This week, the Arizona State Capitol will remain closed off with two lines of fencing and razor wire to protect the area from any future pro-abortion protesters.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) requested the Arizona National Guard install razor wire to existing fencing after the <a href="https://www.azdps.gov/news/ims/85">rioting</a> and destruction that occurred at the capitol last Friday and Saturday. The protests occurred in response to the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruling <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-states-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade-leaves-abortion-restrictions-to-states">overturning</a> a constitutional right to abortion, fully entrusting abortion law to the states.
On Friday, AZDPS estimated around 7,000 to 8,000 pro-abortion protestors flocked to the Arizona State Capitol Complex; some of the mob attempted to breach the Arizona Senate building. The Arizona Senate was in session at the time, undertaking a historic vote to <a href="https://azgovernor.gov/governor/news/2022/06/governor-ducey-statement-conclusion-2022-arizona-legislature">universalize</a> the state’s school choice program.
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There’s actually razor wire on the other side of the fence lining the Phoenix Capitol. <a href="https://t.co/J5lgjywWSB">pic.twitter.com/J5lgjywWSB</a>
&mdash; AZ Right Wing Watch (@az_rww) <a href="https://twitter.com/az_rww/status/1541262741012246528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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AZDPS described the force of the mob as so great that it shook the Senate building and bent glass windows and doors. Protesters also vandalized the collection of war memorials surrounding the capitol. Senate Republicans estimated that current damages cost over $10,000.
“The violence of their efforts literally shook the building and terrified citizens and lawmakers who occupied the building. As the glass doors bowed from attempts of forced entry, the occupants of the building were instructed to move to secure locations,” reported AZDPS.
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From inside, Arizona State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R-Scottsdale) documented the mob’s attempts to breach the Senate building.
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Arizona Capitol <a href="https://t.co/sf8UcFvByD">pic.twitter.com/sf8UcFvByD</a>
&mdash; Michelle Ugenti-RITA (@MichelleUgenti) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichelleUgenti/status/1540548170668597248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Arizona State Senate <a href="https://t.co/0acGnDf5Y4">pic.twitter.com/0acGnDf5Y4</a>
&mdash; Michelle Ugenti-RITA (@MichelleUgenti) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichelleUgenti/status/1540549610770313216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Despite the mob’s attempts to disrupt the legislative proceedings, the legislature adjourned sine die last Saturday around midnight.
A second protest occurred later on Saturday; AZDPS confirmed that nine arrests were made over the weekend.
Four were arrested for rioting and violent behavior: Hayes Dunn, 34; Kaitlin Auditor, 19; Taro Schmeeckle, 26; and Alex Pinon, 19. One individual, Aiden Starkey, was arrested for vandalism. Four were arrested for failing to produce ID: Kyla Ford, 20; Taylor Calderson, 20; Sage Myers, 19; and Brianna Ford, 19. Fox News <a href="https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/police-at-arizona-capitol-fire-tear-gas-disperse-roe-v-wade-abortion-protesters">reported</a> that charges were dismissed for 8 of the 9 arrested, but no specification was offered as to whose charges remained.
At present, it’s unclear whether Arizona will impose a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-multiple-states-ban-abortion-after-scotus-ruling">total abortion ban</a>. State leaders have two separate laws that they may enforce.
Prior to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, Arizona banned abortion in all cases except where the mother’s life was at stake. Arizona enacted a version of it in 1901 — over a decade prior to the territory achieving statehood. This is the original law that remains on the books.
In the weeks following Roe, the Arizona Court of Appeals declared Arizona’s abortion ban to be unconstitutional and enjoined it. Though it remained unenforceable for nearly 50 years, <a href="https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/03603.htm">A.R.S. 13:3603</a> wasn’t repealed. In fact, the legislature modified the law in recent years to remove punishments for women who obtained abortions, instead only punishing abortion providers with two to five years’ prison time.
Arizona Senate Republicans declared that this original law was the one that took effect following Friday’s SCOTUS ruling.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Arizona&#39;s Abortion Law Now in Effect in the Wake of Today&#39;s SCOTUS Ruling ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/kH4iCWHTIJ">pic.twitter.com/kH4iCWHTIJ</a>
&mdash; AZSenateRepublicans (@AZSenateGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AZSenateGOP/status/1540404293315964930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Arizona attorney general’s office didn’t issue a similar declaration concurring with the legislators. Rather, they shared in a statement that they were conducting a legal review of the matter. That’s because another law exists regulating abortion: in March, Governor Doug Ducey restricted abortions after 15 weeks through legislation that closely resembled the Mississippi law at the heart of the recent SCOTUS case.
However, that latest law <a href="https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2R/laws/0105.pdf">specified</a> that it doesn’t nullify preceding laws regulating or restricting abortion. As of press time, the attorney general’s office hasn’t announced when it will conclude its review.
Immediately following the SCOTUS ruling, pro-abortion groups sued to prevent restrictions or an outright ban on abortion in Arizona. The ACLU of Arizona, the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Arizona Medical Association, and the National Council of Jewish Women Arizona filed an <a href="https://www.acluaz.org/sites/default/files/107_-_motion_for_inj_pending_appeal.pdf">emergency motion</a> in the Arizona District Court on Saturday.

Anti-government Organizations Protest Outside Arizona State Capitol Ahead Of Inauguration

Arizona Capitol Enclosed in Razor Wire to Ward Off Anticipated Pro-Abortion Protesters

Abortion

Arizona

Pro-Abortion

Much to the disappointment of LGBTQ+ activists amid Pride Month, a Japanese court ruled this week that Japan’s same-sex marriage ban didn’t violate its constitution.
Judge Doi Fumi of the Osaka District Court determined on Monday that Article 24 of <a href="https://japan.kantei.go.jp/constitution_and_government_of_japan/constitution_e.html">Japan’s Constitution</a> didn’t confer protections on gay marriage. The plaintiffs were three same-sex couples, two male and one female, who filed for 1 million yen in damages per couple, or about $7,400; they plan to appeal the ruling to the Osaka High Court.
The district court <a href="https://news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/matsuokasoshi/20220621-00301866">agreed</a> with the government’s argument that the purpose of marriage was reproduction, according to translations of Yahoo! Japan. The court added that the system of marriage served a greater “pragmatic purpose” of “protecting men and women to bear children and raise them.”
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1. Osaka district court sided with the argument from the country of Japan which said that the &quot;purpose of marriage was reproduction&quot; &amp; agreed with the definition that &quot;marriage is a relationship between a man &amp; a woman to bear children and raise them together in cohabitation.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7FN0dJ0Cx3">pic.twitter.com/7FN0dJ0Cx3</a>
&mdash; 箕島 綺譚(they/them) 💖 Support Black Trans Liberation (@MishimaKitan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MishimaKitan/status/1539047509162885120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“Marriage shall be based only on the mutual consent of both sexes and it shall be maintained through mutual cooperation with the equal rights of husband and wife as a basis,” reads the Constitution of Japan.
One of the plaintiffs, Machi Sakata, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-court-rules-barring-same-sex-marriage-not-unconstitutional-lgbtq-rights-2022-06-20/">told</a> Reuters that she doubted that the legal system was working. It appears that Sakata and her partner, a U.S. citizen, were relying on the ruling ahead of the birth of one of their children.
“I think there’s a possibility this ruling may really corner us,” said Sakata.
According to a translation <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61670667">provided</a> by BBC, the district court opinion did speculate in its ruling that individual dignity may necessitate marriage benefits for same-sex couples.
“From the perspective of individual dignity, it can be said that it is necessary to realise the benefits of same-sex couples being publicly recognised through official recognition,” read the ruling.
This latest ruling follows similar lawsuits filed in Sapporo, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka by multiple same-sex couples in 2019. The Sapporo District Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/japan-court-ban-on-same-sex-marriage-is-unconstitutional">ruled</a> last March that the same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional, citing Article 14 of the Constitution of Japan requiring equal laws for all Japanese citizens.
“All of the people are equal under the law and there shall be no discrimination in political, economic or social relations because of race, creed, sex, social status or family origin. Peers and peerage shall not be recognized,” reads the article.
Although Japan bans same-sex marriage, local governments have been recognizing same-sex partnerships for years. The city in which the district court lies, Osaka, offers that recognition. It was also first in the country to <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/04/06/national/social-issues/osaka-becomes-first-japanese-city-recognize-sex-couple-foster-parents/%23.WOXRdFN95E6">recognize</a> two gay men as foster parents in 2017.
Last week, the government of Japan’s capital, Tokyo, adopted legislation to grant recognition certificates to same-sex couples starting in November. Out of Japan’s 47 prefectures, nine now recognize same-sex partnerships. About a quarter of Tokyo’s 62 municipalities were already granting those certificates.
Certificate acknowledgement ensures that same-sex couples enjoy certain marital benefits like hospital visitation rights. However, perks like joint tax filing and spousal inheritance are reserved for married couples.
In addition to the U.S., 30 other countries have legalized gay marriage: Chile, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Taiwan, Austria, Australia, Malta, Germany, Colombia, Greenland, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, Scotland, England and Wales, Brazil, France, New Zealand, Uruguay, Denmark, Argentina, Portugal, Iceland, Sweden, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Canada, Belgium, and Netherlands.
The latest country to legalize gay marriage was Chile, through legislation signed into law last December. Netherlands was the first to legalize gay marriage in 2001.
Last year, the Census Bureau <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/same-sex-couple-households.html%23:~:text=Census%2520Bureau%2520Releases%2520Report%2520on%2520Same-Sex%2520Couple%2520Households,-February%252024,%25202021&amp;text=About%252058%2525%2520of%2520couples%2520in,female%2520than%2520male%2520couple%2520households.">estimated</a> that about 58 percent of same-sex households were married. The number of same-sex couples weren’t distributed evenly by sex or state. A majority of those couples were female, and 11 states along with Washington, D.C. had a higher percentage of same-sex couple households. The latter, D.C., had the highest percent of same-sex households at about 7 percent, well above the 1.5 percent average.
Areas in the U.S. with the highest percentages of same-sex couple households were some of the most liberal destinations: the San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkley in California; Portland, Vancouver, and Hillsboro along the Oregon and Washington border; and Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue in Washington.

JAPAN-SOCIETY-LGBT-PARADE

Japan Court Rules Gay Marriage Not Protected By Constitution, Says Marriage Is For Bearing And Raising Children

Japan Court Rules Gay Marriage Not Protected by Constitution

Gay Rights

Japan

Marriage

Same-Sex Marriage

On Monday, the illegal immigrant acquitted for the 2015 murder of 32-year-old Californian Kate Steinle was sentenced to the seven years’ jail time he’d already served.
The illegal immigrant, Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate, was found guilty of illegal possession of a firearm. That charge carried a maximum 10-year sentence and three years of supervised release. He will be sent to Texas for another hearing with a federal judge in the Texas Western District Court to address a prior case concerning his illegal status.
AP News reported that, when issuing Monday’s verdict, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria warned Garcia-Zarate against returning to the U.S. Prior to the 2015 killing, Garcia-Zarate was deported five times and on a federal supervised release from a 2011 Texas conviction pertaining to his illegal re-entry in 2009.
“If you return to this country again and you are back in front of me, I will not spare you,” said Chhabria. “Let this be your last warning: do not return to this country.
Garcia-Zarate ended up in California in 2015 after Texas authorities transferred him there to face a marijuana charge. Prosecutors dropped the charge against Garcia-Zarate and former San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi’s office released him early per the city’s sanctuary policy, as the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Shortly after, Garcia-Zarate discovered the firearm that would kill Steinle: a semi-automatic pistol wrapped in cloth under a pier bench. When Garcia-Zarate fired the pistol, the bullet ricocheted off the ground and into Steinle’s back. She died from the gunshot wound two hours later. Garcia-Zarate claimed in court proceedings that he didn’t know he was holding a gun and that he fired it unintentionally.
Breitbart reporter Kristina Wong shared that she knew one of the nurses who attempted to save Steinle. According to Wong, that experience was enough to shift the unidentified nurse’s perspective on illegal immigrants.
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I know one of the nurses who worked to save Steinle that day, and it red-pilled the sh*t out of her against illegal immigrants. <a href="https://t.co/ECydkrlZMp">https://t.co/ECydkrlZMp</a>
&mdash; Kristina Wong 🇺🇸 (@kristina_wong) <a href="https://twitter.com/kristina_wong/status/1533942808318513154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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AP News reported that Garcia-Zarate’s lawyer, Mike Hinckley, said during Monday’s verdict that Garcia-Zarate “feels horrible” about Steinle’s death and remains “very sorry.” Chhabria speculated that Garcia-Zarate must have endured “hell,” reflecting on a disclosure that doctors diagnosed Garcia-Zarate with schizophrenia, rendering him unfit to stand trial.
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release in mid-March, Garcia-Zarate pled guilty to being an illegal immigrant and a felon in possession of a firearm. A jury acquitted Garcia-Zarate of murder and involuntary manslaughter in 2017, but found him guilty of felony possession of a firearm.
The killing and subsequent acquittal prompted former President Donald Trump to rail against the weakness of immigration policy. Trump blamed sanctuary city policies for the tragedy and pushed harder on his agenda to finish building the southern border wall, calling the verdict “disgraceful.”
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Steinle’s parents sued the city of San Francisco for failing to hold Garcia-Zarate for deportation proceedings; that lawsuit was dismissed. They also sued the U.S. government for negligence, since the semi-automatic pistol fired by Garcia-Zarate came from the unlocked SUV of a federal park ranger. That lawsuit was dismissed as well.

Far Right Activists Hold Anti-Immigration Protest In Washington DC

Illegal Immigrant Gets Time Served for 2015 Killing of Kate Steinle

California

Crime

Gun Violence

Illegal Immigration

Illegals

Violent Crime

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) links to chat rooms on its website for LGBTQ+ minors to discuss sex and gender with adult moderators present — without their parents necessarily knowing.
The ADE <a href="https://www.azed.gov/resources-lgbtq-students-educators-and-families">directed</a> minors to two different websites: <a href="https://www.qchatspace.org/">Q Chat Space</a> and <a href="https://www.genderspectrum.org/articles/gender-spectrum-groups">Gender Spectrum</a>. Both organizations rely on adult volunteers or staff to facilitate their chat rooms, and they don’t verify the age of those joining the chats beyond asking applicants for a birth date. The Daily Wire reached out to ADE about the two chat rooms. As of press time, no one from the department has responded to our inquiry.
One of the ADE-approved chat room organizations, Q Chat Space, is a collaboration of Planned Parenthood, the LGBTQ+ support network organization PFLAG, and LGBTQ+ community center organization CenterLink. Q Chat Space recruits chat facilitators from different organizations across the country: the LGBTQ Centers of Orange County and Long Beach, Center on Halsted, Smyal, the Hetrick-Martin Institute, Jasmyn, Time Out Youth, Youth Outlook, and Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation. Their chats are open to minors ages 13 to 19.
Q Chat Space’s upcoming chat room topics range from sex and gender — “Gender-Affirming Hairstyles &amp; Clothes,” “Coming Out,” and “For Trans/Non-Binary Youth: Hormones! What Do They Do, What Don’t They Do?” — to children’s traditional hobbies and interests, like “Beasts of the Wild: Favorite Animal Open Discussion” and “Cryptids and Creepy Pasta.”
By comparison, Gender Spectrum offered chat rooms to a wider range of ages starting as young as 10 and up to adults, such as parents and family members of LGBTQ+ youth. The group <a href="https://www.genderspectrum.org/work/partnerships">named</a> the education materials giant Pearson as its “champion,” or top, partner; it also identified the Biden Foundation as a key partner in a recent national campaign advocating for family and community acceptance of transgender youth. Senior Director Joel Baum was also a <a href="https://www.learningforjustice.org/author/joel-baum">contributor</a> to Southern Poverty Law Center’s Learning for Justice initiative.
Gender Spectrum acknowledged that it supplied K-12 schools and affiliate organizations like the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) with gender identity ideology resources like a “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-school-creates-transition-closet-allows-students-to-swap-out-of-clothes-parents-approve-of">gender support plan</a>,” or “GSP,” something the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/10/12/gender-activists-are-invading-your-kids-classroom-and-keeping-you-in-the-dark/">reported</a> on at length last October.
In June 2020, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/11/health/gender-expansive-children-pandemic-wellness/index.html">featured</a> Gender Spectrum in an analytical piece about children defying gender norms during the remote learning of the pandemic. Gender Spectrum’s director of online programming, Jenna Redmond, told CNN that the group&#8217;s chat rooms allowed children to focus on their gender identity and childhood without the additional social pressures of school.
“Taking away these layers of anxiety and trauma that many youth experience in their school settings is allowing a spaciousness,” stated Redmond. “They finally have some room to just exist and be a kid.”
According to Gender Spectrum, their pre-teen group for children ages 10 to 12 is full enough that it warranted a <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDuVrhMuDADlVnG9oCoF9xlClGdmcznbA-DeoNPEHUTgPR5w/viewform">waitlist</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-state-farm-backs-down-on-donating-transgender-books-for-five-year-olds-to-schools">Libs of TikTok</a> publicized the ADE chat rooms, noting that the chat room hosted by Q Chat Space has a quick escape feature, which could be used by minors to hide activity from their parents.
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Arizona Dept of Education provides a resource link for LGBT students. The link takes you to an online chat room with LGBT adults and teens where they talk about sex and gender. 
The online chat room has a “quick escape” feature in case a kid wants to hide it from their parents. <a href="https://t.co/ogCiYtU73i">pic.twitter.com/ogCiYtU73i</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1528854755560157185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Q Chat Space also allows minors to receive a “discreet” text notification about each upcoming chat.
It appears that these chat rooms are a small part of ADE Superintendent Kathy Hoffman’s campaign promises. Hoffman advocated for progressive LGBTQ+ youth initiatives since she first campaigned to become superintendent. At one point, she pledged to implement support groups and activities for LGBTQ+ students.
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I&#39;m advocating for clear policies, support groups, &amp; activities for LGBTQ students &amp; families. Protecting the right of LGBTQ students to learn in an environment that rejects bullying &amp; discrimination, welcomes family diversity, and promotes inclusivity must be a priority for AZ. <a href="https://t.co/kIHw564wHe">pic.twitter.com/kIHw564wHe</a>
&mdash; Kathy Hoffman (@kathyhoffman_az) <a href="https://twitter.com/kathyhoffman_az/status/1027996869006225409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In March, Hoffman expressed opposition to <a href="https://www.azleg.gov/govlettr/55leg/2r/sb1138.pdf">two Arizona legislature bills</a> prohibiting gender reassignment procedures for minors and barring biological males from competing in women’s sports. Hoffman called the legislation “bigoted government overreach” and “hateful.”

Teenage girl on a couch with a mobile phone

Arizona Dept Of Education Promotes Chat Rooms For Kids To Talk About Sex And Gender

Department of Education

Gender

LGBTQ

Late Monday, the Ukrainian government appeared to surrender the key port city of Mariupol to the Russians.
According to live war updates from The New York Times, capture of the Azovstal steel complex in Mariupol was the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/05/16/world/russia-ukraine-war-news">deciding factor</a> in Russia’s apparent victory over the Ukrainians in their combat mission.
In a brief remark to the Times, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky shared that their current goal was to prevent further casualties.
“We hope to save the lives of our boys,” Zelensky said.
According to the Associated Press, around 260 Ukrainian soldiers were <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/ukraine-says-more-than-260-fighters-evacuated-from-mariupol-mill">bussed</a> to Russian-controlled territory. Photos <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-troops-evacuate-mariupol-ceding-control-russia-2022-05-17/?taid=628301bc2b64700001377397&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter">captured</a> by Reuters apparently showed Ukrainian troops aboard the buses.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Reuters</a> published photos of &#8220;buses with Ukrainian servicemen from Azovstal leaving Mariupol&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/XmtBJTa2Zl">pic.twitter.com/XmtBJTa2Zl</a>
— Hanna Liubakova (@HannaLiubakova) <a href="https://twitter.com/HannaLiubakova/status/1526295514400141313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Earlier, Reuters reported that buses with the Defenders of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mariupol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mariupol</a>, which were on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Azovstal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Azovstal</a>, arrived in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Novoazovsk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Novoazovsk</a>, which is under the control of pro-<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Russian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Russian</a> separatists. <a href="https://t.co/RfaOrvoW7t">pic.twitter.com/RfaOrvoW7t</a>
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) <a href="https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1526320454503436289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Last month, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko estimated that the city&#8217;s casualties were about 21,000. The port city conflict was one of the longest in the ongoing war.
The quality of the Reuters pictures should be taken with a grain of salt. Earlier on Monday, Reuters published a controversial photo of men in what appeared to be paintball gear to accompany their coverage on Ukraine <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-the-best-look-reuters-report-on-ukraine-driving-russian-soldiers-out-includes-glaring-photographic-mistake">claiming</a> success in a different campaign. According to reports, Ukraine drove back Russian occupying forces in the Sumy region and retained control of the Chernihiv border region as well.
Reaction to the apparent Mariupol defeat reflected on the U.S. House’s approval last week to send Ukraine another $40 billion in aid.
Conservative journalist Pedro Gonzalez pointed out that Ukrainian troops assigned to the Mariupol combat mission accused their government of abandoning them, referencing Azov regiment complaints <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trapped-ukrainian-fighters-in-mariupol-say-kyiv-abandoned-them-11652018896">documented</a> by The Wall Street Journal.
“Zelensky just surrendered the strategically important port city Mariupol after besieged Ukrainian troops there had complained that they had been ignored and abandoned except for propaganda purposes,” Gonzalez said.
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Zelensky just surrendered the strategically important port city Mariupol after besieged Ukrainian troops there had complained that they had been ignored and abandoned except for propaganda purposes. This officially confirms that.
Why are we sending him billions of dollars again? <a href="https://t.co/N1c6PJJFV8">pic.twitter.com/N1c6PJJFV8</a>
— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) <a href="https://twitter.com/emeriticus/status/1526396865633198081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Although the House approved the $40 billion aid for Ukraine, the package was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-cannot-save-ukraine-by-dooming-the-u-s-economy-rand-paul-blocks-immediate-vote-on-billion-dollar-ukraine-package">blocked</a> temporarily in the Senate by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), however, the aid package is expected to pass sometime this week.
A number of Republican senators vowed to vote against the aid. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-senator-slams-biden-for-waging-war-on-the-economy-not-putting-americans-first">insisted</a> that the U.S. needed to improve its own national security and economy before coming to the aid of others.
“We’ve already committed a great deal of money, and I know people are concerned that money is being well spent, and we should certainly take effort to oversee that carefully,” Hagerty told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo. “At the same time, we’ve got to take care of things at home first.”
Ahead of the House approving aid, the Ukrainian government tweeted out a “Matrix” meme to express their pleasure with the arrangement.
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🇺🇦🤝🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/a64YG9qHmZ">pic.twitter.com/a64YG9qHmZ</a>
— Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ukraine/status/1523765028796911616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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264 Ukrainian soldiers evacuated from Azovstal steel plant

Ukraine Ends Combat Mission In Mariupol, Signaling Russian Victory For Key Port City

Ukraine Ends Combat Mission In Mariupol, Signaling Russian Victory

Mariupol

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

A 38-year-old Nicaraguan migrant reportedly drowned while attempting to illegally cross the Rio Grande River along the Texas border on Sunday despite the National Guard being present.
Fox News correspondent Bryan Llenas posted <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanLlenas/status/1521130129497415683">video</a> of the drowning on social media on Monday. Migrants on the river bank were shouting at two men in the water: the drowning man, and another man holding onto a bridge pillar.
“This was horrific to see,” said Llenas during Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom” report. “There are the migrants who are suffering the most, who are risking their lives leaving horrific conditions and coming here under false pretenses about this nation’s immigration policy.”
Guardsmen told Llenas that they were ordered not to do water rescues after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-body-of-missing-texas-national-guardsman-found">drowning</a> of Specialist Bishop Evans last month. The migrant drowned in the same area where Evans died.
According to a <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/04/27/bishop-evans-texas-soldier-drown-flotation/">report</a> from the Texas Tribune last week, Evans and other members of Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s border securing mission, Operation Lone Star, lacked the safety equipment to conduct water rescues. The Texas Military Department issued an order for the necessary buoys and ropes, but the equipment hadn’t arrived.
The friend of the drowned Nicaraguan man, a 42 year old who identified himself as Elbe Castro, managed to float down the river onto a small bridge ledge in the water. Castro told Llenas that he and his friend, Nelson, left Nicaragua last December.
Border Patrol notified Mexican authorities to rescue Castro after the National Guard reached out.
Fellow Fox News reporter Bill Melugin noted that this latest drowning follows &#8220;multiple drownings&#8221; that occurred last week.
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Wow. <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> colleague <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanLlenas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BryanLlenas</a> reports a male migrant just drowned in the Rio Grande right front of him in Eagle Pass, TX. It’s an awful thing to witness.
There were multiple drownings when we were there last week, including TX National Guard soldier, SPC Bishop Evans.
&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillFOXLA/status/1520890629063995393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Last month, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/nicaragua-would-be-migrants-learn-swim-brave-deadly-rio-grande-2022-04-26/?taid=6268b412e7253e00019977b1&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter">reported</a> that Nicaraguans were taking swim lessons to prepare for crossing the Rio Grande. The report focused on twelve Nicaraguans who confirmed they intended to enter the U.S. illegally. The group took free swim lessons from a swim coach named Mario Orozco in Esteli, Nicaragua.
Orozco began to offer the lessons without cost because one of his friends drowned attempting to cross into Texas.

Morning Clouds over the Rio Grande River between the USA and Mexico

Migrant Drowned Attempting To Cross Rio Grande River Into Texas, National Guard Ordered Not To Intervene

National Guard Ordered Not To Intervene As Migrant Drowned In Rio Grande River

Migrants

National Guard

Southern Border

An Ohio woman was arrested Friday for allegedly entering a men’s bathroom and stabbing a man using a urinal.
According to the report <a href="https://www.13abc.com/2022/04/25/woman-charged-after-stabbing-man-urinal-buttocks/">obtained</a> by ABC News affiliate WTVG, the victim, a man in his mid-forties, didn’t recognize the woman. 
“[The victim was] attempting to urinate when an unknown female entered the restroom behind him and stabbed him twice,” read the Toledo Police Department report. 
According to police, 41-year-old Shahnaz Ali stabbed the man twice in the butt with a sharp object of some kind at a local restaurant in Toledo, Ohio. Their report didn’t confirm if the object was a knife. The victim required stitches.
Ali was identified after the victim managed to follow his assailant out of the bathroom and photograph her car as she fled. Police tracked the vehicle to Ali’s apartment in Maumee, Ohio, a city less than 10 minutes away from the crime scene.
Ali was arraigned on Monday; the court set her bond at $5,000. Another hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
Stabbings have been frequent in the Toledo, Ohio, area over the last few months.
A similar stabbing <a href="https://www.13abc.com/2022/04/15/tpd-toledo-man-arrested-after-stabbing-woman-fleeing-scene/">occurred</a> several weeks ago. According to the Toledo Police Department, 43-year-old suspect James Moore allegedly stabbed 42-year-old Sophia Harris. The stab wounds weren’t life-threatening injuries. 
Late last month, another Toledo woman was <a href="https://www.13abc.com/2022/03/21/tpd-toledo-woman-arrested-stabbing/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=snd&amp;utm_content=wtvg">arrested</a> for allegedly stabbing her male roommate. 
In January, a Toledo mother was arrested for stabbing her two children. As WTOL <a href="https://www.wtol.com/article/news/crime/toledo-mother-accused-of-stabbing-children-dies/512-34b77d92-2cfd-48ef-8d69-b2c6e6c7ffc0">reported</a>, the mother died while in custody. WTOL also reported another domestic stabbing case, in which a 22-year-old Ofari Smith allegedly stabbed the mother of his four children, 33-year-old Whitney Wade, to death. 
Shortly after that incident, another Toledo man, 36-year-old Juan Garibaldo, also allegedly stabbed and <a href="https://www.13abc.com/2022/03/03/bond-set-1-million-man-charged-with-murdering-woman-he-was-relationship-with/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=snd&amp;utm_content=wtvg">killed</a> his significant other, 39-year-old Sarah Schulte.
According to the latest crime data from the FBI, the vast majority of Toledo’s violent crimes are either committed using personal weapons or knives/cutting instruments. The national rate of violent crime for 2020 was about 398; Ohio’s rate was about 308.

Urinals in a men’s room

Ohio Woman Charged For Stabbing Man at Urinal

Ohio

Stabbing

In an unprecedented turn of events, Mexican authorities were witnessed this week attempting to prevent migrants from crossing illegally into the United States. 
In video footage captured by Fox News, Mexican authorities wearing bright orange vests were chasing, tackling, and grabbing migrants attempting to cross the Rio Grande River into Texas.
&#8220;Today was the first time that we witnessed Mexican authorities actually putting their hands on migrants &amp; physically trying to stop them from entering the Rio Grande,&#8221; tweeted Fox News reporter Bill Melugin on Monday.
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Today was the first time that we witnessed Mexican authorities actually putting their hands on migrants &amp; physically trying to stop them from entering the Rio Grande. They were unsuccessful with this group. All of them crossed illegally into Eagle Pass. Wild scene today. <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/fZrfZPnkw0">pic.twitter.com/fZrfZPnkw0</a>
&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillFOXLA/status/1518722073253888002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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One group of migrants caught on camera evaded the Mexican authorities and entered the border city of Eagle Pass, Texas. 
The novel sight came days after a Texas National Guardsman was presumed to have drowned in the same river while attempting to save two migrants. It took authorities three days to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-body-of-missing-texas-national-guardsman-found">locate</a> the body of the guardsman, 22-year-old Arlington, Texas native Bishop Evans.
The two migrants Evans was attempting to save were alleged to be drug traffickers, according to the Texas Rangers.
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NEW: First photos of 22-year-old TX National Guard SPC. Bishop E. Evans of Arlington, TX, who has been missing since Friday morning and is presumed to have drowned in the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass after he jumped in to save lives. Photos courtesy of his family. <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/989c7iWAMI">pic.twitter.com/989c7iWAMI</a>
&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillFOXLA/status/1518295168855818240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The same day that Evans’ body was recovered, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-national-guard-works-for-the-states-psaki-deflects-question-of-responsibility-for-drowned-soldier">denied</a> that the Biden administration bore any responsibility for the situation. 
U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23) <a href="https://www.republicanleader.gov/live/">led</a> a group of nine U.S. House Republicans in a visit to the Rio Grande River to speak with the Texas National Guard and Border Patrol after the discovery of Evans’ body. Among them were Representatives Chip Roy (R-TX-21), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14), Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21), Gary Palmer (R-AL-06), Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23), Randy Weber (R-TX-14), Michael Guest (R-MS-03), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), and Blake Moore (R-UT-01). 
Monday afternoon, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor Evans.
“This brave young man gave his last full measure of devotion to his state and country,” stated Abbott. “His heroism will never be forgotten.”
Also on Monday, a federal judge <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-federal-judge-bars-biden-from-lifting-trump-era-border-policy">barred</a> the Biden administration from rescinding Title 42: the public health and border policy enacted by the Trump administration to curb COVID-19 spread.
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BREAKING: I am so proud of the lawyers from our office who just got a Temporary Restraining Order to keep Title 42 in place. We will continue to fight the Biden administration&#39;s open border policies.
&mdash; Mark Brnovich (@GeneralBrnovich) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeneralBrnovich/status/1518687234345504768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The judge’s ruling came a week after 26 Republican governors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/26-republican-governors-launch-border-strike-force-to-address-border-crisis">launched</a> an initiative to take the border crisis into their own hands: the American Governors’ Border Strike Force. Abbott led the announcement alongside Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. The strike force launch occurred the day after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that March set a record for the highest number of illegal border crossings in over 20 years. 
Among those record numbers were nearly two dozen individuals on the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Database. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-23-migrants-from-terror-list-stopped-at-southern-border-in-2021">23 terrorists</a> were apprehended by Border Patrol in the Rio Grande Valley Sector, Del Rio Sector, El Paso Sector, Tucson Sector, Yuma Sector, El Centro Sector, and San Diego Sector. 
McCarthy questioned how many other terrorists were numbered among the “got aways” — those not apprehended or observed crossing illegally into the country.
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If Border Patrol stopped 23 people on the terrorist watchlist last year, that begs the question: Who are we not catching?<a href="https://t.co/BlFSAykmQG">https://t.co/BlFSAykmQG</a>
&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPLeader/status/1516067595912454146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The situation only worsened in the three months after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-dhs-secretary-admits-border-crisis-worse-now-than-its-been-in-at-least-20-years-if-not-ever">admitted</a> that the border crisis was the worst in U.S. history. On Monday, more than 50 House Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-50-house-republicans-question-dhs-secretary-mayorkas-suitability-for-office-over-border-crisis">sent</a> a letter to Mayorkas accusing him of endangering American citizens through his failed leadership. They urged Mayorkas to take action to mitigate the border crisis, insisting that he wasn’t doing “all the legal and necessary actions at [his] disposal” to do so.
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A family of Central American migrants crosses the Rio Grande

Mexican Authorities Witnessed Trying To Stop Migrants In Unusual Sight

Border Crisis

Arizona banks may soon be barred from discriminating against businesses in the firearms industry.
Under a new bill, <a href="https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2R/bills/HB2473H.pdf">HB2473,</a> banks would be prohibited from receiving government contracts if they don&#8217;t pledge to avoid discriminating against those in the firearms industry. The legislation would not impact existing contracts. 
“Businesses can do what they like, but these are the ones speaking are federally chartered banks. We have to make this right for the people,” State Rep. Frank Carroll told The Daily Wire. “[These banks] are saying they have a right to make political decisions about banking. What is that to the people that need banking services?”
During a committee hearing last month, Ruger Firearms VPO Tim Lowney said their decades-long relationship with Bank of America was cut abruptly cut short. The bank had informed Lowney they would no longer do business with his company because they’re in the firearms industry. Ruger has over 400 employees in Arizona. 
Lowney said Ruger faced similar problems at other banks, and that firearms dealers are also suffering.
Arizona Bankers Association (ABA) spokesman Jay Kaprosy argued that there weren’t any circumstances in which a business was entirely unable to obtain banking due to their relation in the firearms industry. 
“We have searched high and low trying to find circumstances in which there is a firearms business or a rampant set of firearms businesses that are going without a bank [or] banking relationship. We’ve been unable to find any,” said Kaprosy. 
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has been engaged in similar legislation across the country, in Congress and in states like Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Kansas. NSSF Public Affairs Director Mark Oliva told The Daily Wire that these bills ensure that people’s right to bear arms truly remains viable: if banks stop those in the firearm industry from doing business, then people may not be able to obtain those firearms.
“You are born with your inherent right to exercise your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. That right doesn&#8217;t exist unless you have the ability to go down to a gun counter and buy a gun,&#8221; said Oliva. &#8220;Unless you have the right to go down and lawfully obtain a firearm, that right is on paper only.&#8221;
Major banks with policies limiting or outright prohibiting business with those in the firearms industry include CitiGroup, which, for example, turns away those who sell firearms to individuals under 21 or who haven’t passed a background check, as well as those who sell bump stocks or high-capacity magazines. 
“These groups are trying to institute laws that are going well beyond what’s prescribed in federal and state laws to institute their own gun agenda through their own corporate largesse,” said Oliva. “They’re unaccountable to the American public. This is why we elect leaders, because they can represent us on these issues. If we disagree with them, we have the ability to vote them out. We don&#8217;t have that ability with the corporate boardrooms.”
Even speaking in favor of non-discrimination legislation may come at a cost. 
NSSF told The Daily Wire how Brandon Maddox, founder of a suppressor manufacturer and distributor Silencer Central, had his service terminated with Capital One earlier this year after he testified in favor of similar legislation in South Dakota. Up until Capital One turned him away, Maddox was required to use a personal credit card for his business because the bank’s policies prevented him from getting a corporate card. Maddox applied for a corporate card by listing as a sporting goods business before <a href="https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/south-dakota/bill-to-penalize-banks-over-gun-policies-fails-in-sd-senate-committee">testifying</a> in favor of the proposed non-discrimination legislation. Almost immediately, Capital One denied his application for a corporate card and informed him that they terminated his private card service.
Banking policies barring business with those in the firearms industry have been underway for years, largely in response to mass and school shootings. In 2018, national headlines <a href="https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2018/06/24/gun-industry-sees-banks-as-new-threat-to-second-amendment/">reflected</a> a major culmination of banks’ efforts, noting one example of how payment processing services Stripe and Intuit refused to do business with a small handgun company in Georgia.
That kind of behavior may come to a halt in Arizona soon with HB2473. It passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee at the end of March, and awaits scheduling for a final vote on the Senate floor. 
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for The Daily Wire and AZ Free News. Have something you think the mainstream media won’t cover? Send tips to <a href="mailto:corinnejournalist@gmail.com">corinnejournalist@gmail.com</a>.

Gun and ammunition sales in the US

Arizona Bill Would Block Banks From Discriminating Against Firearms Industry

2nd Amendment

Bank of America

Banks

Cancel Culture

Citigroup

firearms

A Texas mom accused of performing an abortion on herself against the wishes of the child&#8217;s father and was reported to authorities when she sought treatment at a hospital won&#8217;t face criminal charges.
Lizelle Herrera, 26, was arrested in Rio Grande City, Texas, April 7 after the Starr County District Attorney’s Office initially indicted her on murder charges. She had induced her own abortion in January and was reported to authorities by Starr County Memorial Hospital after seeking subsequent treatment.
“Listen, right now I have no words,” Ismael Herrera, the unborn child&#8217;s father, told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlteeSH0PeU">Spanish-language news station Noticias Ya 48</a> after learning his ex-wife would not face charges. “It was my son, a boy.”
Ismael Herrera filed for divorce on the day of her arrest, according to reports.
Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez announced that he asked the judge to dismiss the murder charge, saying no applicable law existed to justify the charge. 
“Although with this dismissal Ms. Herrera will not face prosecution for this incident, it is clear to me that the events leading up to this indictment have taken a toll on Ms. Herrera and her family,&#8221; Ramirez said. &#8220;To ignore this fact would be shortsighted.&#8221;
“The issues surrounding this matter are clearly contentious, however based on Texas law and the facts presented, it is not a criminal matter,” the prosecutor added.
The district attorney’s reversal came amid pressure from abortions rights activists and national news coverage of the case. Pro-abortion rights groups including La Frontera Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas raised Herrera’s $500,000 bail within days of her arrest. 
“She miscarried at a hospital and allegedly confided to hospital staff that she had attempted to induce her own abortion and was reported to the authorities by hospital administration or staff,” <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/protesters-gather-outside-texas-jail-after-reported-abortion-arrest-2022-04-09/">said</a> La Frontera Fund founder Rickie Gonzalez.
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On April 9, 2022, Frontera Fund held a protest outside of the Starr County Jail opposing Lizelle Herrera’s arrest—a woman who was jailed for murder over a self-induced abortion. On April 10, the DA dismissed the indictment and murder charge. 
Photos for <a href="https://twitter.com/TexasTribune?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TexasTribune</a> <a href="https://t.co/z6eaqy3bUB">pic.twitter.com/z6eaqy3bUB</a>
&mdash; Michael Gonzalez (@michaelgonzlz) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelgonzlz/status/1513632548081082378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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La Frontera Fund also crowdfunded Herrera&#8217;s legal defense and living expenses. The fundraising page was active as of press time.
Ramirez’s office declined to comment further when contacted by The Daily Wire, although text messages between Ramirez and an unnamed person obtained by The Washington Post appear to show the prosecutor relaying what he told Herrera’s attorney, Calixtro Villarreal.
 “I assure you I never meant to hurt this young lady,” Ramirez allegedly recounted telling Villareal, with whom he has worked closely in the past and appears to be friends from Ramirez&#8217;s time in private practice.
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Court records reflect that Villarreal and Ramirez represented co-defendants in numerous federal cases. In late February 2020, a month before Ramirez was elected, Villarreal hosted a campaign event for him. A Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LawOfficeofCalixtroVillarreal/posts/2813561628739168">post</a> showed that the campaign event began at Villarreal’s office and ended at the Starr County Courthouse, where they encouraged the community to cast their vote for Ramirez.
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The case brought renewed attention to Texas&#8217; recently enacted, so-called &#8220;Heartbeat Law,&#8221; which outlaws abortions after a heartbeat is detected. However, the law does not provide for criminal prosecution and allows private citizens to sue those who perform or assist an abortion. That law <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rejects-abortion-providers-request-to-stay-texas-heartbeat-law">survived</a> a Supreme Court challenge that would have prohibited its enforcement while legal challenges continue. 
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for The Daily Wire and AZ Free News. Have something you think the mainstream media won’t cover? Send tips to <a href="mailto:corinnejournalist@gmail.com">corinnejournalist@gmail.com</a>.

Operation Room

‘It Was My Son’: Texas Mom Won’t Be Charged After Aborting Baby Against Father’s Wishes

Over 120 airmen at March Air Reserve Base (MARB), including their chaplain, have been denied religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, according to an MARB public information officer. The Air Force recognizes chaplains as one of the most important individuals in determining religious exemptions. Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs Captain Allison Kirk <a href="https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2803149/religious-accommodation-requests-what-to-expect/">clarified</a> the chaplain’s significance in early October.
“For Airmen seeking a religious accommodation request, chaplains play a critical role in ensuring each request is fully considered in accordance with DAFI 52-201, Religious Freedom in the Department of the Air Force,” stated Kirk.
Exemptions are determined through a religious accommodation request (RAR). Certain laws like the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) require the government to offer a significant reason for encroaching on religious beliefs. The RFRA act, introduced by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) when he was a representative for the 9th District, bars the government from “substantially burdening” a person’s religious freedom without “compelling government interest.” According to Air Force policy, religious accommodations for sincerely held religious beliefs are <a href="https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_hc/publication/dafi52-201/dafi52-201.pdf">denied</a> if they present a real adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, good order, discipline, and health or safety. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy serves as the final appeal authority on religious exemptions for vaccination mandates.
This week, the Air Force was the first to reportedly <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-257b231698d17ab3c6aef71867520346">discharge</a> service members for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine: 27 airmen. None of the individuals sought a religious, medical, or administrative exemption.
MARB is one of three major reserve bases; it’s <a href="https://afreserve.com/downloads/AFR-Organization.pdf">responsible</a> for “strategic reach forces” and oversight of 19 subordinate units nationwide.
The Daily Wire spoke with MARB public information officer, Captain Scott Terra, who was also denied a religious exemption. He informed us that there hasn’t been much clarity throughout the accommodations process. Even some of his higher-ups haven’t known what to expect.
“The perception is if none of the requests are even being honored, was there an urgency in attempts to evaluate these claims and consider them?” asked Terra. “I haven’t always agreed with the Air Force policies, but I’ve always followed orders. This is getting to be a situation where this is possibly an illegal order.”
Terra told The Daily Wire that he decided to discuss the mandate’s implications because he’s an American citizen first and foremost.
“This is a religious freedom issue and this is a cornerstone of what the Constitution stands for,” said Terra. “As a military officer, I feel I have a responsibility to respect religious freedom, and I believe our officers in chains of command feel the same. That’s the oath I took.”
According to Terra, the letters of rejection have come from their highest authority in the reserves: Lieutenant General Richard Scobee at Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC).
At the end of August, Defense Secretary Austin Lloyd <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pentagon-chief-demands-ambitious-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-timeline">issued</a> a memo mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for the entire military. A month later, Lloyd followed up with another <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/defense-secretary-unvaccinated-national-guard-members-cannot-train-be-paid">memo</a> clarifying that the mandate extended to National Guard members and prohibited payment for those unvaccinated members. Recently, the Department of Defense <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pentagon-considering-vaccine-booster-mandate-for-military">announced</a> consideration of a booster mandate as well.
One reservist spoke to The Daily Wire on the condition of anonymity. His RAR was denied last month; as of press time, he hasn’t received word on his appeal. He explained that funds for efficient operations are already limited without the additional burden of enforcing a vaccination mandate.
“As an Air Force commander, I have a fraction of the funds necessary to prepare my unit to execute its mission. Yet what time and money I have must be used to force a handful of members to receive a highly questionable jab against their will,” stated the airman. “I can’t pay for airmen to plan our unit exercises or conduct training, but I must fund orders that force members to report for disciplinary action if they refuse the jab. In an effort to avoid a theoretical threat to readiness we have committed a completely unforced error which will incur disproportionate and real, adverse impact to national security.”
Even though they are permitted to submit an appeal, the anonymous reservist shared that they’re given only 72 hours from the time they’re notified of their RAR denial. He reported that the timeline posed a common problem: some were notified while not on duty, and didn’t receive word of their denial until the 72 hours were nearly or completely up.
Terra informed The Daily Wire that it’s unclear where the 72-hour rule originated.
Even while awaiting an unknown outcome on his religious exemption, the anonymous reservist told The Daily Wire that he’s found an unexpected silver lining to his trials.
“It’s been stressful for me and my family,” said the reservist. “As a Christian I can see a lot of good that’s come out of this: my ability to share my faith, my testimony, with people that would never want to hear it, more times in the past ten months than the past ten years. You grow with challenges, and this is a challenge that I can certainly say that there’s a lot of good that’s come out of this.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for The Daily Wire and AZ Free News. Have something you think the mainstream media won’t cover? Send tips to <a href="mailto:corinnejournalist@gmail.com">corinnejournalist@gmail.com</a>.

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