@Wipqozn Let's hope we get nuclear on the rise too.

Official white house portraits:

Oh I love them!

I mean, the portraits are nice.

Especially the hyperrealism of Mr. Obama's

But not the subjects. People who charge more journalists with the espionage act for revealing war crimes than all other presidents throughout history combined are not friends in my book.

But yeah the realism is impressive.

I have a presidential portrait story! Our local VA clinic did a big lgbtq+ display in the lobby for pride month a few years ago. It was a first for the clinic, and it was pretty cool. They placed it in such a way that it completely blocked the Trump portrait for a month. :)

heh

bbc.com/news/live/uk-62834633 - Royal family gathers in Balmoral amid concerns for Queen's health - BBC Live Coverage

That was bound to happen. Queen is 98

But I really wonder what will happen to the confederation when she does pass

I dont even know who is supposed to get the throne after her, but pretty much all options are unpopular

She'll just become the Forever Queen

@Fredy31 Prince Charles, who will likely rule for a few years then abdicate to Prince William.

@MBraedley I don't actually think he will abdicate, because abdication has a problematic history in the UK. Back in 1936, Edward VIII abdicated so he could marry a twice-divorced woman, something that wasn't allowed for Protestants at the time, and with the King being the head of the Protestant Church in the UK, he could not stay Head of State and marry a divorced woman at the same time

You sure you got your dates exact? because when he abdicated wasn't it the moment Elizabeth took the throne? That would be 85 years ago?

Also didn't elizabeth drive jeeps in WW2 so she was not queen back then

Oh ok just looked it up, there is her dad before. Edward abdicated, the dad of elizabeth took the throne for about 20 years before she got the throne at 25 years old in 1953

@Nzall Also I just checked, and at least, I guess giving up the throne worked out. Edward and his wife lived together until he died in the 70s.

@Fredy31 King George VI ruled during WWII

@MBraedley Yep, and thanks to his shitty health died in 53, giving the throne to his daughter, Elizabeth

I should go back to work I went a little hard in this rabbit hole

@Wipqozn oh man, we gonna entomb her in the golden throne, complete with forced life support?

The Queen has died, the Royal Family has announced

@Yuuki Poor timing! Or perfect t iming...

Meanwhile, Ave is on my Twitter feed, drinking some sort of fancy German beverage while looking at the TV

Henkell Trocken, it seems

@Nzall it's the first sparkling wine I could find in the store

I literally just had returned from store

rushing to buy champagne before they likely announced it

Celebrating the death of one of the most famous people in the world? Why?

@Nzall I don't like her

I have no strong feelings one way or the other. Although now I want to go home and play a game of Age of Empires, regicide mode.

It's never been a better day to be an iconoclast.

DOJ appeals special master ruling in Trump Mar-a-Lago probe

hmm, that headline isn't quite right. The linked filing is actually a request for a partial stay of the ruling, and is being made to the current court, not (yet) to the court of appeals

but its certainly being made in anticipation of an appeal:

> Pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 8(a)(1), the United States respectfully moves for a partial stay pending appeal of the Court’s September 5, 2022 Order, Docket Entry (“D.E.”) 64. Specifically, the government seeks a stay to the extent the Order

> (1) enjoins the further review and use for criminal investigative purposes of records bearing classification markings that were recovered pursuant to a court-authorized search warrant and

> (2) requires the government to disclose those classified records to a special master for review. The government respectfully requests that the Court rule on this motion promptly. If the Court does not grant a stay by Thursday, September 15, the government intends to seek relief from the Eleventh Circuit.

@TimStone and the first thing i hear from my mum when the news broke is "now that bitch gets to be called a Consort"

as you can tell, my mum is a fan of Princess Diana