has made at federal court in an effort to enshrine abortion as a “constitutional right.” In October of last year‚ Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson dismissed the Satanic Temple’s claim that Indiana’s abortion ban violated the satanists’ rights under the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Magnus-Stinson wrote that the satanists “failed to demonstrate that its alleged cost of compliance or threat of prosecution amounts to injury‚” and having had an opportunity to submit evidence to establish their claim‚ they “failed on all fronts.” Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the url or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Hell‚ No: Federal Court Banishes Idaho Satanists’ Abortion Lawsuit appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Independent Voters Dislike Trump‚ but Hate Biden's Presidency

Awkward: Joe Biden Brings Fried Chicken to Black Family in North Carolina

This year‚ Valentine's Day is being clouded by pro-abortion groups who insist that abortion is a way of showing love.  Though the left agrees that Valentine's Day is all about love‚ many outlets and groups are using the holiday to promote something that’s completely antithetical to the idea of love - abortion. Last week‚ the Carolina Abortion Fund put out a tweet indicating that people could send a love note to someone and donate $14 for “abortion care.” Supposedly‚ this is the third year in a row that the group has pushed this campaign where people donate money for others to get abortions in their loved one’s name. ONE WEEK until Valentine's Day and you know what that means...it's #LetCAFBeYourCupid time! For the third year running--and fill out the form linked (and donate $14 for abortion care) to send a special message to someone (or multiple people!) you love. https://t.co/cB2qcVn521 pic.twitter.com/y8TEAeTCEo — Carolina Abortion Fund (@CarolinaAbtnFnd) February 7‚ 2024 The group continued promoting the pro-abort campaign in the days leading up to the 14th insisting‚ “let’s spread the love‚ and fund abortion care in the Carolinas!” Similarly‚ the Palmetto State Abortion Fund released a graphic last week gearing up for Valentine’s Day. In honor of Valentine’s Day next week we’re thanking some of our favorite legislators for fighting for not just “choice” but for ABORTION rights so naturally we are gonna start with our girl 4 life @MiaforSC 💘💘💘 pic.twitter.com/8Hi1rjhBID — Palmetto State Abortion Fund (@PSAbortionFund) February 7‚ 2024 Abortion Fund Ohio cut straight to the point when its group tweeted: “Girls don't want flowers for Valentine's Day. They want flowers AND abortion on demand‚” and later added “birth control &; chocolate &; plan b‚ oh my!” Hey‚ at least the group is clear that it wants women to be able to abort their kids throughout all nine months of pregnancy.  We Testify‚ which is a group dedicated to giving women the opportunity to talk about how much they loved killing their kids through abortion‚ made Valentine’s Day cards to post on its social media accounts. One was a poem that read‚ “roses are red violets are blue abortions are cool I’ve lost count of mine‚ I’ve had quite a few.” The group‚ like most of the left‚ wants to make abortion so normal that women can “lose count” of how many they get. That Valentine’s Day card also featured a woman’s hands holding five abortion pills. Other cards started with the same “roses are red” phrase but changed the end of the poem. One shared on Monday said‚ “anyone that has an abortion‚ know that I love you!” Another card said‚ “your reason for having an abortion ain’t nobody’s business but yours boo!” We Testify also released what it called “Abortion Love Letters” that moms could read either before or after killing their kids as a sort of encouragement to keep up the infanticide. The National Network of Abortion Funds added to the mix when it tweeted “Roses are red‚ violets are blue. Support abortion funds; it's the hottest thing to do!” Valentine’s Day is supposed to celebrate love‚ romance and joy. Not the brutal destruction of innocent babies. These groups are sickening.

The liberal media had given themselves the title of the defenders of democracy‚ but they didn’t want to see democracy play out. That was obviously the case on Wednesday’s Today when NBC anchor Craig Melvin tried to bully former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley out of the Republican nomination race for president. As he should‚ Melvin got an earful when Haley called him “ridiculous” and told him off for pretending to be concerned about the GOP for the general election. “He is clearly head and shoulders above the rest in terms of front-runner status‚ right now you would concede. What does that say about the party? Why has your message not broken through so far?” Melvin sniped at her. She pushed back‚ suggesting‚ “Well‚ I think my message has broken through. Not only are we getting Republicans we're getting independents‚ we’re getting Reagan Democrats. The people who want the anger to stop‚ the people who want the division to stop‚ and the people who want us to stop having 80-year-old candidates.” Melvin’s poking continued with him feigning concern that she was hurting the Republican Party’s chances in November by supposedly gobbling up resources and essentially telling her to drop out of the race. She responded by calling him “ridiculous” and noted that Trump was gabbling up resources with his court cases:     MELVIN: Some have suggested you might be hurting the potential GOP nominee the longer you stay in. HALEY: I mean‚ how ridiculous is it that you're literally saying that I'm hurting him by staying in? MELVIN: Diverting resources. HALEY: No. When -- Okay. Resources. From a man who spent $50 million of his own campaign contributions on his personal court cases. Where the RNC is broke. I'm the one hurting in resources? I don't think so. I'm the one that saved the Republican Party. Look at every general election poll‚ look at any of them. Trump loses by five‚ by seven. On a good day he's even‚ margin of error. I defeat Biden by up to 17 points. Melvin ended the interview by pressing Haley on becoming former President Trump’s vice president if he became the nominee again. “Hypothetically‚ if your former boss is the nominee again. Would you serve in another Trump administration?” he said. Obviously‚ the question didn’t sit well with her: I don't want anything. I don't want vice president‚ I don't want anything. I am running because yes‚ while I thought he was the right president at the right time then‚ I do not think he's the right president at the right time now. I know what the American people want. They want to be heard. They've been through a lot. They don't see enough money in their wallets. I'm doing this because we have to do something. We can't just sit back and let it happen. This was another instance of the liberal media trying to meddle with the Republican nomination process and force it to end when they wanted it to. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: NBC’s Today February 14‚ 2024 7:11:03 a.m. Eastern (…) CRAIG MELVIN: He is clearly head and shoulders above the rest in in terms of front runner status‚ right now you would concede. What does that say about the party? Why has your message not broken through so far? NIKKI HALEY: Well‚ I think my message has broken through. Not only are we getting Republicans we're getting independents‚ we’re getting Reagan Democrats. The people who want the anger to stop‚ the people who want the division to stop‚ and the people who want us to stop having 80-year-old candidates. MELVIN: Is there one state you can say right now‚ “We can win there?” HALEY: You need 1‚215 delegates. Coming out of New Hampshire‚ he had 32 I have 17. We got multiple states. After South Carolina within ten days we're going to hit 20 states. Let it happen. As long as we keep it competitive. MELVIN: Some have suggested you might be hurting the potential GOP nominee the longer you stay in. HALEY: I mean‚ how ridiculous is it that you're literally saying that I'm hurting him by staying in? MELVIN: Diverting resources. HALEY: No. When -- Okay. Resources. From a man who spent $50 million of his own campaign contributions on his personal court cases. Where the RNC is broke. I'm the one hurting in resources? I don't think so. I'm the one that saved the Republican Party. Look at every general election poll‚ look at any of them. Trump loses by five‚ by seven. On a good day he's even‚ margin of error. I defeat Biden by up to 17 points. MELVIN: But President Biden is not in the primary. HALEY: No. And we’re going to continue to work on the primary. Don't discount that I defeated a dozen fellas. Don't discount that I ended up with 20 percent in Iowa when y'all said I wouldn't make it. Don't discount that I got 43 percent in New Hampshire and don't discount me now. MELVIN: Hypothetically‚ if your former boss is the nominee again. Would you serve in another Trump administration? HALEY: I don't want anything. I don't want vice president‚ I don't want anything. I am running because yes‚ while I thought he was the right president at the right time then‚ I do not think he's the right president at the right time now. I know what the American people want. They want to be heard. They've been through a lot. They don't see enough money in their wallets. I'm doing this because we have to do something. We can't just sit back and let it happen. (…)

It is a commonly accepted axiom that in politics the buck stops with the president or‚ if you like‚ his cabinet‚ but for PolitiFact applying this standard to the border and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is “false.” At the same time‚ PolitiFact will go to great lengths to insist that gender is something completely different from sex. In a Tuesday article on Rep. Michael McCaul declaring Mayorkas to be “personally responsible” for the fentanyl crisis‚ Bayliss Wagner writes in a series of bullet points‚ “Border policies are shaped by the Homeland Security chief‚ the president‚ and Congress‚ not just by Mayorkas” and “Although Border Patrol agents seize a small percentage of illicitly produced fentanyl‚ the vast majority of fentanyl enters the country in vehicles driven by U.S. citizens‚ Customs and Border Protection and sentencing data show.” That‚ of course‚ doesn’t mention all the unseized fentanyl‚ as Wagner writes: In House testimony that McCaul’s office referred to as evidence for his claim‚ National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd stated that Biden’s border policies have led to a historically high number of ‘got-aways‚’ or people who were found to be crossing the border illegally but evaded apprehension. However‚ the estimated annual apprehension rate of undocumented migrants under Mayorkas has averaged 78%‚ identical to that of the Trump administration‚ per a Jan. 28 DHS memo. Judd also noted that Border Patrol seized about 3‚243 pounds of fentanyl in Biden’s first two years in office‚ which means hundreds of millions of lethal doses of the synthetic opioid were brought into the country outside of legal ports of entry. Having an identical rate of apprehension only matters if the quantity of apprehensions remains the same‚ which‚ as Judd notes‚ it has not‚ making a “false” rating excessive. Wagner would also attempt to defend Mayorkas by blaming House Republicans for not passing the recent Senate bill‚ but that would not have affected anything in the past. She also claims that “Mayorkas does not completely control other factors that affect fentanyl smuggling‚ such as negotiations with China” and “The opioid epidemic began in the 1990s‚ long before Mayorkas became DHS secretary.” While Wagner played defense for Mayorkas‚ “LGBTQ issues” writer Grace Abels came out with an explainer piece on a new Florida policy that reversed a previous policy of allowing residents to change “whether a ‘M’ or ‘F’ appears in the gender field of their driver’s license.” There wasn’t much to fact-check‚ but the piece does highlight PolitiFact’s approach to transgender issues‚ “Although 'sex’ and ‘gender’ are often used as synonyms‚ medical experts and most major medical organizations define these terms differently.” The idea that “gender” is a synonym for “sex” is centuries old‚ the politicized definition Abels references is merely decades old. It is a fact that gender comes from genus‚ meaning “kind‚” but Abels appealed to those politicized authorities‚ which claim it is actually the believers in the old and correct definition that are seeking to redefine the term: Florida’s physical license labels the ‘M’/’F’ field with the term ‘sex.’ But the law on licenses uses the term "gender" to describe what is required on a license application. University of Florida law professor Berta Esperanza Hernández-Truyol questioned the interpretation. ‘While‚ to be sure‚ agencies issue regulations‚ it is very arguably beyond their purview to single-handedly reinterpret statutory law‚’ she said. ‘Especially with the attempted redefinition of ‘gender’ which‚ as a term of art‚ has a different meaning from ‘sex.’ Republicans citing “got-aways” on the border aren’t enough to save them from false ratings‚ but the official position of PolitiFact is that gender is something that can be changed. Make that make sense.