Cheers to this Republican who just stopped a Trump judicial nominee with a history of suppressing black voters.
For Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) this was one nomination that went too Farr.
No, that’s not a typo. Scott, a conservative Republican from the very conservative state of South Carolina helped put a stop to the nomination of Thomas Farr, who was nominated by the Trump Administration for a lifetime appointment as a federal judge.
“I am ready and willing to support strong candidates for our judicial vacancies that do not have lingering concerns about issues that could affect their decision-making process as a federal judge,” Scott said in a statement explaining why he was opposing Trump’s pick. “This week, a Department of Justice memo written under President George H.W. Bush was released that shed new light on Mr. Farr’s activities. This, in turn, created more concerns. Weighing these important factors, this afternoon I concluded that I could not support Mr. Farr’s nomination.”
The controversy over Farr’s nomination stems from his work for the late Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) during two campaigns where an investigation alleges the campaign engaged in efforts to suppress the votes of African Americans.
Farr has denied any involvement in the incident, where 120,000 postcards were mailed to black voters, discouraging them from voting.
Every Democrat and outgoing Republican Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) also opposed the nomination, meaning Farr had no chance of moving out of the Senate Judiciary Committee for a full vote before the Senate.
The controversies surrounding Farr aren’t limited to a pair of Senate campaigns in the 1980’s. As recently as 2013, Farr helped write North Carolina’s voter ID law, which was ruled unconstitutional for the it targeted and suppressed the black vote.
Scott's decision was met with praise from a number of Democrats and the NAACP.
Thomas Farr made a career out of voter disenfranchisement and should be rightfully denied a lifetime seat on the Be… https://t.co/UIw3rKbmQl— Andrew Gillum (@Andrew Gillum) 1543534128.0
Senate Republicans didn’t have the votes to move forward with Thomas Farr's nomination today. Let's keep up the pre… https://t.co/5iiFLCAbRX— Kamala Harris (@Kamala Harris) 1543525862.0
Thank you @SenatorTimScott for standing on principle and not partisanship in your opposition to the nomination of… https://t.co/QfIrOUrfoL— Derrick Johnson (@Derrick Johnson) 1543530570.0
Scott is hardly anyone’s progressive. That's part of what makes his decision so newsworthy.
He received a 96 percent approval rating from the NRA in 2016, is pro-life and generally votes to support Trump’s nominees and positions, including voting in favor of Brett Kavanaugh’s recent nomination to the Supreme Court.
However, he's also been working with the White House on their criminal justice reform initiative, which has earned praise from those working to change our country's sentencing laws.
Had a phone call with the @whitehouse earlier today about the #FirstStepAct and criminal justice reform. I’m optimi… https://t.co/NDHs7y7j7g— Tim Scott (@Tim Scott) 1543342922.0
So, we should commend Scott for taking the right stand on this nomination but also it begs to be pointed out that standing up against a history of alleged prejudice should not be limited to cases where the offenses were committed against people of your own race, gender or religion. It would be great if Scott, and other lawmakers like him, took a consistent stand against prejudice of all forms, especially with judicial nominees, where everyone deserves to be seen equally in the eyes of the law.
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."