Men Linked to Mexican Drug Cartel Behead 13-Year-Old Special Needs Girl, Murder Grandmother

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By The Blaze. Two men loosely associated with a brutal Mexican cartel, one of whom is an illegal immigrant, are responsible for beheading a 13-year-old girl with special needs and murdering her grandmother, Alabama law enforcement allege. . .

Authorities say Yoni Aguilar and Israel Gonzalez Palomino murdered Oralia Mendoza and her granddaughter, Mariah Lopez, because they didn’t trust Mendoza after she exhibited suspicious activity during a recent drug running trip to a small town in northeast Atlanta.

Authorities say the group ran drugs for the Sinaloa Cartel, the largest organized crime syndicate in the world. Police say it was Mendoza who had deep connections to the cartel.

According to AL.com, authorities believe something went wrong during their trip, spurring Palomino to believe he was being setup. Upon returning to Huntsville, Palomino discovered Mendoza had removed the SIM card from her cellphone. He also discovered text messages to an unknown woman during the drug run. Police say Mendoza texted a woman asking her to secure Lopez, who was staying with Palomino’s wife, because she feared for their lives, WAAY-TV reported. . .

Instead, the two men took their captives to a cemetery. Police say there was an altercation between Palomino and Mendoza. After it escalated, police say Palomino pulled a knife and stabbed Mendoza, leaving her to die in the cemetery. (Read more from “Men Linked to Mexican Drug Cartel Behead 13-Year-Old Special Needs Girl, Murder Grandmother” HERE)

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Investigators Say Huntsville Woman and Granddaughter Were Killed After Drug Run

By Waay 31 ABC. Two men murdered a Huntsville woman and her granddaughter because one of them didn’t trust the grandmother after a drug-smuggling trip from Georgia to Alabama, authorities testified in court Thursday.

In a preliminary hearing for Yoni Aguilar, 26, investigators said they believe he and Israel Gonzalez Palomino, 34, had been moving drugs along with Oralia Mendoza, and another woman.

Mendoza, 49, and her granddaughter, Mariah Lopez, 13, were found dead in Owens Cross Roads. Lopez’s remains were found June 7 on Lemley Drive. Mendoza’s remains were found about a week later in Moon Cemetery, not far from where Lopez was found . . .

nvestigators testified that Aguilar told them he and Palomino got Lopez out of the car on Lemley Drive, and Palomino showed him how to decapitate Lopez. They killed her and left her body there and then went to clean the car, authorities said.

Investigators said they found two knives they believe were used in the murders. One was under Palomino’s mattress, they said; the other was under Aguilar’s. (Read more from “Investigators Say Huntsville Woman and Granddaughter Were Killed After Drug Run” HERE)

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Federal Court Sides With Trump Admin’s Transgender Military Ban

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The Trump administration’s ban on transgenders serving in the U.S. military got a major boost on Friday when a federal appeals court ruled that the ban should not have been blocked by a lower court.

According to USA Today, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit “ruled that the partial ban announced by the Pentagon, but never implemented, should not have been blocked by a district court while it was being challenged.”

The three-judge panel argued that considerable deference is owed to the executive branch on military policy, noting that the ban on transgenders was not a “blanket ban” and that it had been fine-tuned by Pentagon officials.

“The government took substantial steps to cure the procedural deficiencies the court identified in the enjoined 2017 presidential memorandum,” the panel said, adding that the partial ban “plausibly relies upon the ‘considered professional judgment’ of ‘appropriate military officials,’ and appears to permit some transgender individuals to serve in the military.”

The finalized version of the ban on transgenders disqualifies from service “transgender persons with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria,” and specifically those who “may require substantial medical treatment, including medications and surgery,” except in “certain limited circumstances.” The ban was also crafted after “extensive study by senior uniformed and civilian leaders, including combat veterans.” (Read more from “Federal Court Sides With Trump Admin’s Transgender Military Ban” HERE)

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Brace Yourselves: House Democrats Gear up to Introduce Their First Gun Control Bill of the New Congress

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Democrats have wasted little time shaking up Washington, D.C. since they were sworn into office on Thursday. In fact, Democratic leadership in the House is planning to make a big splash on Tuesday, when Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Mike Thompson introduce legislation requiring universal background checks for firearm purchase. The duo decided to do it on Tuesday, Jan. 8th because it’s the eight anniversary of former Rep. Gabby Gifford’s shooting, which took place Jan. 8, 2011. And, to continue with the “eight” theme, the bill is also called House Resolution 8, POLITICO reported.

Giffords has worked with the pair to bring about this piece of legislation.

“Since the shooting at Sandy Hook, the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force has been fighting for a chance to pass legislation that will help save lives,” Thompson told POLITICO. “Finally, with our new majority that ran on helping to prevent gun violence, we will introduce a bipartisan, universal background checks bill. We will hold hearings, we will have a vote, and this legislation will finally pass the House.”

“In communities across America, courageous survivors, families and young advocates are showing outstanding courage and persistence in demanding an end to the horrific scourge of gun violence in our nation,” Pelosi told POLITICO. “It is an honor to join Congressman Mike Thompson and former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords to answer their call by taking the first step to pass commonsense background checks – which 97 percent of the American people support.”

(Read more from “Brace Yourselves: House Democrats Gear up to Introduce Their First Gun Control Bill of the New Congress” HERE)

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Democrat Plans to File Articles of Impeachment IMMEDIATELY After House Takeover

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By Daily Wire. California Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman wasted no time in introducing articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, filing them as his first order of business in the new, Democrat-controlled House of Representatives.

Sherman, who authored the resolution and has introduced it once before, in 2017, told the Los Angeles Times that he does not believe there is any compelling reason that Congress should waiver or delay in taking action against Trump. To that end, Sherman preempted his own party leadership and filed the resolution calling for Trump to be removed from office. . .

Sherman’s resolution calls for Trump to be impeached for “threatening, and then terminating” former FBI Director James Comey because Comey was “conducting one or more investigations into Russian state interference in the 2016 campaign,” the Daily Mail reported.

He says he may add additional articles later, but wanted to file the first document as a challenge to his Democratic colleagues who have yet to express their support for pursuing impeachment. “Every member of the House will have to address whether there are formal articles of impeachment pending,” he told the LA Times.

Sherman is no stranger to impeachment proceedings. He filed an identical document in 2017, but failed to get more than a single supporter for his effort. His bill was briefly co-sponsored by Rep. Al Green (D-TX), but Green went on to file his own articles of impeachment against President Trump over Trump’s travel ban. (Read more from “Democrat Plans to File Articles of Impeachment IMMEDIATELY After House Takeover” HERE)

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Nancy Pelosi Elected Speaker as Democrats Take Control of House

By New York Times. Ebullient Democrats assumed control of the House on Thursday and elected Representative Nancy Pelosi of California speaker, returning her to a historic distinction as the first woman to hold the post. They then moved to defy President Trump and passed bills that would open government agencies shuttered by an impasse over his insistence on funding for a border wall. Both measures are almost certain to die in the Senate.

On the first day of divided government in a reordered Washington, Ms. Pelosi, now second in line to the presidency, and Mr. Trump clashed from their respective ends of Pennsylvania Avenue almost from dawn until dusk.

The California Democrat began her day by suggesting that a sitting president could be indicted. Late in the day, Mr. Trump made an attention-getting appearance in the White House briefing room with a belligerent demand for a wall on the border with Mexico, drawing a rebuke from the newly installed House speaker, who said she would give no more than a dollar to fund what she branded “an immorality.” (Read more from “Nancy Pelosi Elected Speaker as Democrats Take Control of House” HERE)

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House Democrats Vote to End Shutdown — and Send Trump an Ultimatum

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Democrats voted to end the government shutdown on Thursday after seizing control the U.S. House of Representatives, but they thumbed their nose at a threat from President Donald Trump over his promised border wall.

Newly elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made it clear that they would not vote for border wall funding, and the bill to reopen government did not have one dollar for Trump’s promise from the 2016 campaign.

Trump had threatened to veto any legislation unless it had funding for his border wall – he is demanding at least $5 billion for his immigration security project. . .

While the president and many of his allies have tried to pin the blame of the government shutdown on the Democrats, his opponents continue to publicize video where Trump said directly to Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) that he would take the blame for the shutdown. . .

Pelosi laughed when she was asked if there was any way where she could see funding one dollar for the border wall.

(Read more from “House Democrats Vote to End Shutdown — and Send Trump an Ultimatum” HERE)

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Scary Times: Palestinian Rep. Sworn in on Jefferson’s Quran

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Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, was sworn into office Thursday using Thomas Jefferson’s copy of the Quran.

Tlaib, the first Palestinian woman to take congressional office, insisted on using the Quran, ostensibly to make a positive statement about Islam’s place in U.S. history and the diversity of American society. She also reportedly wore a traditional Palestinian gown, called a thobe, for the ceremony.

“My swearing in on the (Quran) is about me showing that the American people are made up of diverse backgrounds and we all have love of justice and freedom,” Tlaib told the Detroit Free Press. “My faith has centered me. The prophet Mohammed was always talking about freedom and justice.”

Jefferson purchased a copy of the Quran in 1765 while studying the law. He was a collector of books, and historians speculate he might have purchased the Quran because of his curiosity about world religions and because a significant number of the slaves taken from African countries to the U.S. followed Islam. . .

Tlaib also said she is “going to be a voice for” Palestinians. After winning her congressional primary race, she gave a victory speech with the Palestinian flag draped around her shoulders. Many Palestinian women on social media hailed her announcement that she would wear a thobe during her swearing-in. (Read more from “Scary Times: Palestinian Rep. Sworn in on Jefferson’s Quran” HERE)

It’s War: Rand Paul Hits ‘Big Government’ Romney, Calls Trump an ‘Actual Conservative’

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Washington is already taking sides in the battle between President Trump and incoming Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, with Trump ally Sen. Rand Paul slamming the 2012 GOP presidential nominee.

Paul, R-Ky., tweeted that Romney is a “Big Government Republican” and a faux conservative, and a top Paul aide said that Trump is delivering on his promises.

In reacting to Romney’s attack in the Washington Post on Trump, Paul also made clear that he does not think Romney, who is still to be sworn in as a new senator, has any affinity for former President Ronald Reagan. . .

In an afternoon conference call with reporters, Paul said that Romney’s personal attack was “virtue signaling” and a “minority position” among Republicans in the Senate. “I think this is going to be an anomaly,” he added. . .

Sergio Gor, Paul’s deputy chief of staff, told Secrets, “Sen. Rand Paul considers President Trump a friend, but beyond that, he is thrilled with his conservative policies, which have included historic tax cuts, massive regulation cuts, the appointment of constitutional jurists, and implementing an ‘America First’ foreign policy by focusing on America and not every problem around the world. This president is delivering on his promises, and moderate Republicans should work with him to fulfill even more.” (Read more from “It’s War: Rand Paul Hits ‘Big Government’ Romney, Calls Trump an ‘Actual Conservative'” HERE)

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Four-Year Senate Investigation Finds U.S. Marshals Service Plagued With Corruption

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. . .The Senate Judiciary Committee’s report, that included more than 100 interviews with current and former agency employees, details a long list of serious offenses that touched every part of internal affairs.

hose offenses include “wasteful spending on lavish office furnishings, contracts and costly, but rarely-used facilities; inappropriate hiring practices, such as favoritism and nepotism; the use of subordinates to fill out applications for senior executive service positions; and the use of paid and unpaid leave to allow for full retirement benefits of individuals facing substantiated claims of misconduct,” according to the memo.

Officials also failed to adequately punish people, including sexual harassment, prostitute solicitations, and in one case in which an employee forged a judge’s signature on hundreds of subpoenas. . .

“As our investigation progressed, we found a culture of mismanagement, abuse of authority and lax accountability that started clear at the top and has set a terrible standard for other employees across the agency. Poor leadership and pervasive misconduct cripples morale and corrodes trust of employees tasked with apprehending criminals and keeping communities safe. This culture must change,” Grassley said in a statement. . .

Those changes include implementing better training for how to report concerns, improving how employees are paid when going through misconduct investigations, and improving oversight cooperation with Congress. (Read more from “Four-Year Senate Investigation Finds U.S. Marshals Service Plagued With Corruption” HERE)

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Beware: The Worldwide Debt Monster Is Rearing Its Ugly Head

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The self-proclaimed progressive wing of the Democratic Party still doesn’t get it, but plenty of reality-based people are finally realizing that debt levels in the U.S. and worldwide, public and private, have entered a serious danger zone.

CNN devoted considerable time this morning to Wednesday’s report that the official national debt at the end of 2018 was the tiniest hair short of $22 trillion, up a stunning 10 percent just in President Trump’s two years in office. Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal featured a special section devoted entirely to the American and world debt problems.

“The world has never had as much debt as it has right now – nearly $250 trillion,” reported the Journal. Worse, the “biggest borrowers” are “the U.S., China, the Eurozone and Japan, which [together] have more than two-thirds of the world’s household debt, three-quarters of corporate debt and nearly 80% of government debt.” . . .

The United States itself crawled out of the 2008-09 financial crisis by trying massive short-term deficit spending along with record-low interest rates. But with deficits already near record highs and interest rates still at levels low by historical standards, there’s no room left for fiscal or financial “stimulus” if things go bad here.

The numbers in the report are therefore quite worrisome. Total U.S. consumer debt (credit cards, student loans, etc.) looks likely to top a record $4 trillion this year. Mortgage debt is approaching its financial-crisis peak of $10.7 trillion. Average per-person credit-card debt stands at $6,826, up 11 percent since 2011. Car-loan average debt of $30,977 was “the highest for any third quarter on record.” Monthly payments on new-car loans also hit a record. Worst of all, “U.S. corporate debt has climbed to roughly 46% of gross domestic product, the highest on record.” (Read more from “Beware: The Worldwide Debt Monster Is Rearing Its Ugly Head” HERE)

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New Dem Congresswoman Literally Wipes Israel off Her Office Map

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The anti-Israel wing of the Democrat party is already making a stir on day one of its congressional tenure.

The office of incoming Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who claims Palestinian heritage, has placed a so-called correction on the map in her office, replacing the sovereign state of Israel with a post-it note that says “Palestine” on it.

So Tlaib has literally wiped Israel off the map on her first day in office. Islamic supremacist and anti-Semitic activist Linda Sarsour was on hand this morning for Tlaib’s swearing-in ceremony. Sarsour arrived in Washington days after keynoting an end-of-the-year Islamist conference in Chicago.

Tlaib has often raised awareness about her so-called Palestinian heritage while promoting false information about Palestinian claims to the land governed by Israel.

Bolstering her anti-Israel bona fides, Rep. Tlaib openly supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is committed to the isolation and future elimination of the state of Israel.

Upon winning her Democratic primary race in Michigan, Tlaib was seen dancing with a Palestinian flag.

Rep. Tlaib is also a person of concern to U.S. partners in the Middle East. A lengthy expose published in November in Al Arabiya voiced concern about her pro-Muslim Brotherhood, pro-Islamist policy positions.

According to her brother, Tlaib will be sworn in today on Thomas Jefferson’s Quran (which the American Founding Father studied to better understand the jihadi Barbary Pirates), and she will be wearing a Palestinian flag.

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