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I accidentally emailed a stranger 10 years ago. He has been invited to family celebrations ever since | Emma Wilkins

The delight of ‘meeting’ a person from a different country and time zone is one of the wonders of the internet. Perhaps one day we will host a party in his honour One of the many people my husband’s clan and I invite to family celebrations isn’t related to us by blood or marriage. He isn’t dating one of us, he hasn’t met any of us, and none of us – were he to attend – would know his face. But from time to time he gets an invite to a birthday of someone he has never met and is asked to bring a plate. He has never come, but he always responds with excitement and warmth. He’s not technically “one of us”, but he shares a surname with some of us and over years earned himself the ultimate sign of group acceptance: a nickname. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/IeOh3JN

Hospital visit fuels speculation about Samuel Alito’s future on supreme court

Veteran justice, 76, was treated for dehydration in March; a retirement would give Trump new chance to shape court US supreme court justice Samuel Alito was reportedly taken to a hospital after becoming sick at a Federalist Society dinner in Philadelphia in March, further fueling speculation that Donald Trump could have more chances to shape the land’s highest court through new appointments. A CNN report said Alito was checked by medical staff and given fluids due to dehydration. He later returned to his home in Virginia that same night with his security detail. In the weeks since, Alito has resumed his duties, including participating in oral arguments. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/0jB6DzJ

‘Luckily, I wasn’t decapitated’: 17 comedians’ stories from 40 years of Melbourne international comedy festival

Wil Anderson, Lano and Woodley, Aaron Chen, Urzila Carlson and more share memories from 40 years at MICF, including fires, camels and weddings First MICF: 1988 Lano and Woodley in Space is on 4-5 April and 11 April Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Ebyg4ls

Children as young as 12 buying and selling knives and weapons via the internet

Government must ‘come down very hard’ on online trade in knives and weapons, says policing and crime minister Sarah Jones Children are setting up online businesses selling knives in the same way they trade clothes, the policing and crime minister has said. Sarah Jones heard how children as young as 12 were buying and selling the weapons on the internet and social media, at the opening of the new National Knife Crime Centre in Bloomsbury, central London, on Thursday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/mWpXC9b

Turning a new leaf: these Victorian-inspired 'flirtation cards' are flipping the script on dating apps

Unlucky in love? Maybe ditch the apps. This new twist on Victorian-era ‘flirtation cards’ could spark your next meet-cute How do romance novelists celebrate love? Sign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better things Tired of swiping , singles are attending flirting parties and even dating-oriented run clubs in hopes of meeting their future partner in real life. But even those lack the romanticism of a true meet-cute. The Brooklyn-based stationery brand No Particular Order is offering a more serendipitous option: its new acquaintance cards that encourage more spontaneous connections. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/fvTK8YB

Tennessee library director fired after refusing to move LGBTQ+-themed kids’ books to adult section

Luanne James said as a librarian she had an obligation to protect the public’s right to access information Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox A Tennessee library director has been fired after she refused to relocate more than 100 LGBTQ+-themed children’s titles to the library system’s adult section. The Rutherford county library board on Monday voted to fire Luanne James following a heated emergency meeting that involved supporters of hers chanting “We stand with Luanne!” while wearing shirts that read “Protect the freedom to read.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/9EDkPHF

‘The more they come down on us, the more we come together’: 14 No Kings protesters on where to go from here

Saturday’s protests drew millions of people across the US and around the world. The Guardian spoke with some of them to see why they were there and what’s next So you went to a No Kings protest. Now what? Saturday saw the greatest number of protests in US history, when more than 8 million people at 3,300 No Kings events took to the streets to oppose the policies of Donald Trump . In the past few months, the Trump administration has sent more than 3,000 federal immigration agents into Minnesota’s Twin Cities , causing fear and havoc that was only furthered when agents killed two residents. Trump has also launched strikes on Venezuela and waged a war in Iran that has so far cost the US about $30bn to $40bn. That is on top of the US continuing to fund Israel’s war in Gaza; the ongoing immigration raids in other US cities, towns and rural regions; and the threats to trans rights, voting rights and more. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/PKBbvLe