𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗗 𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧 𝗗𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗬 𝗙𝗔𝗥𝗠, 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚-𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝟴 𝗠𝗜𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗥𝗦

Vermont dairy farm

by: HOLLY RAMER and AMANDA SWINHART, Associated Press

Posted: Jul 7, 2025

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — After six 12-hour shifts milking cows, José Molina-Aguilar’s lone day off was hardly relaxing.

On April 21, he and seven co-workers were arrested on a Vermont dairy farm in what advocates say was one of the state’s largest-ever immigration raids.

“I saw through the window of the house that immigration were already there, inside the farm, and that’s when they detained us,” he said in a recent interview. “I was in the process of asylum, and even with that, they didn’t respect the document that I was still holding in my hands.”

                                          

Four of the workers were swiftly deported to Mexico. Molina-Aguilar, released after a month in a Texas detention center with his asylum case still pending, is now working at a different farm and speaking out.

“We must fight as a community so that we can all have, and keep fighting for, the rights that we have in this country,” he said.

Ryan Brissette, spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said agents initially responded to a report from a concerned citizen who saw two people carrying backpacks entering private farm property near the Canadian border. Agents apprehended one person at the scene and more during the ensuing search of the area, he said.

The owner of the farm declined to comment. But Brett Stokes, a lawyer representing the detained workers, said the raid sent shock waves through the entire Northeast agriculture industry.

“These strong-arm tactics that we’re seeing and these increases in enforcement, whether legal or not, all play a role in stoking fear in the community,” said Stokes, director of the Center for Justice Reform Clinic at Vermont Law and Graduate School.

That fear remains given the mixed messages coming from the White House. President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise to deport millions of immigrants working in the U.S. illegally, last month paused arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels. But less than a week later, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said worksite enforcement would continue.

Asked for updated comment Monday, the department repeated McLaughlin’s earlier statement.

“Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability,” she said.

Such uncertainty is causing problems in big states like California, where farms produce more than three-quarters of the country’s fruit and more than a third of its vegetables. But it’s also affecting small states like Vermont, where dairy is as much a part of the state’s identity as its famous maple syrup.

Nearly two-thirds of all milk production in New England comes from Vermont, where more than half the state’s farmland is dedicated to dairy and dairy crops. There are roughly 113,000 cows and 7,500 goats spread across 480 farms, according to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, which pegs the industry’s annual economic impact at $5.4 billion.

That impact has more than doubled in the last decade, with widespread help from immigrant labor. More than 90% of the farms surveyed for the agency’s recent report employed migrant workers.

Among them is Wuendy Bernardo, who has lived on a Vermont dairy farm for more than a decade and has an active application to stop her deportation on humanitarian grounds: Bernardo is the primary caregiver for her five children and her two orphaned younger sisters, according to a 2023 letter signed by dozens of state lawmakers.

Hundreds of Bernardo’s supporters showed up for her most recent check-in with immigration officials.

“It’s really difficult because every time I come here, I don’t know if I’ll be going back to my family or not,” she said after being told to return in a month.

Like Molina-Aguilar, Rossy Alfaro also worked 12-hour days with one day off per week on a Vermont farm. Now an advocate with Migrant Justice, she said the dairy industry would collapse without immigrant workers.

“It would all go down,” she said. “There are many people working long hours, without complaining, without being able to say, ‘I don’t want to work.’ They just do the job.”

𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗠𝗕𝗜𝗔 𝗦𝗘𝗜𝗭𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗢 𝗗𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗕 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗢𝗙𝗙 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗔𝗦𝗧

 

 7/06/2025

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

The Colombian navy on Wednesday announced its first seizure of an unmanned narco sub equipped with a Starlink antenna off its Caribbean coast.

The semi submersible vessel was not carrying drugs, but the Colombian navy and Western security sources based in the region believed it was a trial run by a cocaine trafficking cartel.

"It was being tested and was empty," a naval spokeswoman confirmed.

Manned semisubmersibles built in clandestine jungle shipyards have been used for decades to ferry cocaine north from Colombia, the world's biggest cocaine producer, to Central America or Mexico.

But in recent years, they have been sailing much farther, crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The latest find, announced by Admiral Juan Ricardo Rozo at a press conference, is the first reported discovery in South American waters of a drone narco sub. In May 2024, Italian police announced the seizure of a small remote-controlled sub likely intended to transport drugs as part of an international drug trafficking network.

The Colombian navy said the drone semi submersible was owned by the Gulf Clan, Colombia's largest drug trafficking group and had the capacity to transport 1.5 tons of cocaine.

A video released by the Navy showed a small grey vessel with a satellite antenna on the bow.

This is not the first time a Starlink antenna has been used at sea by suspected drug traffickers.

In November, Indian police seized a giant 6 ton consignment of meth worth $4.25 billion in a vessel steered remotely by Starlink near the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands.

It was the first known discovery of a narco sub operated by Starlink.

𝗟𝗔𝗦 𝗖𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗦, 𝗡𝗠 𝗗𝗜𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢 𝗥𝗘𝗬

 

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces is pushing back against a federal proposal to build a border barrier near Mount Cristo Rey, a site it calls sacred to Catholics and migrants alike. The Diocese formally submitted comments opposing the project before the public comment period closed on July 3, 2025.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is considering the construction of a 1.32-mile stretch of border barrier just south of Mount Cristo Rey in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. The proposed project, part of ongoing federal border security efforts, has raised alarms among religious and community groups who say the structure would threaten the spiritual and cultural heritage of the area.

In a detailed statement submitted to CBP, the Diocese emphasized Mount Cristo Rey’s importance as a long-standing site of Catholic pilgrimage. Atop the mountain stands a 29-foot statue of Christ, completed in the 1930s, which draws thousands of pilgrims each year for prayer, reflection, and the annual Christ the King procession.

“For nearly a century, pilgrims have ascended Mount Cristo Rey in devotion and prayer,” the Diocese said. “Pilgrims to Mount Cristo Rey seek a place of prayer, reflection, and communion with God.”

The Diocese contends that the construction of a border barrier would obstruct these pilgrimage routes, diminish the site's sanctity, and transform a place of unity and hope into one of “fear, exclusion and division.” It further argues that federal seizure of the land would violate religious freedom protections under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).

“The erection of a border wall through or along this holy site could irreparably damage its religious and cultural sanctity,” the statement reads. “Any federal action to seize this land, construct physical barriers, or impede access to Mount Cristo Rey would constitute a significant infringement on religious freedom and the rights of worship.”

The Diocese also criticized the inconsistent communications it has received from federal agencies, particularly the Department of Justice (DOJ), regarding the scope and impact of the proposed project. It noted that the requests for land access have varied significantly and that the full extent of the construction remains unclear.

Mount Cristo Rey is not only a prominent religious site but also a regional landmark visible from parts of New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico. For many migrants traveling through the borderlands, the mountain represents spiritual refuge and hope during perilous journeys. The Diocese emphasized that erecting a barrier here could deter these individuals from exercising their religious practices, a tradition that has persisted for nearly 100 years.

In addition to the Diocese, local advocacy groups have raised concerns about broader consequences of the wall, including increased migrant deaths, environmental degradation, and habitat destruction.

The Diocese concluded its statement by urging CBP, the DOJ, and the Department of Homeland Security to exclude Mount Cristo Rey and its surroundings from any further border barrier planning, surveying, or construction.

“We respectfully but firmly urge federal authorities to consider alternative strategies that uphold both border security and human dignity, while preserving the religious and cultural heritage of this sacred site,” the Diocese said.

As the proposal moves forward, the future of Mount Cristo Rey remains a focal point of a growing debate at the intersection of faith, migration, and national security.

𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏𝐒 𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆

Matamoros is working to support women and help them become more independent. Recently, 20 women finished a course called "Female Power in Every Kilometer: Basic Emergency Mechanics." The goal was to help them feel safer and more confident when driving.

In the course, they learned how to recognize parts of a car, do basic maintenance, change a tire, use common tools, and understand how the engine, electrical system, and dashboard work. These skills will help them handle car problems in emergencies.

Programs like this help make Matamoros a fairer and safer place for everyone. The local government, led by Mayor Beto Granados, says it’s committed to giving women more chances to grow, learn, and take the lead.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, through the Women's Institute, held a course on "Basic Mechanics for Women: Female Power in Every Kilometer," aimed at those warrior women who demonstrate every day that nothing stops them and fight to support their families.

The mayor's words translated into English: "The municipal government reaffirms its commitment to women's empowerment and will continue to offer more courses that promote the development and strengthening of our city. Stay tuned for upcoming events!"

𝗔𝗦 "𝟵𝟬 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝟵𝟬 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦" 𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗣𝗦, 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣'𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗦𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 "𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘?"

       

Donald Trump's "90 countries in 90 days" plan to implement tariffs has flopped as he's only reached agreements with three countries; China, the UK and Vietnam.  Now, Trump says he will begin sending letters to the rest of the countries informing them how much it will cost to do business with the United States.

The announcement of Trump's letter writing campaign was made Thursday aboard Air Force One almost like the President was ordering room service.  All he said was: “We’re probably going to be sending some letters out, starting probably tomorrow.”  

Markets reacted accordingly. European equities dipped, and U.S. futures slipped, as traders remembered that the trade war isn’t quite dead, just dormant, waiting on Trump to mail out invitations. 

Trump said the new tariffs, or “reciprocal trade rates” as he’s branding them this season, could range from a modest 10% to a walloping 70%, effective August 1. 

Which countries are on the naughty list? The administration isn’t saying yet. But countries like South Korea and Thailand are reportedly scrambling to offer last-minute trade concessions, perhaps hoping to get a kindly tariff.  

Meanwhile, investors are left guessing just how serious Trump is this time. The Vietnam deal, struck recently, set a 20% rate, twice the average, but far less than what was initially floated, meaning that Trump's tariff numbers are just estimates. 

The Letter

Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane

Ain't got time to take a fast train

Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home

My baby, just a wrote me a letter

I don't care how much money I gotta spend

Got to get back to my baby again

Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home

My baby, just-a wrote me a letter

Well, she wrote me a letter

Said she couldn't live without me no more

Listen mister, can't you see I got to get back

To my baby once-a more

Anyway, yeah

Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane

Ain't got time to take a fast train

Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home

My baby, just-a wrote me a letter

Well, she wrote me a letter

Said she couldn't live without me no more

Listen mister, can't you see I got to get back

To my baby once-a more

Anyway, yeah

Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane

Ain't got time to take a fast train

Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home

My baby, just-a wrote me a letter, my baby just-a wrote me a letter

(Wayne Carson Thompson, sung by The Boxtops)

𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗞𝗘𝗥𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗬, 𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗔

                          

A friend called to criticize my earlier article about the response to the flooding near Kerrville, Texas, especially my insinuation that Trump's cuts to FEMA and the National Weather Service had played a role in the deaths.

The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas has climbed to nearly 70, with 59 deaths confirmed in Kerr County alone. Among the missing are 11 girls and a counselor from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp near the Guadalupe River, which surged over 30 feet above normal during the early hours of July 4.

President Trump has declared the flooding a major disaster under the Stafford Act, unlocking federal aid. FEMA, the Coast Guard, and other Homeland Security units have joined local first responders in ongoing rescue and recovery efforts. Over 850 people have been rescued so far.

The declaration follows heavy criticism of delayed alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS), especially in Kerr County, known as "Flash Flood Alley." Though flood watches and warnings were issued starting Thursday afternoon, many residents were not reached in time. Meteorologist Matt Lanza told the Texas Tribune, “This wasn’t a forecasting failure. It was a breakdown in communication.”

            

Camp Mystic (CNN photo)

Camp Mystic’s alert system remains unclear, and local officials say they didn’t know what, if any, emergency protocols were in place for the camp’s 750 attendees.

The crisis has drawn renewed attention to recent federal cuts. A May report from NPR highlighted staffing shortages at the NWS, leaving some offices unable to operate around the clock. Critics point to Trump’s earlier budget decisions and his stated intention to phase out FEMA by year’s end, redirecting disaster funds directly through the White House.

Despite this, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the deployment of federal resources to Texas. Representative August Pfluger (R-TX), whose daughters were safely evacuated from Camp Mystic, praised first responders and state officials for their swift response.

President Trump wrote on Truth Social: “These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy,” and pledged continued federal support. Local leaders hope that federal assistance will accelerate rescue and recovery operations as the search for missing individuals continues.

ADDENDUM, from the editor:

Following the recent floods in Kerr County, Texas, a controversial comment from Grok, the AI chatbot by Elon Musk’s xAI, sparked criticism. The post blamed cost-cutting for delayed alerts and ended with “Facts over feelings.”

It’s essential to remember that Grok is not a person, not Musk, just software trained to mimic patterns in language. 

What happened along the Guadalupe River is deeply human. Lives were lost, families mourn, and a community is once again asking hard questions. AI can't understand that pain or history.

𝐌𝐄𝐗𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐎𝐗𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐔.𝐒., 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐋 𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

 

                                             

Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr

Former boxing champion Julio César Chávez Jr. has been arrested in Los Angeles for overstaying his visa and submitting false information on a U.S. green card application, federal officials announced Thursday. The 39-year-old is now facing deportation to Mexico, where he is under investigation for ties to organized crime.

Chávez was taken into custody by federal agents on Wednesday while riding a scooter in Studio City. Officials say he entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in August 2023, which expired in February, later  applying for permanent residency, but allegedly providing fraudulent information.

Chávez, son of Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chávez Sr., has had a troubled career, marked by drug issues and legal problems, previously serving jail time for DUI and arrested in January 2024 for possessing illegal ghost guns. He'd been released on bond awaiting treatment for addiction before trial. 

Mexico's Attorney General alleges Chávez worked for “El Nini,” a top security chief in the Sinaloa Cartel, carrying out violent punishments on cartel members. Wiretapped conversations claim Chávez beat people for cartel infractions, sometimes treating them like punching bags.

The boxer is also reportedly connected to cartel-linked social circles and has appeared in videos with influencers and luxury cars allegedly tied to organized crime.

Chávez's family released a statement defending him and calling for a fair investigation. Meanwhile, Mexico has begun extradition proceedings.

Public reaction in Mexico has been mixed, with some calling him a victim of U.S. politics and others pointing to his long history of substance abuse and legal troubles.

Once a WBC middleweight titleholder, Chávez’s career has long lived in the shadow of his father’s legacy. Despite recent setbacks, he claimed to be clean ahead of his next scheduled fight and appeared in top form. 

𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐏'𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐆𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄, 𝐅𝐄𝐌𝐀, 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐔𝐆𝐋𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐒 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃

 

I read a post from a Brownsville social media influencer who urged people not to assign blame for the flood-related deaths in central Texas, suggesting prayer instead. While reflection may offer comfort, it's also essential to acknowledge the role public policy played in this tragedy.

The facts are clear: both the National Weather Service (NWS) and FEMA have faced major staffing and funding cuts, driven largely by federal efforts to shrink government, particularly under the Trump administration’s D.O.G.E. “efficiency” initiatives.

These cuts had real consequences. During the recent catastrophic floods in the Texas Hill Country, killing at least 51 and leaving many missing, the NWS failed to provide accurate forecasts. Predicting only moderate rainfall, they missed the sudden, extreme flooding that destroyed Camp Mystic, where 25 girls remain unaccounted for.

Emergency officials admitted the forecasts didn’t anticipate the disaster’s scale. Critics had long warned that budget and staff reductions would weaken the NWS’s ability to issue timely, accurate warnings, warnings that were ignored.

Meanwhile, broader climate and emergency response policies have been rolled back. Clean energy programs have been cut, and talks continue about further weakening FEMA. These actions signal a dangerous shift: climate disaster preparedness is no longer a federal priority.

Some public figures offer conspiracy theories or deny climate change. But the truth is, well-funded, science-based forecasting and emergency response systems save lives. Undermining them leads to avoidable tragedy.

This wasn’t just an act of nature. It was a foreseeable disaster made worse by policy decisions that dismantled key protections.  Preventing future loss and deaths starts with honesty about what crippled the rescue efforts.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐓, 𝗔 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗣 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘

 submitted by Rene Torres

From the editor: Amelia Earhart played a large part in Brownsville's aviation history and has a significant historical connection to our town. 

Key Connections:

Pilot's License: Amelia Earhart earned her commercial pilot's license in Brownsville in 1929. She was the fourth American woman to achieve this distinction.

Greeting Charles Lindbergh: Earhart was in Brownsville in March 1929 for the historic occasion of Charles Lindbergh's first U.S. air mail flight from Brownsville to Mexico City. She was among the 20,000 people who greeted him upon his arrival.

Training and Hub for International Flight: The Brownsville Airport served as a key location for pilots seeking training, particularly instrument training, for international flights. Those wishing to fly for Pan American Airways would often train there.

Memorial Sculpture: Brownsville has recently honored Earhart's legacy by unveiling a bronze sculpture of her seated on a park bench at Dean Porter Park. This initiative aims to raise awareness of her ties to the city.

Advocates for Amelia Campaign: The Dean Porter Park Renovation Committee has also launched an "Advocates for Amelia" campaign to further educate the public about Earhart's accomplishments and her Brownsville connection. 

Essentially, Brownsville played a role in Amelia Earhart's early aviation career, providing her with the training and licenses necessary for future flights, and the city continues to honor that connection through memorials and awareness campaigns. 

The following is an article submitted by Rene Tores about Ms. Earhart:

SCIENTISTS "FINALLY DISCOVER" AMELIA EARHART'S LOST PLANE, SOLVING THE MYSTERY AFTER 88 YEARS.  

Earhart was a real-life adventurer up until her mysterious 1937 disappearance over the Pacific Ocean

by Britt Jones, LADBible, 7/04/ 2025

The mystery of Amelia Earhart is one that almost everyone in modern times is aware of, but the secret whereabouts of where her plane crashed may have finally been solved decades later.

Known as the renowned female pilot who had as many adventures as Indiana Jones, Earhart last took to the skies 88 years ago.

She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, and had so much potential to do even more things that would have been groundbreaking back in the day.

At the time of her disappearance, she and navigator Fred Noonan were attempting to fly around the world - something that had never been done before.

However, disaster struck the pair, and nobody has been able to solve it since... but some experts think they know what happened.

What happened to Amelia Earhart?

Amelia Earhart was trying to fly around the world 

Earhart was nothing short of an unconventional gender role breaker back in her time, becoming the 16th woman to gain her aviation license after becoming obsessed with flying when she was a young adult thanks to a 2,000-foot flight she took with a daredevil stunt man at a fair.

While she was first a nurse’s aide in a Canadian military hospital during World War I, then a social worker in 1925, little did she know that she would become a renowned pilot that would be known nearly 100 years after her passing.

The tragic end to Earhart has been speculated about since her disappearance, with many theories being created, yet none proven so far.

What we do know is what was the most likely thing to have occurred.

Earhart left to begin her journey on 1 June 1937 in her Lockheed 10-E Electra plane as she planned a 46,670km (29,000-mile) journey from California across Central and South America, Africa, Australia before crossing the Pacific Ocean.

But six weeks into her trip, she and Noonan took off from New Guinea towards Howland Island and attempted the 20-hour-flight.

Even though they were being aided by the US Coast Guard to locate the island in the Pacific Ocean, they couldn’t see it and were never seen again.

Many believe that Noonan didn’t account for crossing the International Date Line in his calculations, and when using his celestial navigation method, you would need to know the exact date and time to successfully navigate.

If the theory is correct, he would have led them 70 miles off the coast of Gardner Island, some 400 miles from their destination, where Earhart made desperate radio calls for help.

Sadly, this area is known for its giant crabs…

                             

Could this be Earhart's plane?

Researchers announced on 2 July that there was a fresh expedition launched to find ​Earhart’s plane, based on evidence of her crash may have been found.

A satellite photo showed what looked to be the same shape of Earhart’s plane peeking through the sand the island of Nikumaroro in Kiribati, nearly 1,000 miles from Fiji.

Purdue University, who funded Earhart's fateful flight, said it will now send a team to Nikumaroro in November after the 2015 image showed the aftermath of an intense tropical cyclone which had shifted the sand.

“We believe we owe it to Amelia and her legacy at Purdue to fulfill her wishes, if possible, to bring the Electra back to Purdue,” Steve Schultz, Purdue’s general counsel, told NBC News.

Richard Pettigrew, executive director of the Archaeological Legacy Institute in Oregon, said the size and composition of the object matches Earhart’s plane, and the location is along her planned flight path and almost exactly where four of her radio calls for help seem to originate.

The archaeologist shared that the finding of American-made tools and a medicine vial, suggests Earhart may have been on the island.

Pettigrew told the Daily Mail: “What we have here is maybe the greatest opportunity ever to finally close the case.

“With such a great amount of very strong evidence, we feel we have no choice but to move forward and hopefully return with proof.”

In 2017, four forensic dogs trained to detect human remains and a team of archaeologists with the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) visited the island, according to National Geographic.

But TIGHAR executive director Ric Gillespie believes the image simply shows a washed-up coconut tree and root ball.

                               

Earhardt may have been eaten by giant crabs

Was Amelia Earhart eaten by crabs?

You’re probably wondering where on Earth anyone got the idea that she was eaten by coconut crabs, but there’s a lot of theories about it.

National Geographic reported on a theory that what may have happened after the doomed crash was that Noonan died, the Electra floated away, and Earhart lived alone on the island for weeks.

Well, she wasn’t alone… because she was kept company by the indigenous, three-foot-long coconut crabs who then ate her after she passed away.

In 1940, British settlers found 13 bones, and a skull, on the island, and they believe it could have been Earhart.

However, doctors examined the bones and they were male, although some anthropologists disagree.

As for what happened to the rest of the bones, ‘coconut crabs had scattered many bones,’ said the National Geographic report.

National Geographic archaeologist Fredrik Hiebert and his team might have discovered fragments of the skull from 1940 in the Te Umwanibong Museum and Cultural Centre in Tarawa, Kiribati which have been confirmed as having belonged to an adult woman.

Could this be Earhart?

𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐒 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐓 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝟐𝟒, 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏

By Hannah Fingerhut and Jim Vertuno, Associated Press, WVTM

KERRVILLE, Texas —July 5, 2025

Crews searched through the dark early Saturday for two dozen children from a girls' camp and many others who were still missing after a wall of water rushed down a river in the Texas Hill Country during a powerful storm that killed at least 24 people. The death toll was certain to rise.

The destructive fast-moving waters along the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes before dawn Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as more heavy rains were expected Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect for parts of central Texas.

Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue stranded people. The total number of missing was not known but one sheriff said about 24 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river.

Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information.

“The camp was completely destroyed,” said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic. “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.”

A raging storm woke up her cabin just after midnight Friday, and when rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as they walked across a bridge with floodwaters whipping around their legs, she said.

At a news conference late Friday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 people were confirmed dead, including some children. Authorities said about 240 people had been rescued.

The flooding in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. Officials defended their preparations for severe weather in their response but said they had not expected such an intense downpour that was, in effect, the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area.

One National Weather Service forecast this week had called for only between three and six inches (76 to 152 millimeters) of rain, said Nim Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

“It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” he said.

A river gauge near Camp Mystic recorded a 22 foot rise (6.7 meters) in about two hours, said Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Austin/San Antonio office. The gauge failed after recording a level of 29 and a half feet (9 meters).

“The water’s moving so fast, you’re not going to recognize how bad it is until it’s on top of you,” Fogarty said.

More than 1,000 rescuers were on the ground. Rescue teams, helicopters and drones were being used, with some people being plucked from trees. U.S. Coast Guard helicopters were flying in to assist.

In Ingram, Erin Burgess woke to thunder and rain at 3:30 a.m. Just 20 minutes later, water was pouring into her home directly across from the river, she said. She described an agonizing hour clinging to a tree and waiting for the water to recede enough so they could walk up the hill to a neighbor's home.

“My son and I floated to a tree where we hung onto it, and my boyfriend and my dog floated away. He was lost for a while, but we found them,” she said.

Of her 19-year-old son, Burgess said: “Thankfully he’s over 6 feet tall. That’s the only thing that saved me, was hanging on to him.”

Matthew Stone, 44, of Kerrville, said police came knocking on doors at 5:30 a.m. but that he had received no warning on his phone.

“We got no emergency alert. There was nothing," Stone said. Then: "a pitch black wall of death.”

Stone said police used his paddle boat to help rescue a neighbor. He and the rescuers thought they heard someone yelling “help!” from the water but couldn't see anyone, he said.

‘I was scared to death’

At a reunification center set up in Ingram, families cried and cheered as loved ones got off vehicles loaded with evacuees. Two soldiers carried an older woman who could not get down a ladder. Behind her, a woman in a soiled T-shirt and shorts clutched a small white dog.

Later, a girl in a white “Camp Mystic” T-shirt and white socks stood in a puddle, sobbing in her mother’s arms.

Barry Adelman, 54, said water pushed everyone in his three-story house into the attic, including his 94-year-old grandmother and 9-year-old grandson. The water started coming through the attic floor before finally receding.

“I was horrified,” he said. “I was having to look at my grandson in the face and tell him everything was going to be OK, but inside I was scared to death.”

‘No one knew this kind of flood was coming’

The forecast had called for rain, with a flood watch upgraded to a warning overnight for at least 30,000 people. But totals in some places exceeded expectations, Fogarty said.

Patrick noted that the potential for heavy rain and flooding covered a large area.

“Everything was done to give them a heads up that you could have heavy rain, and we’re not exactly sure where it’s going to land," Patrick said. "Obviously, as it got dark last night, we got into the wee morning of the hours, that’s when the storm started to zero in.”

Asked about how people were notified in Kerr County so that they could get to safety, Judge Rob Kelly, the county's chief elected official, said: “We do not have a warning system.”

When reporters pushed on why more precautions weren't taken, Kelly responded: “Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming.”

“We have floods all the time," he added. "This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States.”

The area is known as “flash flood alley” because of the hills’ thin layer of soil, said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was collecting donations to help nonprofits responding to the disaster.

“When it rains, water doesn’t soak into the soil,” Dickson said. “It rushes down the hill.”

River tourism industry is a key part of the Hill Country economy, said Dickson. Well-known, century-old summer camps bring in kids from all over the country, he said. Between Hunt and Ingram are many river homes and cabins for rent.

“It’s generally a very tranquil river with really beautiful clear blue water that people have been attracted to for generations,” Dickson said.

𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐎𝐑 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐗𝐈𝐂𝐎 𝐈𝐍 𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐀 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓

 

Mayor Granados with Villa del Refugio A.C. team

Matamoros Mayor Beto Granados visited the Villa del Refugio A.C. Little League Baseball team, who will represent Matamoros and Mexico in an international competition to be held in Guatemala. During the meeting, the mayor expressed his appreciation to the young athletes for their dedication, discipline, and passion for baseball, values ​​that, he said, serve as an example for all children and youth in Matamoros.

"We are proud to see children and young people who, with effort and team spirit, are achieving their dreams and taking the name of Matamoros beyond our borders. This is proof that when you work with passion and commitment, great things can be achieved," said the mayor.

The city of Matamoros provided financial support to the team to help cover part of the expenses of their participation in the international tournament, as part of the city's commitment to promoting sports as a tool for social transformation and personal development. The players, accompanied by their coaches and parents, expressed their gratitude for the support of the authorities and reaffirmed their commitment to giving their all in every game, carrying the name of Matamoros with pride and responsibility.

With this type of action, the Matamoros City Council reaffirms its commitment to children, youth, and sports, recognizing that investing in our athletes is investing in a healthier, stronger, and more united future. Mayor Beto Granados added,  "We are confident that they will represent our city with honor and courage."

𝟏𝟐 𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆, 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐔𝐒

In what sounds like the start of a really weird joke, a dozen ICE agents were caught on camera peeing on school property, right next to a preschool playground, after first trespassing on a high school campus in Pico Rivera, a city just 13 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

According to El Rancho Unified School District officials, the urination incident happened on the morning of June 17, as 10 vehicles, some marked, some not, rolled onto Ruben Salazar High School’s campus. The agents got out, disregarded the fact they'd entered a school campus and decided it was the perfect spot for a bathroom break.

School staff approached the agents and said, in so many words, “Uh, you’re not supposed to be here. Please leave.” The ICE agents did leave, but not before releaving their bladders.  

Surveillance footage shows the ICE dudes taking turns relieving themselves behind storage containers near an elementary school, not a professional look.

In a sharply worded letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the school district said no one ever explained why the agents were there without warrants and wondering about justification for the pee-fest.

The district emphasized that the agents trespassed, could have exposed themselves to children, and may have broken California law, which doesn’t permit open urination as schools or parks. In fact, such public urination in those spots can be treated as lewd conduct subject to jail time or fines. 

The letter demanded the names, titles, and badge numbers of everyone involved.  Homeland Security simply says “we’re investigating.” 

As LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn put it: “It’s not enough that they’ve spent weeks violently ambushing people, now ICE and CBP agents are allegedly entering school campuses, pulling down their pants and urinating on playgrounds. It’s a slap in the face to our communities, especially to our children.”

𝗠𝗘𝗫𝗜𝗖𝗢'𝗦 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣 𝗔𝗗𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡'𝗦 𝗦𝗢𝗙𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗙 "𝗘𝗟 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗢'𝗦" 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 "𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚"

 

President Claudia Sheinbaum addressing 350,000 in the Mexico City zocalo 

Ovidio Guzmán López, a former Mexican drug trafficker and son of the infamous Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, rose to prominence as part of “Los Chapitos," a core group of siblings who inherited one of the world’s most brutal and profitable criminal enterprises: the Sinaloa Cartel. As a top supplier of fentanyl to the United States, Ovidio’s name became synonymous with serious bad shit on both sides of the border.

His capture in January 2023, during a dangerous joint operation in Culiacán cost Mexico the lives of a number of soldiers. Eight months later, he was extradited to the U.S. to face a litany of serious charges, including drug trafficking, firearms violations, and money laundering. 

As Guzmán reportedly prepares to enter a plea deal in U.S. court, Sheinbaum has openly condemned what she sees as a troubling pattern of leniency and backroom diplomacy. She has questioned the rationale of negotiating with a man once labeled a “narcoterrorist” by the very government now quietly striking deals with him. Her frustration is particularly pointed given the sacrifices made by Mexican forces during his arrest, a cost, she argues, that should not be repaid with secrecy and appeasement.

Adding fuel to her concerns are reports that 17 of Guzmán’s family members, including his former wife, were granted asylum in the U.S., allegedly as part of the deal. The family group was spotted crossing the Tijuana/San Diego border with $70,000 in cash. The U.S. Department of Justice, while not officially confirming the details, has made little effort to deny the quiet arrangement. Mexico’s Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch, acknowledged the family’s entry and stated plainly that none are wanted in Mexico.

Sheinbaum has made it clear that she considers the U.S. government’s actions not only inconsistent but insulting. 

"If Mexico risked lives to capture this man, the least the U.S. could do is coordinate with our Attorney General,” she remarked during a recent press conference. 

She also reminded Washington of its prior declarations: that drug cartels are terrorist organizations and that no deals would be made with such actors. Apparently, the rules are flexible, depending on who’s sitting at the negotiation table.

Ironically, even as U.S. prosecutors trumpet new “narcoterrorism” charges against other Sinaloa figures, the broader message seems muddled. On the same day Ovidio’s relatives were confirmed to be safely inside U.S. borders, a federal prosecutor warned cartel leaders: “You will be betrayed by your friends, hunted by your enemies, and end up in our courtroom.” 

Yet, from Sheinbaum’s vantage point, the U.S. courtroom is starting to look less like a reckoning and more like a revolving door, with cushioned landings for those with the right leverage.

          

"El Chapo's" son, Ovidio Guzmán López

Ovidio, one of four sons of El Chapo now steering what remains of the Sinaloa empire, stands as a symbol of both criminal legacy and international discord. His father, convicted and imprisoned in the U.S. since 2017, remains in solitary confinement in Colorado. 

Whether Ovidio’s plea deal will unveil cartel secrets or simply close another chapter with a shrug is unknown. What is clear, however, is that Mexico's president is no longer staying silent as the U.S. appears to trade tough talk for quiet compromise.