[AP] TUCSON, AZ ‐ Aaron Francisco Chavez swallowed at least one of the sky blue pills at a Halloween party before falling asleep forever.
He became yet another victim killed by a flood of illicit fentanyl smuggled from Mexico into the Southwest -- a profitable new business for drug gangs that has pushed the synthetic opioid to the top spot for fatal U.S. overdoses.
Three others at the party in Tucson also took the pills nicknamed "Mexican oxy" and police flagged down by partygoers saved them by administering naloxone overdose reversal medication. But the treatment came too late for Chavez, who died at age 19.
The four thought they were taking oxycodone, a much less powerful opioid, investigators believe. The death of Chavez and many others, officials said, illustrate how Arizona and other southwestern states bordering Mexico have become a hot spot in the nation's fentanyl crisis. Fentanyl deaths tripled in Arizona alone from 2015 through 2017.
"It's the worst I've seen in 30 years, this toll that it's taken on families," said Doug Coleman, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in charge of Arizona. "The crack (cocaine) crisis was not as bad."
With plenty of pills and powder sold locally out of the arriving fentanyl shipments that are also distributed around the U.S., the drug that has surpassed heroin for overdose deaths has touched all Arizona demographic groups. Chavez' family says he was working at a restaurant as a prep cook with dreams of becoming a chef and trying to turn his life around after serving prison time for a robbery conviction.
#3
Anybody think a tight border would reduce such tragedies?
Sadly, we may never know. Trump is the first president we've ever had who is serious about our country's drug problem but the Democrats seem to have a vested interest in it and they resist any effort to secure the border with all they've got.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/15/2019 15:13 Comments ||
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#4
Democrats seem to have a vested interest in it
Their lives are not blighted by either drug use or drug dealers in the neighbourhood, and in fact those who indulge enjoy the experience while those who do not refuse to Puritanically sit in judgement on a minor pleasure of their peers, Bobby. And it must be pointed out this attitude is not completely party-aligned — plenty of Republicans, including plenty of Rantburgers, take a libertarian approach to the subject. We’ve had some battles royale here on the subject, and arguments about the destructive impact of drug sales and drug use on poor neighbourhoods are very much discounted.
[CNN] A mother and her boyfriend were arrested after police responding to a domestic disturbance call in Texas found four malnourished children in a home -- two of them locked in a dog crate, authorities said.
Police discovered the children Tuesday in clutter and filth, with two in a crate placed in a barn converted into living space, Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said.
The three boys and one girl range in age from 1 to 5, and didn't say much when police arrived at the home near Rhome, authorities said. They were hungry and thirsty, and covered in feces, Akin said.
CNN affiliate KTVT reported that the two oldest children, ages 5 and 4, were the ones locked in dog crates.
"Our deputies and our lieutenant fed and gave water to those children. And due to the malnourishment and other concerns, EMS was called; emergency medical was called," Akin said.
Paige Harkings is the biological mother of the children and her boyfriend, Andrew Fabila, is the biological father of one child, according to authorities.
They were arrested on four counts of endangering a child, and Harkings faces an additional charge of one count of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, Akin said.
The domestic disturbance call was a result of a fight between the two, and Fabila had several abrasions on his face when police arrived, according to authorities.
[DEADLINEHOLLYWOODNEWS] Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted shortly after Jussie Smollett's GMA appearance this morning that through a "meticulous investigation," detectives "have identified the persons of interest in the area of the alleged attack of the Empire cast member. These individuals are not yet suspects but were in area of concern and are being questioned. Investigation continues." rumor: these guys are extras on Empire, were friends of Smolette and purchased clothesline from Ace Hardware a day before the 'crime', also they took Lyft to downtown Chicago a few hours before the 'crime'
Posted by: lord garth ||
02/15/2019 00:00 ||
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#1
From what I've read, part of that 'meticulous investigation' involved taking the redacted phone log they got from the 'victim' and comparing it to the cell tower dump. The missing names became the Persons of Interest.
Looks like my guess that the alleged victim fell on the ice and made up a story was wrong. What we have here is a plan so cunning you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel. Aside from the overall improbability of it all, I mean.
#3
So they faked a crime in a city covered in surveillance cameras and witnesses but did it on a night so cold the witnesses were inside and did it in a spot the cameras didn't see.
This is sounding like it could be a pretty funny episode of a crime show.
#4
Two Nigerian Brothers:
Two Nigerian brothers identified as “persons of interest” in the alleged hate attack on Jussie Smollett could face criminal charges Friday, according to their lawyer.
It’s unclear what the men could be charged with, however, their attorney, Gloria Schmidt, told CBS News.
“They are baffled about why they are people of interest,” Schmidt told the network. “It’s an awful thing that happened to Jussie, but it’s not my guys.”
She said the men, who have not been identified, worked with Smollett on the set of his hit TV show “Empire” and worked out with him at the gym.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/15/2019 10:27 Comments ||
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#5
So are they going to admit that juicy is a liar, or are they going to frame somebody?
All the perps/co-conspirators are black. You can't charge a black person for a hate crime. It just isn't done.
You can't charge Juicy for filing a false report because that will "discourage future victims from coming forward".
Prediction: Juicy will be hailed as a hero for bravely calling attention to the epidemic of hate crimes in America.
[Guns America] This week the Nevada Senate passed SB143 by a vote of 13 to 8. The bill, known as "The Background Check Act," would require any unlicensed parties who wish to transfer ownership of a firearm to first both appear before a licensed firearm dealer so that a background check can be completed.
Anyone who does not comply with the act would face criminal charges. The first offense would be a misdemeanor and any second and subsequent offenses could be charged as felonies.
The bill, if ultimately passed by the state Assembly, would apply to any transactions between unlicensed parties including transactions at gun shows. The bill would not require a background check for law enforcement transfers or transfers between immediate family members. The bill would not apply to antique firearms.
After the Senate passed the bill, Nevada’s GOP Chairman, Michael McDonald, released a statement.
"The process behind this sweeping gun grab measure has been flawed from the start," McDonald said. "Our party attempted to fix this broken piece of legislation . . . [but] Democrats find it more important to do it their way, and punish law abiding citizens, than to do it right."
Prior to coming before the Senate for a vote, public testimony was taken and the bill was debated in committee hearings. One woman, Jenny Heyman, testified in favor of the bill, having lost her son to a man with a gun during a road rage incident.
LONDON (Reuters) - A third man suspected of involvement in the nerve agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in England last year is a high-ranking Russian military intelligence agent, the investigative website Bellingcat said on Thursday.
Skripal, a former officer in Russian military intelligence who betrayed dozens of spies to MI6, and his daughter Yulia were found slumped unconscious on a bench in the southern city of Salisbury in March 2018 after being poisoned with the Novichok military-grade nerve agent. Both later recovered.
A police officer was also sickened, and a woman who lived nearby died after her partner brought home a fake perfume bottle with what police say was the poison, discarded by the attackers.
Britain has accused two Russian GRU military intelligence officers of carrying out the attack and Bellingcat said it had identified a third Russian agent who was also in Britain at the time and was suspected of being involved.
"Bellingcat can now reveal the true identity and background of this GRU officer, who operated internationally under the cover persona of Sergey Vyachaeslavovich Fedotov," it said.
"In fact, this person is Denis Vyacheslavovich Sergeev, a high-ranking GRU officer and a graduate of Russia’s Military Diplomatic Academy."
[BBC] A man was accidentally shot by police as they investigated reports of a woman being held by armed men in a south-east London pub.
The Met responded to a call shortly before 04:00 GMT which reported a woman was being held against her will at the Anchor Pub in Lewisham.
Officers stopped a car near the pub and a gun was "unintentionally discharged" injuring a man, police said.
He and another man in the car, along with five others, have been arrested. The five men were all arrested at the pub where a search was carried out, although police could not find a woman.
Police have not confirmed what the men have been arrested on suspicion of.
Det Ch Insp James Stanyer said officers "are working hard to fully understand this incident" and appealed for the woman who originally called 999 to contact them.
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong customs seized a record 40 kg (88 pounds) of rhino horns worth around HK$8 million ($1 million) from Johannesburg en route to Vietnam, the latest bust for authorities trying to tackle the rising volume of endangered species trafficked through the Chinese territory.
The seizure came less than one month after customs busted a massive smuggling operation from Africa, seizing a record quantity of pangolin scales, along with more than 1,000 ivory tusks.
Customs said the rhino horns were found in two check-in carton boxes, destined for Ho Chi Minh City. Two men were arrested, they said in a statement on Thursday, adding it was a record haul for airline passengers.
"It’s shocking to us that today’s 40 kg rhino horn seizure equates to about 20 percent of the total amount of rhino horn seized in Hong Kong from 2013 to the end of October 2018," conservation group WildAid said.
#1
Not a laughing matter. IMO, a lot of the decline of the Western education is due to hiring thousands of AOC lite to teaching and academic positions.
[Daily Caller] President Donald Trump has freed up $8 billion from various government agencies to build the wall, according to Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade.
Trump announced earlier on Thursday that he plans on signing a bipartisan congressional bill that provides limited border wall funding and declaring a national emergency at the southern border.
"Of course today was dominated by many stories, one of which was the bipartisan budget bill for border security. And the big number is‐that the president was not happy with‐was $1.375 billion to build a border barrier. He could do whatever he wanted with it," Kilmeade began. "The question was, ’Would the president add something with that? Would he declare a national emergency?’ I just got off the phone with Mick Mulvaney, chief of staff, and the answer is a resounding ’Yes.’ Now for the first time, you will hear how much it is and where the money is coming from."
"It’s going to be about $8 billion. He had the $1.3 [billion], then $600 million will come from the Treasury, the Treasury forfeiture front. $2.5 billion out of [Department of Defense]. They consulted with Mick Mulvaney and the White House over the last few months on what they could actually do and they are going to use some money they feel they can spare on the drug interdiction account," he continued. "Then they came across with $3.5 billion for the military, the military construction budget." (RELATED: Trump Says DACA For Wall Deal ’Highly Unlikely’)
Kilmeade added, "They feel they can help in that respect. And then, of course, they have additional money. It all adds up to $8 billion. So the $1.375 [billion] not enough for the president. He wanted $5.7 [billion]. He walks away at the end of the day with $8 billion and, of course, the Democrats and some Republicans are upset about that."
The president’s decision to declare a national emergency for the wall was not unexpected. During the speech Trump gave late last month, where he announced he was going to end the government shutdown, he also explained that he would go down this route if Congress could not come up with a deal within a three-week period, which would have expired Friday.
[MEDIAite] William Barr has secured the Senate votes he needs to become the new Attorney General of the United States.
With a 54-45 vote, Barr has obtained enough votes from Republicans and some Democrats to obtain a simple majority. The news means Barr will take up the AG position after he previously held the job under George H.W. Bush’s presidency.
Once he’s sworn in, Barr will take Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s place in supervising Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation. Several lawmakers opposed to Barr’s confirmation have said they’re concerned by his lack of commitment to publicly release Mueller’s findings, even if he does think the investigation should be allowed to run its course.
#1
Several lawmakers [are]concerned by his lack of commitment to publicly release Mueller’s findings
Apparently, there are still some Dems who thing there is something of substance in the report.
Perhaps they intend that the volume of the report will 'prove' Trump's malfeasance?
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/15/2019 10:43 Comments ||
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#2
The special council statute is specific on reporting. Most of the dems complaining about it right now weren't around to vote on the law back in the day. Now they want it to be whatever they want it to be.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/15/2019 11:19 Comments ||
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[The Hill] An investigation into the viral encounter between students from Covington Catholic High School and a Native American man found the students' accounts to be largely accurate, according to findings released Wednesday.
Greater Cincinnati Investigations issued a report dated Feb. 11 that found no evidence that students from Covington Catholic made "offensive or racist" statements to either Black Hebrew Israelites or Native American tribe members gathered on the National Mall.
"The statements we obtained from students and chaperones are remarkably consistent," the investigators said. "And, the statements are consistent with the videos we reviewed."
The Bishop of the Covington Diocese, Roger Foys, welcomed the report as vindication of the students' behavior, despite the diocese's initial condemnation of the events. Other 'apologies' will, no doubt, follow.
No doubt. The article contains a link to the investigative report, at the end of which is the point that most of the boys wearing MAGA hats had bought them in Washington, just as in previous years they had bought Obama-supporting HOPE hats. Meanwhile, back in Cincinnati another Covington Catholic boy and his family have been making a difference despite the hate:
[CincinnatiEnquirer] Strangers identified a Covington Catholic senior's dream and mobilized to dismantle it.
Michael Hodge had applied to Cincinnati State, drawn to the school's culinary arts program. A mob, angered by videos showing Hodge's classmates chanting around a group of Native Americans on the National Mall, found a scapegoat in Hodge.
Hodge was 500 miles away when his classmates joined the March for Life event and afterward encountered Native Americans and a reported hate group. Hodge had remained in the Cincinnati area for his older brother's wedding. But he was mistakenly identified as another CovCath student, Nick Sandmann.
Police officers escorted Hodge to school those first few days back.
What the strangers didn't know: Hodge's passion for the culinary arts had led him last summer to prepare and serve meals to food-insecure individuals at Mary Rose Mission, a Catholic nonprofit in Florence.
And about six years earlier, Hodge's father, John Hodge, had offered engineering and architectural advice and a free inspection through his company, Century Construction Inc., to Mary Rose during the renovation of a 100-year old structure.
The Hodges mulled creating a fundraiser for Mary Rose, to channel the attention away from hate. They feared it would create more unwanted attention, but ultimately decided to go through with it. With donations made by check and through GoFundMe, the family raised more than $20,000. The Hodges made a $250 anonymous donation themselves and later donated $600 more to offset a GoFundMe service fee.
On Friday, the family presented a $21,170 check to Carris and Mary Rose.
Carris said the money will likely help defray costs associated with purchasing a new facility to serve as a temporary refuge for people in need. The refuge would offer warm beds and opportunities, Carris said.
Michael Hodge said Cincinnati State officials assured him that the doxing won't affect his application. He's awaiting a response and applying for scholarships.
He said the atmosphere at Covington Catholic has mostly returned to normal.
"I'm going to be optimistic," he said. "Just with anything, good can come out of it."
Mary Rose offers free meals every day of the year from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at 272 Main St. in Florence. All are welcome.
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/15/2019 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[CNN] A mother and her boyfriend were arrested after police responding to a domestic disturbance call in Texas found four malnourished children in a home -- two of them locked in a dog crate, authorities said.
[DEADLINEHOLLYWOODNEWS] Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted shortly after Jussie Smollett's GMA appearance this morning that through a "meticulous investigation," detectives "have identified the persons of interest in the area of the alleged attack of the Empire cast member. These individuals are not yet suspects but were in area of concern and are being questioned. Investigation continues."
[Daily Caller] President Donald Trump has freed up $8 billion from various government agencies to build the wall, according to Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade.
Greater Cincinnati Investigations issued a report dated Feb. 11 that found no evidence that students from Covington Catholic made "offensive or racist" statements to either Black Hebrew Israelites or Native American tribe members gathered on the National Mall.
