Former reality star Spencer Pratt, who is running for mayor of Los Angeles against incumbent Karen Bass, is taking a stand for animals that are allegedly being tortured by homeless people in the community.
The mayoral hopeful has been posting about animals being abused on Skid Row and beyond for weeks, sharing graphic videos of dogs overdosing on fentanyl and one presented with his eyes sewn shut.
“As Mayor, I will stand up a dedicated LAPD task force, Tactical PAWS: Policing Animal Welfare &amp; Safety. We will end the horrific atrocities that Karen Basura (his nickname for Bass) and [coucilwoman] Nithya Raman have allowed on our streets. ZERO tolerance for animal abusers,” he wrote in a post on April 20.
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As Mayor, I will stand up a dedicated LAPD task force, Tactical PAWS: Policing Animal Welfare &amp; Safety. We will end the horrific atrocities that Karen Basura and Nithya Raman have allowed on our streets. ZERO tolerance for animal abusers! <a href="https://t.co/QyUPKpdLEB">https://t.co/QyUPKpdLEB</a> <a href="https://t.co/XDnpJk4aba">pic.twitter.com/XDnpJk4aba</a>
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) <a href="https://twitter.com/spencerpratt/status/2046277962664996895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“This is uncaring Karen’s legacy,” he said of Bass in response to a video of a dog with drugs in its system receiving medical care. “Unbelievable levels of evil from the druggies that are left to massacre these poor animals. This ends when I’m mayor.”
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This is uncaring Karen’s legacy. Unbelievable levels of evil from the druggies that are left to massacre these poor animals. This ends when I’m mayor. <a href="https://t.co/jJ64X0sQ5R">https://t.co/jJ64X0sQ5R</a>
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) <a href="https://twitter.com/spencerpratt/status/2047197321079980376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In another video <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXhkUNNAdT9/">shared</a> to Instagram on Friday, he accused Bass and Raman of “facilitating the torture, mutilation, abuse, and murder of thousands of dogs by crazy drug addicts who breed them for money, set them on fire, [and] conduct Nazi-like experiments.”
Pratt says the dogs become drug testers and are frequently overdosing.
The former star of “The Hills” said that Raman allegedly “walked out” of a recent city council meeting after an animal rescue worker begged for help with the problem.
Pratt also said a rally was happening at The Barkery in Encino on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. to raise awareness and “save our pets from the zombies.”
The reality alum announced that he is running for mayor of Los Angeles on the one-year anniversary of the Palisades Fire, which is the event that he says radicalized him to make a change in his community. The Republican and former star of “The Hills” has been critical of local Democrats for their actions before and after the fires. Pratt and his wife, Heidi Montag, and his parents all lost their homes.
“The system in Los Angeles isn’t struggling; it’s fundamentally broken. It is a machine designed to protect the people at the top and the friends they exchange favors with while the rest of us drown in toxic smoke and ash,” Pratt said in part while announcing his campaign.
Pratt is a first-time candidate facing more than a dozen other contenders in the nonpartisan mayoral primary in June, including current Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Bass, who is seeking re-election. Pratt’s campaign website describes him as “Karen Bass’ worst nightmare.”

Spencer Pratt

Reality Star Rips Dem Karen Bass For Allowing Homeless To ‘Conduct Nazi-Like Experiments’ On Dogs

Animals

California

Drugs

Elections

Homeless

Karen Bass

Los Angeles

Mayor

Politics

The Trump administration on Thursday <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-places-fda-approved-marijuana-products-and-products-containing-marijuana">moved to reclassify</a> state-licensed medical marijuana, easing research restrictions on the substance and marking the most significant shift in federal drug policy in decades.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1437441/dl">signed an order</a> reclassifying FDA-approved products containing marijuana as a Schedule III drug, placing them alongside prescription medications. The administration also announced an “expedited” hearing on June 29 to consider the formal reclassification of cannabis.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Today is another promise made, promise kept day&#8230; The Acting Attorney General this morning signed an order that moves into Schedule III medical marijuana products that are FDA approved or that are state licensed. This is a giant move forward to implement your promise.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ewTDXJpEyX">pic.twitter.com/ewTDXJpEyX</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2047402410784473227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
“These actions will enable more targeted, rigorous research into marijuana&#8217;s safety and efficacy, expanding patients&#8217; access to treatments and empowering doctors to make better-informed healthcare decisions,” <a href="https://x.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2047291538653241488?s=20">Blanche said</a>.
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Under the decisive leadership of <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, this Department of Justice is delivering on his promise to improve American healthcare. This includes:
• Immediately rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule IIl
• Ordering a new,… <a href="https://t.co/DUtqKQgavl">pic.twitter.com/DUtqKQgavl</a>
— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) <a href="https://twitter.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2047291538653241488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
Since 1970, marijuana has remained in Schedule I—the most restrictive category—alongside substances like heroin, LSD, and ecstasy.
Scheduling of a drug is &#8220;based upon the substance&#8217;s medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/csa">Drug Enforcement Administration</a> (DEA).
<a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling">Under the Controlled Substances Act</a>, Schedule III drugs are defined as substances with a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.” The DEA considers Schedule I drugs to have &#8220;no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”
The Trump administration&#8217;s move does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under federal law, but allows cannabis companies to deduct standard expenses like rent and payroll for the first time, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/trump-administration-reclassifies-cannabis.html">CNBC reported</a>.
“Today’s order is reflective of the Department of Justice’s continued dedication to common-sense policies and the prioritization of the safety and well-being of all Americans,” Blanche said.
In December 2025, Trump first signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/increasing-medical-marijuana-and-cannabidiol-research/">executive order</a> directing federal agencies to increase medical marijuana and CBD research.
Over the weekend, Trump voiced frustration with the pace of the rescheduling process while signing another directive easing restrictions on psychedelics alongside podcast host Joe Rogan.
“You’re going to get the rescheduling done, right? Please? Will you get the rescheduling done, please?” Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xrI-_qo64E">said to White House staff in the Oval Office</a>. “Joe, they’re slow-walking me on rescheduling, okay? You’re going to get it done.”
Two dozen states, along with Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana use, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/medical-marijuana-rescheduling-justice-department-trump-cannabis-1d6722d3aae122b1a91f8e4b6c690268">according to the Associated Press.</a> About 40 states have medical marijuana programs, and eight others permit low-THC cannabis or CBD oil for medical purposes. Only Idaho and Kansas maintain a full ban on marijuana.
In November 2024, voters in Nebraska approved a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana. Ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana failed in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Obama Admin. Unveils New Policy Easing Medical Marijuana Prosecutions

Trump Takes Major Step On Marijuana

Drug Enforcement Agency

Executive

Marijuana

Todd Blanche

Trump Administration

Trump Adminstration

Two U.S. Embassy officials and two Mexican officials were killed in a car accident in northern Mexico on Sunday.
A <a href="https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/crime/2026/04/19/mexico-us-embassy-staff-police-officials-die-in-chihuahua-accident-after-drug-lab-raids/89692343007/">report</a> published by the El Paso Times stated that all four had been killed in a car accident in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua — which shares a border with southwest Texas. They had been participating in an operation to locate and destroy drug labs in the area.
The two Mexican officials were identified by Chihuahua State authorities as Chihuahua State Investigations Agency Director Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes and officer Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes. The two U.S. embassy officials have not yet been identified.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson shared his thoughts in a post on X, offering his condolences to the families of those who had been killed and commenting on the inherent risk present in the jobs they did every day.
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We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two U.S. Embassy personnel, the Director of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency (AEI), and an AEI officer in this accident. We honor their dedication and tireless efforts to confront one of the greatest challenges of our time. Our…
— Embajador Ronald Johnson (@USAmbMex) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbMex/status/2045966498921877809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two U.S. Embassy personnel, the Director of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency (AEI), and an AEI officer in this accident. We honor their dedication and tireless efforts to confront one of the greatest challenges of our time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones,&#8221; Johnson posted. &#8220;This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and U.S. officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities. It strengthens our resolve to continue their mission and advance our shared commitment to security and justice, to protect our people.&#8221;
The accident came just one day after Chihuahua State police had announced the discovery of two large <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/border/2026/04/19/u-s-and-mexican-police-officials-killed-in-highway-crash-after-lab-raids/">methamphetamine labs</a> in the mountains near Morelos — in the southern part of the state. The labs were reportedly located using drones.

MEXICO-CRIME-DRUG TRAFFIKING-OPERATION-AFTERMATH

U.S. Embassy Staff Killed In Crash Just After High-Risk Operation In Cartel Stronghold

Cartels

Mexico

President Donald Trump on Saturday signed a sweeping executive order aimed at fast-tracking access to psychedelic-based treatments for veterans suffering from PTSD, depression, and other severe mental health conditions.
On paper, the order directs agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs to accelerate clinical trials, cut bureaucratic delays, and expand “right to try” access for patients who have exhausted traditional treatment options. But the real-world impact is far more immediate, and far more personal. For millions of Americans, this isn’t an abstract policy debate, it’s about whether treatments that show real promise are stuck in years of red tape while people continue to struggle, relapse, or fall through the cracks of a mental health system that often relies on trial-and-error prescriptions.
Trump framed the move as a long-overdue shift toward urgency.
“These treatments are currently in the advanced stages of clinical trials to ensure that they&#8217;re both safe and effective,” Trump said. “But usually with things like this, nothing ever happens … we’re changing that.”
The executive order builds on a growing body of research suggesting psychedelic therapies, particularly compounds like ibogaine, can deliver dramatic results where conventional treatments fail. Trump pointed to a Stanford study in which special operations veterans saw an 80 to 90 percent reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms within a month.
At the signing ceremony, one veteran put it more bluntly.
“This treatment saved my life,” he told the president. “Helped me get off opiates … sleep for the first time in over 10 years.”
“And you have no doubt?” Trump asked.
“Zero,&#8221; he answered.
“To me, that’s the best research of all,” Trump said.
More than 14 million Americans suffer from serious mental illness, according to the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-is-accelerating-medical-treatments-for-serious-mental-illness/">fact sheet</a> accompanying the order, and for many, existing medications and therapies simply don’t work. Even when they do, they often come with significant side effects or require years of adjustments. Among veterans, the crisis is even more acute, with more than 6,000 suicides per year for over two decades, a statistic that has remained stubbornly high despite billions in federal spending.
The order attempts to break that cycle by not just funding research, but forcing the system to move faster. It directs the FDA to prioritize psychedelic drugs already designated as “breakthrough therapies,” a classification reserved for treatments that show substantial improvement over existing options. It also pushes regulators to shorten review timelines that can typically stretch close to a year, and in some cases, much longer.
At the same time, the administration is expanding access before full approval. By opening a clearer pathway under federal right-to-try laws, patients with treatment-resistant conditions may be able to access these therapies under medical supervision rather than waiting years for final regulatory clearance.
That shift could prove significant not just for veterans, but for civilians facing similar conditions; first responders, trauma survivors, and millions of Americans dealing with depression, addiction, and anxiety disorders.
Health agencies are also being pushed to coordinate more aggressively. The order mandates increased data sharing between federal departments, expanded clinical trial participation, and at least $50 million in federal support for state-level research efforts. States like Texas have already invested heavily in ibogaine research, and the federal government is now stepping in to match those efforts.
Even skeptics in the medical field say the evidence is becoming harder to ignore.
“One single administration can change behavior toward a therapeutic effect,” a researcher at the signing said. “We have a tool that could allow the body to heal itself, if we know how to properly use it.”
That’s the gamble behind the order: that accelerating access doesn’t just help veterans, but could reshape how the country approaches mental health treatment altogether, moving away from long-term symptom management and toward therapies that may offer more lasting change.
For everyday Americans, the implications are straightforward. If these treatments continue to show results, they won’t remain confined to niche trials; they could become part of mainstream medicine, available through doctors rather than years-long waitlists or costly alternatives abroad.
If these therapies work — and early data suggest they might — the question is no longer whether they should exist, but how quickly people can access them.
Trump’s answer, at least for now, is simple: faster.

The Wait Just Got Shorter For Veterans Seeking Breakthrough Mental Health Care

Donald Trump

Health

Mental Health

Veterans

Pop singer Britney Spears voluntarily checked herself into a rehab treatment facility on Sunday, April 12, her rep confirmed. This happened just hours after she posted a video to Instagram — in which she could be seen slapping her own butt while dressed in a thong — just five weeks after she was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
The 44-year-old singer has a scheduled court date of May 4. 
Spears was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol (DUI) in Ventura County, California, on March 4, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/britney-spears-arrested-manager-calls-incident-inexcusable">reported</a>. She was released the next day.
Her rep released a statement at the time, calling it an &#8220;unfortunate incident&#8221; and saying that it was &#8220;completely inexcusable.&#8221;
&#8220;Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life. Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Her boys are going to be spending time with her. Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well being.&#8221;
The pop star shares two sons, Sean Preston, 20, and Jayden James, 19, with ex-husband Kevin Federline.
Spears was previously charged with a misdemeanor hit-and-run in 2007, which was later dismissed. She was hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation the following year and was subsequently placed under a conservatorship overseen primarily by her father. That arrangement lasted 13 years before a judge terminated it in November of 2021, following the fan-led “Free Britney” movement. 
Since the conservatorship ended, the “Toxic” singer has remained active on social media — where a number of posts have drawn concern from fans, such as posting videos of herself dancing, often scantily clad and sometimes with knives. 
In recent months, Spears has been taking aim at her family in Instagram posts, claiming they’ve treated her poorly. Following her DUI arrest, she shared a post of herself spending time with her two sons, including a trip she took with them on a yacht in late March.

Britney Spears

Britney Spears Heads To Rehab After Posting Another Wild Video, DUI Arrest

Alcohol

Celebrities

Entertainment

Today on &#8220;Dystopia Now,&#8221; we take a look at something called the Enhanced Games, where nearly 40 athletes compete while doped up on performance-enhancing substances. You can catch them at Resorts World Las Vegas in late May.
A Legion of Doom-worthy coalition of tech billionaires is funding the Enhanced Games, including Peter Thiel, the Winklevoss twins, Saudi prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, and Donald Trump Jr. According to their materials, it’s &#8220;a diversified revenue model designed to capitalize on the growing global demand for sports entertainment, performance enhancement and longevity products.&#8221;
As Richard Dawson said in &#8220;The Running Man,&#8221; “Without further ado, it’s time to start running!”
A major driver behind the Enhanced Games is German tech billionaire Christian Angermayer, the author of the Next Human Agenda. He is <a href="https://christianangermayer.substack.com/p/the-future-is-enhanced">pushing the games</a> as &#8220;a significant economic driver for the biotech pharma industry in the years ahead.&#8221;
 If the Enhanced Games sounds suspiciously like an advertisement for Compound V, the superhuman-making substance in &#8220;The Boys,&#8221; it should. This isn’t a sports gambit — it’s an advertisement for the “longevity” industry, based on big tech’s obsession with expanding the human lifespan and human vitality. 
The problem is, Compound V can create metahumans like Homelander, who is a total psychopath but is essentially evil Superman, but it can also create people with the power to shoot octopi out of their butts, or some such thing. We know that these substances aren’t steroids or cocaine, but we don’t know much else about them, or about their long-term effects. The Enhanced Games is promising sprint records, but A-Train, the super-sprinter on &#8220;The Boys,&#8221; has extreme heart issues and a dependency on Compound V.
Some athletes — who are either being paid very well, desperate for glory, or both — don’t seem to care. Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev broke a 50-meter freestyle world record in an Enhanced Games trial last year, making a million dollars in the process. As Forbes <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/josipamajic/2026/04/06/pro-doping-enhanced-games-raise-12-billion-before-a-single-race/">reported</a> this week, “Irish swimmer Max McCusker, also an Olympian, said publicly that his decision to join was a &#8220;no-brainer&#8221; after earning less than $10,000 across four years of professional swimming.”
<div id="attachment_1076275" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1076275" class="size-large wp-image-1076275" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Enhanced-Games-II-1024x549.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Enhanced Games/YouTube.com" width="1024" height="549" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Enhanced-Games-II-1024x549.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Enhanced-Games-II-300x161.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Enhanced-Games-II-768x411.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Enhanced-Games-II-1536x823.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Enhanced-Games-II.jpg 1960w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: Enhanced Games/YouTube.com</div>
So what&#8217;s the endgame? Clearly, life expansion is a mantra of the day, slotting in alongside at-home helper robots, personalized flight, Mars colonization, and the AI singularity. We seem to be heading toward a bifurcated, Gattaca-like future, with “optimized” people at the top of the pyramid and a vast mass of suboptimal people at the bottom, Elois performing feats of strength at Resorts World for an audience of barely human Morlocks.
All this reminds me of the opening credits of the “Six Million Dollar Man,” “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability of making the world’s first bionic man. Better than he was before. Better. Stronger. Faster.” (Of course, today, six million is rounding error).
This future is actually kind of appealing, even interesting. We should at least try to see if the current billionaire obsession with hyperbaric cold plunges and blood transfusions and liquid megavitamins and genetic manipulation works. My own program of fish-oil pills, probiotics, not eating like crap, and standing on my head a few times a week seems to be working just fine, but I haven’t really started into the peak of my decline yet.
The real test of Enhanced Games technology won’t be how it affects super-swimmers or Olympic sprinters, who are already close to Peak Personhood. When they start injecting nootropics into people like me, to see if they can make the Substack posts a little snarkier and the decision-making at the $400 No-Limit Hold Em poker tournaments a little smarter, then we’ll see how well it works. Just remember that, sure, there are a lot of super-people in &#8220;The Boys.&#8221; But most of them end up with exploding heads.
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Neal Pollack, “the greatest living American writer,” is the author of 12 semi-bestselling books of fiction and nonfiction and is a three-time “Jeopardy!” champion.

enhanced games

The Enhanced Games And The Billionaire Dream Of Superhumans

DW Opinion

Humor

Las Vegas

Olympics

Performance Enhancing Drugs

Sports

Steroids

Swimming

Technology

Television

Track and Field

A woman known as the &#8220;Ketamine Queen&#8221; was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges connected to the death of “Friends” actor Matthew Perry. 
Jasveen Sangha, 42, pleaded guilty last September to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury. 
Perry’s family had pushed for a harsh sentence ahead of the hearing. 
&#8220;The pain you&#8217;ve caused to hundreds, maybe thousands, is irreversible,&#8221; the actor’s stepmother, Debbie Perry, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/matthew-perrys-stepmother-says-ketamine-094451974.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a victim impact statement. &#8220;There is no joy&#8230; No light in the window. They won&#8217;t be back.&#8221; 
&#8220;You caused this&#8230; You who has talent for business enough to make money chose the one way that hurts people,&#8221; the actor’s stepmother continued. &#8220;Please give this heartless woman the maximum prison sentence so she won&#8217;t be able to hurt other families like ours.&#8221;
Prosecutors said Sangha sold 51 vials of ketamine to Perry through his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/north-hollywood-drug-dealer-who-sold-ketamine-killed-actor-matthew-perry-sentenced-15">according</a> to the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the Central District of California.
They also accused Sangha of continuing to sell drugs even after learning that the ketamine she sold had contributed to Perry’s death.
&#8220;She didn&#8217;t care and kept selling,&#8221; the attorneys wrote in a memorandum. &#8220;[The] Defendant&#8217;s actions show a cold callousness and disregard for life. She chose profits over people, and her actions have caused immense pain to the victims&#8217; families and loved ones.&#8221;
Prosecutors further said Sangha had opportunities to stop but &#8220;simply chose not to,&#8221; and alleged that she later exchanged texts with her associates to try to distance herself from Perry’s death.
Perry was found unresponsive, face down in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home on October 28, 2023. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office determined he had drowned, with ketamine listed as a contributing factor. The level of ketamine found in his system was close to a range used for general anesthesia, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doctor-to-plead-guilty-in-connection-with-friends-actor-matthew-perrys-ketamine-overdose-death">reported</a>.
Four other defendants pleaded guilty in connection with the case, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/north-hollywood-drug-dealer-who-sold-ketamine-killed-actor-matthew-perry-sentenced-15">including</a> Dr. Mark Chavez and Dr. Salvador Plasencia. Plasencia, 44, is serving a 30-month prison sentence, while Chavez, 55, was sentenced to three years of probation, eight months of home detention, and ordered to perform 300 hours of community service.

Matthew Perry

‘Ketamine Queen’ Learns Fate In Matthew Perry Case

Crime

overdose

Sharks are getting a contact high as they swim through tropical waters, thanks in part to drug runners and careless tourists.
The buzz is real: Sharks swimming off the coast of Bermuda tested positive for cocaine, according to a new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749126001880?via%3Dihub">study</a> published in the journal Environmental Pollution. 
The apex predators of the sea have also ingested other substances from humans, including caffeine and over-the-counter painkillers, the study noted. It’s all believed to be part of aquatic pollution generated by people on vacation. 
“Pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs are increasingly recognized as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in marine environments, particularly in areas undergoing rapid urbanization and tourism-driven development,” the researchers wrote in the study.
Caffeine was the most commonly found substance in the 85 specimens tested around the remote island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas. The study also detected acetaminophen and diclofenac, the active ingredients in Tylenol and Voltaren, as the next most common substances.
One of the sharks, a baby lemon shark in a nursery creek, tested positive for cocaine. Researchers said it was due to the animal biting down on discarded samples of the drug to determine what it was.
“They bite things to investigate and end up exposed,” study author Natascha Wosnick <a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cocaine-sharks-drugs-bahamas-eleuthera">told</a> Science News of the findings. “It’s mostly because people are going there, peeing in the water and dumping their sewage in the water,” she told the outlet.
Sharks from other areas have tested positive for cocaine in the past, though none have tested positive in the Bahamas until this most recent study.
The topic of cocaine crazed animals was the hook of the 2023 film “Cocaine Bear” directed by Elizabeth Banks. The film was loosely based on true events that occurred in 1985 when a 175-pound black bear died of a cocaine overdose in Georgia after consuming a duffel bag of drugs dropped by a smuggler.
Animals messing around with other toxic human substances have been making headlines lately. A viral <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWTrK09kub4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==">video</a> of a squirrel chewing on a vape device in London started making the rounds online, which led to conversations about wild critters being attracted to the fruity-smelling devices. 
“In the old days, you’d see lots of discarded cigarette butts, but I don’t remember squirrels running around with them,” Craig Shuttleworth, a red squirrel expert in the U.K., <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/23/squirrel-seen-vaping-in-london-park/">told</a> The Telegraph of the phenomenon. “It would be reasonable to assume that a vape would be more attractive than a normal tobacco product that’s not fruity.”
Unfortunately, the exposure to nicotine is harmful to squirrels and other wildlife.

Baby lemon shark

The Buzz Is Real: Baby Shark Tests Positive For Cocaine

Atlantic Ocean

Cocaine

Sharks

The following is an edited transcript excerpt of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1924-upsets-that-rocked-the-first-round-of-midterm-primaries-explained?elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show</a>.
* * *
Scientists are using DMT (dimethyltryptamine), a powerful hallucinogenic drug, to allow people to communicate with the seemingly alien creatures they see when they do the drug. I wish I were making this up.
If you&#8217;ve ever had a friend who&#8217;s done DMT — or shrooms or acid for that matter — and then have them describe what they see, they may claim to see little gray weirdo aliens that all sound eerily similar. 
The title of the article in <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/some-people-see-aliens-while-on-dmt-researchers-want-to-find-out-what-they-can-teach-us/">WIRED</a> reads, “Some People See Aliens While on DMT. Researchers Want to Find Out What They Can Teach Us”
I agree with the first sentence. I think the second sentence would not follow from the first sentence. It&#8217;s probably not a good idea.
The subtitle reads, “A new psychedelic retreat calling itself a “SETI for the mind” aims to establish two-way communication with the nonhuman entities people encounter while tripping on DMT.”
What could go wrong?
From <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/some-people-see-aliens-while-on-dmt-researchers-want-to-find-out-what-they-can-teach-us/">the article:</a>
<blockquote>The idea had been suggested six years earlier in a paper by neurobiologist Andrew Gallimore.</blockquote>
So, these are not just some weirdo entrepreneurs. These are not just some journalists — he&#8217;s a neurobiologist.
<blockquote>The ethnobotanist Terence McKenna&#8230;</blockquote>
Boy, howdy, there are just so many specializations in science today, aren&#8217;t there? What do you want to be when you grow up, Sally? “I want to be an ethnobotanist.” Whatever that is.
<blockquote>— one of the more gifted articulators of the psychedelic experience — famously described these entities as “self-transforming elf machines&#8221; and “jeweled, self-dribbling basketballs from hyperspace …” McKenna likened them to playful leprechauns, but others, like Bilton, have also met more sinister beings: “dark, evil motherfuckers—horrible things,” as he describes them.</blockquote>
Okay. Tell me more. I&#8217;ve never done psychedelics.
<blockquote>The thread connecting most perceived DMT entity encounters is an overwhelming sense of technological sophistication and godlike power. “I was confronted with what seemed to me to be the undeniable hand of some kind of intelligence,” Gallimore said of his first DMT trip during his recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, “a supremely advanced, ancient, and yet highly technological intelligence.”</blockquote>
Is this sounding familiar to anyone? If you&#8217;ve done psychedelics it might be sounding familiar because you&#8217;ve experienced it. If you are familiar with religion — Christianity in particular — this might be sounding familiar, and it might not be sounding good.
<blockquote>Gallimore argues that whatever is happening to the brain during a DMT trip, it’s not mere “hallucination”—a term he uses somewhat derisively. He makes the case that DMT unlocks a realm ordinarily cut off to our senses and populated by unfathomably advanced nonhuman entities.</blockquote>
So right off the bat, there are two options. These things can be one of two things. 
They can either be, to use the language of the scholastics: “ens reale” or “ens rationis.”
They can be mind-independent beings — that is, things that have a reality in themselves outside of your own conceptions — or they can be figments of your imagination, things that we come up with in our heads.
Now the whole premise here is that we need to communicate with these things. That very phrase tells us that if these things matter at all — if we&#8217;re going to do any of this stuff, have the weird science summer camp DMT trip — then they can&#8217;t just be figments of our imagination. Because you can&#8217;t communicate with something that is not in itself a cognitive power.
Otherwise you&#8217;d just be talking to yourself. But you don&#8217;t need a DMT trip to talk to yourself. You can have a conversation in your own head.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1924-upsets-that-rocked-the-first-round-of-midterm-primaries-explained?elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show on DailyWire+</a></h3>
The only way to communicate is to involve two cognitive powers. I can&#8217;t communicate with my tumbler. I can&#8217;t communicate with this piece of paper. I can communicate with another person — because he or she has cognitive power.
So right off the bat, we are assuming these things are real — but they&#8217;re not physical. They&#8217;re not visible ordinarily. They&#8217;re purely intelligence. Pure intelligence with which we might communicate, but only if we do things that are bad and sinful, like lose our minds on drugs.
That is a demon.
That&#8217;s a long way of saying, that&#8217;s a demon.
Invisible, nonphysical cognitive powers are spirits. That&#8217;s what a spirit means. Spirits can be angels. They can be demons. There are other kinds of spiritual realities.
Now, the ones we invite in to communicate when we are doing bad things — when we are sinning — they&#8217;re not the good ones. They&#8217;re the bad ones. They&#8217;re demons.
I am not a guy — I’ve said this many times — who sees demons under every rock. I know that&#8217;s very popular now. I&#8217;ve had conversations with exorcists. I acknowledge spiritual reality. But I take the C.S. Lewis approach: you don&#8217;t want to think about demons none of the time, because then you might leave yourself open to danger. But you also don&#8217;t want to think about demons all the time, because then you&#8217;re obsessing over spiritual darkness instead of focusing on God.
So you should think about demons a little bit of the time. This is one of those times.
Do not go do a bunch of drugs with a bunch of hippie scientists and try to talk to demons. It&#8217;s a bad idea.
What is it you desire that would impel you to go do this? There are plenty of people who take psychedelics and want to talk to the aliens — which are demons. Either they&#8217;re hallucinations, in which case the whole thing is pointless, or they&#8217;re demons.
What would impel you?
Because you want to learn something about yourself or about the world?
Well, if you want to learn something — if you want to learn the truth — you should speak to God, who is the truth, the way, and the life. Christ says that. You would want to speak to the true source and summit of all being, rather than demons whose defining characteristic is that they&#8217;re evil and they lie.
Why else would you want to do it?
I&#8217;ll tell you why. And to be fair to the drug users, the reason they want this is because they recognize we are partly spiritual creatures. They recognize we don&#8217;t comprehend all the truth.
They want knowledge.
But if you want that, the reason you would go do drugs with scientists instead of going to church, reading the Bible, praying, or receiving the sacraments — the difference is this: those things promise the truth on God&#8217;s terms, while drugs promise the truth on your terms.
You want to increase your personal agency. You want to become like a god yourself rather than submit your will and reason to God, who is omnipotent and omniscient.
That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s just a reiteration of the original sin in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had everything. They were walking with God. It was paradise. But they wanted paradise on their own terms.
And when you try to make paradise on your own terms, it turns into hell.
So, have I made my point clear? Don&#8217;t do drugs and try to talk to demons. This should go without saying, but we&#8217;re living in a very confused age.

Abstract Mental Health PTSD Psilocybin mushroom treatment concept with human silhouette with brain and health management elements, symptoms, issues, science, treatment

Scientists Are Convincing Drug Addicts To Talk To Demons

Bible

Michael Knowles

Opinion

Psychedelics

Americans are being asked by the State Department to remain sheltered in place in parts of Mexico due to civil unrest following the successful killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes on Sunday.
Cervantes was killed by the Mexican army with “complementary information” provided by the United States, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chaos-erupts-in-mexico-after-cartel-boss-el-mencho-killed-by-special-forces?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Chaos+Erupts+In+Mexico+After+Cartel+Boss+%E2%80%98El+Mencho%E2%80%99+Killed+By+Special+Forces" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
The State Department’s travel alert specifically notes that Americans in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Baja California, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and Quintana Roo State “should shelter in place until further notice.” The states contain major tourism hubs such as Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Cancún, as well as Playa del Carmen and Tulum, among other major cities.
“Due to ongoing, widespread security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity in many areas of Mexico, U.S. citizens should shelter in place until further notice,” the U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs posted to X on Sunday afternoon.
“Roadblocks have impacted airline operations, with some domestic &amp; int’l flights canceled in both Guadalajara &amp; Puerto Vallarta. Taxis/ride shares are suspended in Puerto Vallarta. Seek shelter and remain in residences or hotels,” the post added.
Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, Mora Namdar, posted that &#8220;the Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens&#8221; and to &#8220;keep family and friends advised of your location and well-being.&#8221;
She is encouraging Americans in Mexico to join the Smart Traveler Enrollment program, monitor the department&#8217;s social media and to contact the phone numbers listed on the <a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/security-alert-update-ongoing-security-operations-u-s-mission-mexico-february-22-2026/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">security alert</a> if needed.
The security alert also recommends that Americans stay away from crowds and “areas around law enforcement activity,” check local news, and “be aware” of their environment.
The alert also noted that employees at the American consulate in Tijuana are having to shelter in place, and those who work at the consulate in Monterrey are being asked to stay in the region. The Daily Wire reported that cartel members throughout the country were setting fire to buses and even blocking roads.
Southwest Airlines issued a travel alert for Puerto Vallarta, and American and United Airlines issued alerts for Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. Some airlines are offering options for rebooking if someone’s flight is affected by the situation. In 2024, an estimated 870,000 American &#8220;residents&#8221; traveled to Puerto Vallarta and a million visiting Guadalajara, as Mexico was considered the &#8220;largest outbound market&#8221; for Americans leaving the U.S., according to the <a href="https://www.trade.gov/feature-article/us-outbound-travelers-characteristics-2024?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Trade Administration</a>.

Marco Rubio

Americans Asked To ‘Shelter In Place’ As Cartel-Related Violence Spills Into Mexican Tourist Hubs

Americans Asked To 'Shelter In Place' Amid Unrest In Mexico's Tourist Hubs

Travel

Chaos swept across parts of western Mexico on Sunday following the killing of one of the country’s most feared cartel leaders in a military operation that officials say was carried out with U.S. cooperation.
Mexican special forces killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the longtime head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during an operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, according to the Mexican government. Oseguera was widely regarded as one of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world.
According to the <a href="https://x.com/EmbamexEUA/status/2025664020431151423">Mexican Embassy in the United States</a>, the United States provided “complementary information” to Mexican authorities as part of bilateral coordination.
Following the operation, cartel members engaged in violent acts in parts of Jalisco, Michoacán, and Guanajuato, setting buses on fire and erecting roadblocks in multiple cities, <a href="https://x.com/PabloLemusN/status/2025589614463823889">according to</a> Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro. In response, Lemus Navarro announced that schools throughout the state would be closed.
The U.S. State Department <a href="https://x.com/TravelGov/status/2025636042007605353">urged</a> American citizens to shelter in place if they are in Jalisco State — including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara &#8212; as well as Tamaulipas, parts of Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León.
Additional footage appeared to show fires in the parking lot of a Costco in Puerto Vallarta, a coastal city popular with American tourists that draws millions of visitors each year.
Derek Maltz, former acting administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration until May, told The Daily Wire that Oseguera had long been the top cartel target for the United States.
“Obviously, El Mencho has been like public enemy number one for many years. He’s built up this global enterprise with the CJNG,” Maltz said. “We&#8217;ve been sharing intelligence against Mencho for a long time. And we share intelligence daily with our counterparts in the embassy in Mexico.”
Maltz added that the DEA, together with the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, and others are working with their Mexican counterparts “every day to go after these cartel leaders.”
Oseguera was one of Mexico’s most wanted men. The Mexican government had offered a 30 million peso reward — roughly $1.7 million — for information leading to his arrest. The United States had posted a $15 million reward, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/22/americas/mexico-kill-drug-mencho-latam-intl">reported CNN</a>.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has previously <a href="https://www.dea.gov/cartels">described</a> the cartel as among the “most powerful and ruthless criminal organizations” operating inside Mexico, calling it a key supplier of illicit fentanyl and cocaine to the United States. The DEA added that the group’s facilitators and associates operate in nearly all 50 U.S. states.
In 2022, the United States Department of Justice charged Oseguera with leading efforts to manufacture and distribute fentanyl for importation into the United States. The CJNG was later designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the Trump administration.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau <a href="https://x.com/DeputySecState/status/2025648742049947797">celebrated</a> the news on X.
“I’ve just been informed that Mexican security forces have killed ‘El Mencho,’ one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins,” Landau wrote. “This is a great development for Mexico, the U.S., Latin America, and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys.”
The Mexican government said various aircraft from the Air Force and the Special Immediate Reaction Force of the National Guard participated in the raid. During the operation, military personnel reportedly came under attack.
“In defense of their physical integrity, they repelled the aggression,” the embassy said. Four CJNG members were killed at the scene. Three others, severely wounded, died during an airlift to Mexico City, including Oseguera. Several additional suspects were arrested.
Authorities also seized armored vehicles and heavy weaponry, including rocket launchers capable of downing aircraft and destroying armored vehicles. Three Mexican security personnel were injured.
“From day one, President Trump and this administration has made it clear that if you’re selling drugs and moving poisonous substances into America, you’re going to be held accountable,” Maltz said. “He declared the cartels as terrorists; he’s declared fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction. So he’s doing everything to put American citizens first.”
He added that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has been highly cooperative with the Trump administration, sending 92 high-level Mexican cartel leaders and gang leaders to America to face justice.
“That has never happened in the history of our war against the cartels,” Maltz said.

Mexican cartel leader ‘El Mencho’ killed in military operation

Chaos Erupts In Mexico After Cartel Boss ‘El Mencho’ Killed By Special Forces

Claudia Sheinbaum

Drug Cartels

World

Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, commonly known as &#8220;El Mencho,&#8221; has been killed in a military operation, a government source familiar with the operation told Reuters on Sunday.
An ex-police officer, Oseguera was the shadowy leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), an outfit that took its moniker from the western state of the same name that is home to Mexico&#8217;s second city, Guadalajara.
Over a relatively short period of time, the CJNG morphed into a continents-spanning criminal enterprise rivaling his former allies in the Sinaloa Cartel, the gang of captured kingpin Joaquin &#8216;El Chapo&#8217; Guzman, now in a U.S. prison.
The news of Oseguera&#8217;s death followed a federal security operation in the state of Jalisco&#8217;s city of Tapalpa, according to a post by governor Pablo Lemus Navarro on X.
After the operation, multiple vehicles were set on fire throughout Jalisco and other states, according to media outlets and officials.
Alfredo Ramirez Bedolla, the governor of the state of Michoacan, wrote on X that he had received reports of state highways being blocked as a result of the operation in Jalisco.
Oseguera&#8217;s death comes as the Trump administration has ratcheted up the fight against drug cartels and distributors in the western hemisphere. The United States, under Operation Southern Spear, has killed approximately 145 suspected drug runners in 42 strikes in the Pacific and Caribbean since September of 2025.
In January, the United States executed an operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The operation was considered extremely successful, with zero U.S. military fatalities, according to the Trump administration. The raid also featured a weapon President Trump described as the &#8220;<a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/24/us-news/trump-reveals-to-the-post-secret-discombobulator-weapon-was-crucial-to-venezuelan-raid-on-maduro/">discombobulator</a>,&#8221; which allegedly &#8220;made [enemy] equipment not work.&#8221; The president said he couldn&#8217;t go into further detail on the weapon.
Additionally, Oseguera&#8217;s death follows the capture of Ovidio Guzmán López, the son of infamous drug trafficker El Chapo, in 2023 by Mexican authorities. Guzmán López was eventually extradited to the United States to stand trial where he <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/joaquin-guzman-lopez-son-el-chapo-and-leader-sinaloa-cartel-pleads-guilty-federal-drug">pleaded guilty</a> to drug charges, according to the Department of Justice.
“The Sinaloa Cartel is a terrorist organization that has spent decades destroying American families through brutal violence and deadly drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “[The] guilty plea from El Chapo’s son is a major victory against the Sinaloa Cartel and underscores the Trump Administration’s historic, aggressive campaign to dismantle terrorist organizations that target the American people.”
(Reporting by Emily Green and Lizbeth Diaz; Editing by Christian Plumb)

Mexican Drug Lord ‘El Mencho’ Killed In Military Operation

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