‘The Medusa Protocol': Hugs, Not Guns
Mined for Memories
The first book in the series, 'Assassins Anonymous,' centered on Mark, professionally known as 'Pale Horse.' He tries to redeem himself and avoid being killed by people from his past. Its sequel, 'The Medusa Protocol,' shifts back and forth between the perspectives of Mark and his would-be love interest, another assassin named Astrid.
'The Medusa Protocol' begins with Astrid waking up in a cell, having been roughly abducted and shipped to an unknown international location. Stoic professional henchmen are everywhere; the newly constructed cell suggests they are looking to hold her captive for a long time. They also blare 'Come On, Eileen' by Dexys Midnight Runners from hidden speakers for hours on end. The future doesn't look promising for Astrid.
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New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
New details shed light on why 15-year-old may have killed parents, 3 siblings in Washington mansion
The deranged 15-year-old accused of slaughtering all but one of his family members in their ritzy lakeside Washington mansion was kept isolated from the world and raised under a 'rigid, militant survivalist ideology,' his lawyer claims. Mark and Sarah Humiston drove their future killer son to the heinous crime after hammering him and his siblings with years of religious extremism and government paranoia, according to court documents filed last week. Prosecutors say their oldest son — whose identity has been kept under wraps — shot his parents, brothers Benjamin, 13, Joshua, 9, and sister Katheryn, 7, in the middle of the night in October. His 11-year-old sister survived the bloodbath by playing dead. 3 Mark and Sarah Humiston and three of their children were killed by their oldest son last fall. Facebook 'A common theme that has been expressed amongst extended family, neighbors, and those who knew the Humistons is that the children were isolated from the outside world and did not engage socially with many peers – only a select few families that went to their church and were friends of their family,' the court documents, obtained by KOMO News, said. 'Furthermore, initial reports indicate the home was abusive, tightly controlled, and dominated by extreme religious beliefs.' The killer and his dead siblings were homeschooled and kept under a 'rigid, militant survivalist ideology,' the documents claim. The Humisons were allegedly deeply paranoid of the government and medical professionals, especially surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine, leading to what the defense team painted as an isolating lifestyle. 3 The parents were allegedly religious extremists and ran a 'militant' household. Facebook They were also all allegedly given access to firearms, including Mark Humiston's handgun that the teenager used in his attempt to wipe out his entire family. The revelations were pieced together from nearly 100 interviews with witnesses and family members, many of whom spoke of the killer teen as 'kind, respectful, and deeply devoted to his family.' Even the boy's maternal grandmother sided with him, telling attorneys that Sarah Humiston 'was abusive and demeaning to the children.' 3 The murder took place in the family's $2 million Washington home. KOMO News The woman allegedly told cops she had previously threatened to report the Humiston parents if their abuse did not stop. The alleged abuse apparently came to a head last October when the 15-year-old methodically gunned down his family members one by one in their $2 million suburban Seattle mansion. The teen opened fire around 5 a.m., chillingly shooting them and then returning to check their pulses. Only his sister, an 11-year-old, survived by playing dead when he fired at her neck and hand. She slipped out of a window to a neighbor's house before he could finish the job, police said. At the same time, the gunman called 911 and told dispatchers that his 13-year-old brother had killed their family and 'taken himself out' because he had gotten in trouble looking at pornography the night before. He then staged the bloody scene before first responders arrived in an attempt to pin the killings on his dead brother, even putting a gun in his hand, according to the charging documents. The teen was immediately taken into custody and faces five counts of first-degree aggravated murder and one count of first-degree attempted murder.
Cosmopolitan
2 days ago
- Cosmopolitan
Who Is Julia Garner's Husband, Mark Foster?
Between The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Wolfman, and Weapons, Julia Garner has had a *very* busy couple of years…but somehow, she's managed to keep her private life out of the spotlight. You may not even realize that she is married (!!) and has been since 2019. Julia Garner's husband, Mark Foster, isn't just some rando, either—he's a singer and musician best known as the front man for indie pop band Foster the People. (Remember when the song 'Pumped Up Kicks' was playing legit e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e back in 2010? Yeah, you can thank Mark for that. Music vid incoming!) Although they first met all the way back in 2013, it took several years for them to start dating. Once they did, however, things moved FAST, and in a matter of 18 months, the two got engaged and then married in a fabulously low-key ceremony. Here's everything you should know about Julia's hubs, including how he met the actor and how he rose to fame with Foster the People. But first? A moment for this dreamy Gucci ad they did together: After graduating from his Cleveland high school in 2002, Mark decided to move in with an uncle in Los Angeles to pursue a music career. During that time, he worked several odd jobs, played with a few different bands, and even had a brief career as a commercial jingle writer before Foster the People was finally born. 'I felt like an 18-year-old Hunter S. Thompson,' Mark told the Los Angeles Times when asked about that time in his life. 'I was just diving into this Hollywood Hills subculture and taking it all in. I wasn't shy about taking my guitar out at a party. I wanted to be the center of attention.' Mark eventually founded Foster the People (initially called Foster & the People) with drummer Mark Pontius and producer Zach 'Reazon' Heiligman, and they played their first show in October 2009. His longtime friend Cubbie Fink later joined as bassist, and in late 2010, the group hit it big after their single 'Pumped Up Kicks' became a viral success. Today, the band is composed of Mark and keyboardist Isom Innis, and since its inception, Foster the People has released four albums: Torches, Supermodel, Sacred Hearts Club, and Paradise State of Mind. During his first few years in Los Angeles, Mark struggled with addiction while balancing several jobs and attempting to launch his music career. 'It got pretty dark,' he told Rolling Stone. 'My friends thought I was going to die. I was blind to it. When I was 19 years old, it got to a point where I said, 'Enough is enough.'…I saw time was just passing me by. I wasn't being productive.' According to Mark, it was a run-in with an old friend that convinced him to reevaluate his life. '…My friend ran into me and he just—he started crying,' Mark explained to NPR. 'And that kind of—that was the first thing that shook me up, 'cause this was, like, a kid that partied with me for a lot of it, you know. And I was like, wow, it must be serious if he's worried—just 'cause I was so skinny.' Julia isn't the first celeb Mark has romanced. He also apparently dated Nina Dobrev for, like, a month back in 2014. Ofc, the two never actually confirmed the relationship, so it's unclear how long they dated (or if they even dated at all). Regardless, pls enjoy this photo of them together from 2012 with Nina's ex Ian Somerhalder, with whom Mark is apparently also friends: Mark also sparked dating rumors with Michelle Trachtenberg for a hot minute in 2012, but again, rumors were never confirmed and they were short-lived. In January 2013, Mark met his future wife at the Sundance Film Festival, where her horror film We Are What We Are was making its debut. The two bonded over the fact that Julia's grandma lived in the same small town outside of Cleveland that Mark's dad lives in, as she later told Vogue. But they didn't exchange info at the time, and they didn't speak again until Mark found Julia on Instagram. Julia told the Hollywood Reporter that Mark started Liking all her pics after giving her a follow. 'I was like, 'Who's this guy Liking all my photos? Is this a stalker?'' she joked. 'I clicked on him and I was like, 'Oh, Mark. Oh, he's cute. I'm going to follow him back.' Then he DM'd me.' In April 2019, during a cross-country RV trip before Julia left to begin filming season 3 of Ozark, Mark decided to pop the question. The two had been dating for about 10 months at that point, and as Julia told Vogue, the proposal went down in Flathead Lake, Montana, where Mark read her an original poem before asking her to marry him. After they got engaged, Julia and Mark debated between having a big wedding or simply eloping. Initially, they'd planned on a June 2020 celebration, but luckily, they ended up tying the knot before the COVID-19 crisis became global. 'For some reason, I was like, 'You know what? Let's not wait until June. Let's just do it, because who knows?'' Julia explained to the Hollywood Reporter. In December 2019, the two had a quiet ceremony at New York's City Hall, where Julia's parents had gotten married 40 years earlier. The next day, they held a reception at Public Hotel, where Mark surprised Julia with an original song, 'Lovers in a Stream,' for their first dance. Although their schedules keep 'em busy, Mark and Julia still seem to make *plenty* of time for each other (and cheering each other on). Mark has shared TONS of mushy posts in honor of his wife and her accomplishments, and he raves about her in interviews, too. When she won her Best Supporting Actress Emmy in 2019 for her work in Ozark, Mark had a major Proud Partner Moment™ on IG. 'Congratulations, you beautiful angel of a human,' he gushed in a since-deleted post. 'It brings me immeasurable joy to see you lifted up and recognized by your peers, your industry, and your fans. You deserve every bit of love and respect. You're so incredibly special. I consider myself the luckiest guy on the planet to be able to watch whatever you do from the front row, with a bag of popcorn and your hand wrapped in mine.' Um…😍. Pls keep on being adorable, you two.
Business Wire
3 days ago
- Business Wire
Game Developers Conference Appoints Games Industry Luminary Mark DeLoura Executive Director of Innovation & Growth
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Game Developers Conference (GDC), the world's largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games, has appointed longtime GDC advisor and videogame advocate Mark DeLoura as the Executive Director of Innovation & Growth, a new leadership role to ensure GDC's strategy, programming and presence are future-facing and deeply connected to the industry it serves. Heading into its 40th edition, GDC is transforming into a Festival of Gaming, expanding its scope to represent the full game-making ecosystem and better meet the needs of the contemporary games industry. GDC 2026 will return to the Moscone Center in San Francisco next year, Monday, March 9 to Friday, March 13, 2026. Mark's career has been defined by an intellectual curiosity and an exploration of the endless possibilities of game development around education, inclusion, civic engagement and the public good. In his more than three decades experience he has held such wide-ranging titles as journalist, technical director, vice president of technology, consultant, advocate and senior advisor. On the console side, Mark helped launch iconic game platforms like Nintendo 64, GameCube and PlayStation 3. He has authored programming books and served as the editor-in-chief of Game Developer Magazine, helping generations better understand game technology. Mark's history with GDC goes as far back as helping oversee the original event's transition from the Computer Game Developers Conference (1988-1999) into the inclusive, globally relevant platform now known as the Game Developers Conference, and he has served as an advisor for the event for more than 10 years. Mark's technical and academic understanding of game development culminated in his role as the Senior Advisor for Digital Media at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Obama. In his ongoing advocacy of the positive influence of gaming technology, Mark's new role as Executive Director of Innovation & Growth of GDC puts him center stage in an exciting effort to shape the next chapter of GDC. In its 40th edition, the new GDC will be a reimagined platform that reflects the entire game-making ecosystem, and Mark's vision, grounded in years of industry insight, will help to shape this broader strategy and ensure it delivers meaningful value to every corner of the community. 'Mark has been a longtime member of the GDC family,' said Nina Brown, Vice President of Gaming at Informa Festivals. 'We could not have a better leader joining to help change the game as GDC becomes an inclusive Festival of Gaming to better serve the industry we all love. He is among the rare few that have the holistic perspective of the rapidly evolving industry from the inside out.' "GDC has always been a home for people who care deeply about making games and now it's transforming into something even more ambitious!" said Mark DeLoura, GDC's Executive Director of Innovation & Growth. 'It's incredibly exciting to step into this role to ensure that GDC remains connected to the community while expanding to serve everyone who is shaping the future of games.' For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, X or BlueSky. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: About GDC The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world's largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision makers and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game development community year-round through events and digital media, including the networking meet-up's, GDC Vault, Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information visit
