A Colorado man says he fell four stories from a hotel window after a counselor served him psilocybin tea during a therapy session and then left him alone, according to the lawsuit he filed this week.
Jacob Ramirez claims counselor Rachel McGuire left the &#8220;therapy session&#8221; in the hotel room while he was under the influence of psilocybin, commonly known as &#8220;magic mushrooms,&#8221; before he fell from a fourth-floor window onto concrete outside a Hilton Hotel in Colorado Springs last May, as reported by the <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2026/07/10/psilocybin-therapy-lawsuit-fell-from-window/">Denver Post</a>. Ramirez miraculously survived but suffered severe head and chest injuries, racking up more than $2 million in medical bills. 
Ramirez is suing his counselor and her husband, Sheldon McGuire, along with their therapy companies, A Sparrow’s Way and Restoration Counseling. 
The lawsuit alleges medical and direct negligence, claiming McGuire was not licensed to administer psilocybin therapy and that her husband referred Ramirez to her despite that fact. 
“I think it clearly lends itself to somebody who is not used to taking these types of medications being left alone and freaking out,” Ramirez&#8217;s attorney Jared Mazzei said.
“It’s two parts,” Mazzei added. “There is whether she was even licensed, which she wasn’t — and the other part is did she even, at the very least, follow the procedures that you learn when you are obtaining your license, one of them being to actually stay with the patient the entire time, for this exact reason.”
Mazzei said that Ramirez endured blunt force trauma to his head, has no memory of the event, and experiences daily pain from his injuries. 
At the center of the chaotic legal battle is psilocybin, a psychedelic that Colorado voters chose to decriminalize in 2022 under the Natural Medicine Health Act. Under state <a href="https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/initiative%2520referendum_proposition%20122%20final%20lc%20packet.pdf">law,</a> the drug can be grown, consumed, and shared for personal use or can be utilized by healing centers for therapy. 
Colorado&#8217;s experiment is drawing interest from other states, including <a href="https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bipartisan-north-carolina-lawmakers-say-psychedelic-research-bill-can-help-military-veterans/">North Carolina</a>, where Republican state Rep. Allen Chesser and Republican state Sen. Robert Brinson are backing legislation to fund research into psychedelic substances, including psilocybin. 
Brinson, who is the lead sponsor of the Healing through Evidence-based Access to Lifesaving Care (HEAL) Act, called the bill a &#8220;real investment&#8221; into &#8220;mental health innovation, research, and access,&#8221; particularly for those who have experienced trauma.
He believes “momentum is building” for legalizing psychedelics.
“These aren’t fringe ideas,&#8221; said Chesser. &#8220;They are on the path to becoming approved medicines.”
<a href="https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/two-years-after-ballot-defeat-house-revives-psychedelics-debate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massachusetts</a> lawmakers this week approved a five-year pilot program that would allow licensed mental health clinics to offer supervised psychedelic-assisted therapy, despite voters rejecting a broader legalization measure just two years ago. The proposal still requires Senate approval and the governor&#8217;s signature. It would help fund, facilitate, and expand research on &#8220;psychedelic-assisted therapies.&#8221;
Critics, however, are warning against the potential harms and unexpected risks that come with drug legalization. Organizations like the <a href="https://gooddrugpolicy.org/">Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions</a> and <a href="https://learnaboutsam.org/">Smart Approaches to Marijuana</a> (SAM) are among the few.
“Colorado was sold a miracle. Instead, we’re getting a warning label,” cautioned Kevin Sabet, who is president and CEO of both groups. 
“This lawsuit is a reminder that psychedelic mushrooms are not the harmless cure-all proponents promised. If states like North Carolina are considering going down this road, Colorado should serve as the cautionary tale — not the blueprint,” he added.

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Colorado

Drugs

Health

Lawsuit

Medical Research

Psychedelics

Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum was arrested last week in Alabama on multiple drug charges, marking the latest legal setback for the one-time Democratic rising star whose political career has unraveled since narrowly losing the 2018 governor&#8217;s race to Republican Ron DeSantis.
Gillum, 46, was booked Thursday in Baldwin County, Alabama, on charges of possession of dangerous drugs, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to jail records. He was later released after posting a combined $6,500 bond. Authorities have not disclosed what led to the arrest or identified the drugs involved.
The arrest comes eight years after Gillum appeared poised to become one of the Democratic Party&#8217;s brightest national figures. After upsetting the Democratic establishment to win the party&#8217;s gubernatorial nomination in 2018, the then-Tallahassee mayor lost to DeSantis by roughly 30,000 votes in one of the closest statewide races in Florida history.
Instead of becoming the face of a Democratic resurgence in Florida, Gillum&#8217;s post-election years have been dominated by personal scandals, ethics investigations, and criminal proceedings.
In <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article249009610.html">2020</a>, Miami Beach police found Gillum intoxicated inside a South Beach hotel room with a male escort after emergency responders were called over concerns that another man had overdosed. Officers recovered suspected methamphetamine and prescription pill bottles from the room, though prosecutors ultimately declined to file charges because they could not establish ownership of the drugs.
Gillum later entered rehabilitation, saying he had developed an alcohol dependency after his election defeat.
&#8220;This has been a wake-up call for me,&#8221; Gillum said at the time. &#8220;Since my race for governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse.&#8221;
Gillum&#8217;s legal troubles continued in 2022, when federal prosecutors <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/former-tallahassee-mayor-and-gubernatorial-candidate-and-associate-charged-conspiracy">accused</a> him of conspiracy, wire fraud, and making false statements as part of an alleged campaign finance scheme. While a jury acquitted him on one count in 2023, the remaining charges ended in a mistrial. Separately, the Florida Commission on Ethics found probable cause that Gillum violated state ethics laws by accepting gifts from undercover FBI agents posing as developers. He later agreed to pay a $5,000 civil fine to resolve most of the allegations.
Under Alabama law, possession of dangerous drugs is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $7,500 fine. The marijuana and drug paraphernalia charges are misdemeanors that can each carry up to one year in jail if convicted.

AfroTech Conference 2025

Former Dem Golden Boy Arrested Again Just Three Years After He Was Let Off The Hook

Alabama

Andrew Gillum

Florida

Police

There’s a new TikTok trend making headlines, and it’s all about moms smoking weed to survive taking care of their children.
They call themselves “garden moms.” Parents are calling pot a coping mechanism, describing their drug habits with zero shame. As the barriers to accessing marijuana crumble nationwide, with multiple states legalizing the drug both for medical and recreational use, users are bringing their daily use into the mainstream.
The Atlantic’s Sarah Levy recently <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/2026/06/gardening-moms-weed-parenting/687518/">reported</a> that she found about 76,000 videos under the #gardenmom hashtag. She interviewed an influencer named Taylor Mitchem, who has 120,000 followers and started smoking pot daily when her son was two and a half. Her reasoning was simple: &#8220;If you can have something that can take the edge off a little bit, why not?&#8221;
There have been enough articles about the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-high-cost-of-getting-high-how-legal-weed-is-destroying-a-generation">pitfalls of legalized marijuana</a>, and it’s not worth rehashing that argument here. But one of the most interesting aspects of the phenomenon isn’t specific to weed. It’s the larger issue of why these moms feel the need to escape their children in the first place.
In this case, the stigma isn&#8217;t just around the substance. It’s more about admitting out loud that you find your own children exhausting enough to need daily relief from them, whether that comes in the form of wine, weed, or whatever the next thing is. A cute hashtag can’t hide that basic truth.
Before the garden moms — also referred to as “cannamoms” — there were the wine moms who bragged that “Mommy’s sippy cup” was a stemless tumbler filled with chardonnay. Decades ago, there was Valium (“mother’s little helper”), and even before that it was the tranquilizer Miltown, which Levy noted was often prescribed to housewives in the 1950s for anxiety.
For years, women have been coming up with ways to manipulate their minds to cope with the stress of motherhood. Weed is the latest vehicle. It’s not likely to be the last.
And the weed mom trend isn’t new, either. Motherly <a href="https://www.mother.ly/health-wellness/self-care/cannabis-use-in-motherhood-rise-of-cannamoms/">ran</a> &#8220;High on Motherhood: The Rise of Cannamoms&#8221; back in 2024, quoting a mom named Susie who said weed gave her &#8220;the sweetest, most engaged moments&#8221; with her daughter while high. Writer Jamilah Lemieux <a href="https://www.romper.com/life/moms-who-smoke-weed">told</a> Romper the same year she thinks cannabis is headed toward the same social status as alcohol: &#8220;widely available, legal, and socially acceptable.&#8221; ABC News was <a href="https://abcnews.com/GMA/Family/weed-moms-wine-moms/story?id=66184880">asking</a> &#8220;Are weed moms the new wine moms?&#8221; back in 2019. Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, a pediatrician at Columbia, told the network she&#8217;s watched it happen in her own practice: more parents turning to cannabis products to &#8220;take the edge off&#8221; of ordinary life.
Advocates often frame smoking weed as an enhancement to parenting rather than an outright escape. &#8220;I got high so I could be more patient&#8221; sounds a lot better than &#8220;I got high because I wanted to feel good,&#8221; even when the outcome is identical. And the outcome matters. Levy cites Kirby Deater-Deckard, a psychology professor at UMass Amherst, on how being chemically mellow slows your reaction time in an actual emergency. A relaxed parent isn&#8217;t necessarily a present one, and one who is overly calm could be dangerous if she needs to act quickly.
I&#8217;ve watched this shift happen in my own circle. Lately, weed is more prevalent, and, what’s worse, it’s a little too convenient. Ten years ago, getting high took effort: find a dealer, roll a joint, smell like a skunk, hide the paraphernalia from a toddler who notices everything. Also, it was mostly illegal back then. That kept a lot of would-be users from even trying. 
Then came the THC gummies. They have no smoke, no smell, no complicated rituals. Because of the convenience, they’re showing up in places where White Claws used to dominate. 
But there are still problems. This form makes it easier to lose track of how much you&#8217;ve had, and edibles are notoriously easy to over-consume. Romper reported that accidental child exposure to THC edibles has spiked over 1,300% in five years, which makes sense considering that they’re packaged like fruit snacks. The format that made cannabis more parent-friendly also made it harder to notice when &#8220;taking the edge off&#8221; has turned into being zoned out for several hours.
What almost none of this pro-weed content mentions is what happens when &#8220;a little bit&#8221; becomes a habit that&#8217;s not easy to quit. Slate writer Sammi LaBue <a href="https://slate.com/technology/2026/06/weed-health-cannabis-disorder-scromiting.html">described</a> developing cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome after prolonged marijuana smoking. This involved a condition of violent vomiting tied to long-term regular use, nicknamed &#8220;scromiting&#8221; for the screaming that often accompanies it. 
Alice Moon, a cannabis industry veteran, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/03/13/alice-moon-chs/">developed CHS</a> herself after years of regular use. It took two years and several doctors before anyone diagnosed her because the condition wasn&#8217;t well understood yet. 
You won&#8217;t find any of that in the #gardenmom clips. What you&#8217;ll find is a promise: a calmer, gentler version of parenting, one that doesn&#8217;t yell over spilled milk. The harder part to justify is feeling the need to check out in the first place. 
Cannamoms did not discover a solution to stress-free parenting. They’re just repackaging the same escape mechanisms that, over time, were exposed for being cop-outs. Wine, weed, Valium: It’s all part of the same playbook that treats children like they need to be endured rather than enjoyed. 
***
This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

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How ‘Mommy Juice’ Got A Whole New Meaning

Children

Marijuana

Motherhood

Upstream

Actress Daveigh Chase, who broke into the film industry as the voice of Lilo in Disney&#8217;s animated feature &#8220;Lilo &amp; Stitch,&#8221; has died at the age of 35.
Chase, who also gave a terrifying performance as the ghostly Samara Morgan in &#8220;The Ring,&#8221; had been struggling with addiction for years and had recently been hospitalized in Los Angeles due to malnutrition, according to entertainment news site <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2026/06/17/daveigh-chase-dead/">TMZ</a>. The outlet reported that Chase&#8217;s boyfriend Roy Hernandez said she had contracted meningitis and an infection in her blood that led to sepsis.
Chase had numerous credits to her name — and had <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/17/entertainment/lilo-stitch-actress-daveigh-chase-reportedly-had-millions-in-residuals-at-time-of-death/">millions</a> in uncollected residuals, according to her longtime manager John Ryan. Ryan told The California Post that the deal Chase had signed when she got the role of Lilo — at just eight years old — had included residuals and a cut of any future toys or theme park attractions that featured her voice. That money, which has continued to roll in, was apparently left uncollected as she was &#8220;too far gone&#8221; to accept her payments.
Ryan managed Chase&#8217;s career for more than ten years, and said that based on the number of residual checks he&#8217;d been notified about suggest that the actress likely left millions untouched. Believing that she was hooked on fentanyl and heroin, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/17/entertainment/video-allegedly-shows-lilo-stitch-actress-daveigh-chase-living-on-skid-row/?_gl=1*1hy794b*_ga*MzUzMDc0NzE0LjE3NzczOTczMjM.*_ga_0DZ7LHF5PZ*czE3ODE3NDEzNTgkbzEyOCRnMSR0MTc4MTc0NDI2OCRqNjAkbDAkaDA.">Ryan</a> and Chase&#8217;s stepsister Gaia Brown attempted to find her — and even brought in a private investigator to help them.
When a 2025 video on social media purported to show her, emaciated and barely conscious on Skid Row, they went to get her in the hopes of putting her in treatment. Ryan said he even spoke to her briefly by phone, but when they got to Skid Row, she was already gone.
&#8220;We were so close to finding her. Daveigh was the sweetest and brightest light in Hollywood. I can’t believe this is real. Her legacy and work will live on forever,&#8221; Ryan said.
Chase&#8217;s final role was in 2016&#8217;s &#8220;American Romance.&#8221;

‘Lilo & Stitch’ Voice Actress Dead At 35 After Addiction Struggles

'Lilo & Stitch' Voice Actress Dead At 35 After Addiction Struggles

addiction

Disney

Hunter Biden, the embattled son of former President Joe Biden, finally weighed in on the cocaine that was discovered in the White House while his father was president.
Biden posted a video on Monday announcing that he had officially been sober for seven years, prompting a slew of responses on X. Some congratulated him for reaching the milestone, while others questioned whether he was telling the truth.
&#8220;Bullsh*t. That was your bag of coke in the White House,&#8221; one said.
&#8220;It most definitely was not. I would never have forgotten my drugs,&#8221; Biden replied.
But it didn&#8217;t end there.
WATCH FROM TODAY&#8217;S EPISODE OF MORNING WIRE:
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Biden shared a second video on Tuesday about gratitude, saying that true gratitude could only be reached when people were able to be grateful for the bad along with the good — and then went on to explain that he was grateful for his past struggles with addiction because they&#8217;d laid him bare (literally) and made him better able to &#8220;connect&#8221; with people.
&#8220;I&#8217;m grateful that I was a crack addict,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And I don&#8217;t say that with the slightest bit of irony or bullsh*t. It has given me to me right here.&#8221;
He went on to say that he was able to reach this kind of gratitude because his addiction had resulted in everything being &#8220;taken away&#8221; from him.
&#8220;All that addiction took away from me, and then all that the consequences took away from me, any sense of me being better than anyone &#8230; I get to approach you and you get to see all of me,&#8221; he added, poking fun at himself and the nude photos that went public with the discovery of his abandoned laptop.
&#8220;You get to see the nude pictures, you get to see me in grief, you get to see me at my worst,&#8221; he said.
One person responded to the video on X with the comment, &#8220;Crack head. I’m sure it was your coke in the White House. Embarrassment you are. You belong behind bars. Loser.&#8221;
Biden fired back, saying, &#8220;I was most definitely a crack head. It most definitely was not mine. You can’t embarrass me anymore. And you have a nice day, my friend.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I was most definitely a crack head. It most definitely was not mine. You can’t embarrass me anymore. And you have a nice day my friend.
— Hunter Biden (@HunterBiden) <a href="https://x.com/HunterBiden/status/2061863968117776849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Less than a gram of cocaine was found in a heavily trafficked area of the White House near the West Wing. It was discovered in July of 2023, and no suspect was ever publicly named.

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Hunter Biden’s White House Cocaine Excuse Actually Tracks

Hunter Biden Finally Addresses The White House Cocaine

Cocaine

Hunter Biden

Joe Biden

White House

Former MTV reality television star Spencer Pratt is the first to admit that he has no political experience — but he says he does have a plan to help the homeless in Los Angeles if he&#8217;s elected mayor, and it&#8217;s modeled on a veteran training center in Arkansas.
Pratt, speaking with CNN&#8217;s Elex Michaelson, said that he wanted to build a rehabilitation center for homeless addicts — a move that he argues would swiftly and dramatically cut down the number of homeless in L.A. — similar to a training center for military veterans operating in Bentonville, Arkansas.
&#8220;You don’t get off these drugs with beds,&#8221; Pratt said, digging at incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, whose plan was to throw more money, clean needles, and shelters at the problem. &#8220;You need support. You need a real solution. And what’s happening? We’ve done it now, what, for 10 years. Their plan does not work. Their experience is complete failure. This is not Spencer saying this. This is every single person with eyeballs driving around L.A.&#8221;
Instead, Pratt argues that the treatment should be mandatory and that those in treatment should be pushed not just toward recovery but toward the skills and discipline that will help them succeed.
&#8220;If they want to come back to the city, we have a job for them — not just a bed off Skid Row,” Pratt explained. “They’re sober off fentanyl for two days, they go into a bed, they come out right back on to where all the drugs [are]. We need to actually help these people and get that back into society.&#8221;
The model is the <a href="https://uhp.com">University of Health and Performance (UHP)</a>, a 19-day immersive training program designed to help veterans transition from military to civilian life. Tuition, meals, health and fitness instruction, and lodging are all free — and veterans leave with the confidence and skills to build a new civilian life.
Pratt told Michaelson he was eyeing property in &#8220;beautiful nature&#8221; and had already approached several people about helping fund the project. In addition, he said he wanted to bring in &#8220;top doctors&#8221; to make sure he was doing things the right way, because he wanted the center to become &#8220;a shining light of hope.&#8221;
&#8220;You need to offer people a chance,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s going to be somewhere where people will go, and they will say, &#8216;Thank God for Spencer.'&#8221;
Pratt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reality-tv-star-spencer-pratt-obliterates-leftist-policies-in-heated-l-a-mayoral-debate">squared off</a> with his opponents during a recent televised debate, arguing that Bass had done little to solve the problem and that Democratic socialist Councilwoman Nithya Raman&#8217;s offer of help was likely to be met by violence from addicts just looking for another fix.
WATCH:
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Spencer Pratt Thinks He Found The Fix For L.A.’s Homeless Disaster

Spencer Pratt's Plan To Help Homeless Is Modeled After Red State Veteran Training Center

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Los Angeles mayoral candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-spencer-pratt-went-from-villain-to-hero">Spencer Pratt</a> has essentially run his entire campaign by saying the things that everyone is thinking but has been too afraid to say out loud — and his recent interviews are a fair indication that he plans to keep that up.
Pratt, during an interview on &#8220;The Joe Rogan Experience&#8221; last month, explained that some parents in Los Angeles often encourage their children not to look out the window as they drove to and from school, sports practices, or grocery stores. The reason? &#8220;Naked zombies&#8221; — drug addicts — wandering the streets and sometimes engaging in behaviors that parents would rather their children not see.
His comments on the issue have gone viral this week.
WATCH:
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&#8220;There&#8217;s parents that — when they drive to school — all across the city, this is not just one unique area, they have to have their kids in the back seat staring at an iPad and not to look out the window because meth addicts will just be having sex on the side of the street,&#8221; Pratt explained to host Joe Rogan.
&#8220;There&#8217;s just naked people everywhere now,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Naked zombies. And the DEA will tell you, 90% of these homeless people have a drug problem. We have a drug addict problem. These aren&#8217;t people that just, like, missed a paycheck and we need to get them help and get back — this is a drug problem that needs mandatory treatment, not handing people needles and pipes and saying, &#8216;Oh, here&#8217;s a million-dollar bed.&#8217; If you&#8217;re a fentanyl zombie hanging upside down, you don&#8217;t care about a million-dollar empty bed because you&#8217;re just high, you sober up, and you go get high again.&#8221;
Pratt made a similar point during a televised debate with two of his opponents — incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass and Democratic socialist City Councilwoman Nithya Raman — who have argued in favor of providing more beds and voluntary treatment for the homeless.
Pointing out that the vast majority of L.A.&#8217;s homeless had drug problems, Pratt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reality-tv-star-spencer-pratt-obliterates-leftist-policies-in-heated-l-a-mayoral-debate">challenged Raman</a> directly and said he&#8217;d even go with her to offer aid to the homeless — but warned her that they were far more likely to attack her than to accept her help.

Congressional hearing on the Palisades wildfire in Pacific Palisades

Spencer Pratt Says What Parents Have Been Thinking About ‘Naked Zombies’

Spencer Pratt Just Said What Parents Have Been Thinking About 'Naked Zombies'

Karen Bass

Media

Politics

A report alleging that the Central Intelligence Agency may have played a role in the killing of a Mexican cartel operative has raised new questions about the scope of the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive campaign against transnational drug cartels.
On Tuesday, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/12/politics/cia-drug-cartels-deadly-operations-mexico">reported</a> — citing multiple anonymous sources — that CIA officers may have helped facilitate the March 28 killing of Francisco Beltran, an alleged mid-level operative linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Beltran, known by the alias “El Payin,” was killed when an explosive device detonated inside his vehicle while he was traveling on a major highway outside Mexico City. The blast also killed his driver.
According to the report, the strike was allegedly part of a previously unreported expansion of covert U.S. operations inside Mexico, with the CIA’s elite Ground Branch taking part in efforts to dismantle cartel infrastructure. The report claimed that in recent months, agency personnel have participated in several operations targeting cartel figures, sometimes providing intelligence support and, in some cases, allegedly playing a more direct role in lethal actions.
Those claims, however, remain based entirely on anonymous sourcing and have been disputed by officials on both sides of the border.
The CIA issued a rare public denial after publication, with spokeswoman Liz Lyons <a href="https://x.com/CIASpox/status/2054339789243949430?s=20">calling the story</a> “false and salacious reporting.” The Mexican government also moved quickly to reject the allegations. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said in a <a href="https://x.com/oharfuch/status/2054325906945237339?s=46">public statement on X</a> that Mexico “categorically rejects any version that seeks to normalize, justify, or suggest the existence of lethal, covert, or unilateral operations by foreign agencies on national territory.”
A follow-up <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/world/americas/mexico-cia-cartels.html?login=google&amp;auth=login-google">report</a> from the New York Times offered a narrower account of the same incident. Citing former U.S. officials and others briefed on the operation — also anonymously — the Times reported that the CIA may have supplied intelligence on Beltran’s whereabouts and assisted with planning, but that American personnel were not on the ground and were not directly involved when Mexican authorities carried out the strike.
That distinction could prove significant. U.S. and Mexican officials have publicly acknowledged deepening intelligence cooperation against cartels, including surveillance and targeting support, but both governments have consistently denied that American operatives are conducting direct combat or assassination missions inside Mexico.
The controversy comes as the Trump administration has openly escalated its rhetoric against cartels after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-formally-designates-8-cartels-gangs-as-terrorist-organizations">designating</a> several major trafficking organizations as foreign terrorist groups early into his second term. Trump has repeatedly threatened unilateral action inside Mexico, saying the U.S. would act if the Mexican government failed to dismantle the criminal groups operating along the border.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has rejected the possibility of U.S. troops operating on Mexican soil, though her government has continued to accept intelligence-sharing arrangements with Washington. That delicate arrangement has faced growing strain in recent months as the administration expands its anti-cartel operations and increases pressure on Mexico to cooperate.
Whether Beltran’s death marks the first public glimpse of a more active phase in that campaign remains uncertain. For now, the episode highlights the murky and increasingly high-stakes nature of the U.S. campaign against organized narco-terrorism, where intelligence cooperation, sovereignty disputes, and anonymous leaks are colliding in public view.

The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency is displayed in

Is The CIA Ramping Up Anti-Cartel Operations Inside Mexico?

narco-terrorism

Spencer Pratt ripped into his far-Left opponents during the Los Angeles mayoral debate on Wednesday, hammering their policies on everything from homelessness to firefighting. 
Pratt faced off against Mayor Karen Bass and socialist Councilwoman Nithya Raman on a stage where they clashed on how to best lead the city of 3.8 million. The former reality TV star said during the debate that he would crack down on crime, improve the city’s fire response readiness, and move away from the city’s ineffective efforts to combat homelessness. 
“The good news is when I enforce the law and clear the streets of the drug addicts that have taken over 40 blocks of downtown L.A., abandoned buildings that have drug addicts just lighting them on fire every other day, I will have potentially 20,000 units available to build,” Pratt said. 
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Spencer Pratt DESTROYS Los Angeles’s Communist mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Nithya Raman:
“The good news is, when I enforce the law and clear the street of the drug addicts that have taken over 40 blocks of downtown LA, abandoned buildings that have drug addicts just… <a href="https://t.co/FsXKD22lMC">pic.twitter.com/FsXKD22lMC</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/2052201186577588367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Pratt, whose home was burned down in the Pacific Palisades fire, accused Bass of denying money requested for fire engines just weeks before the blaze. He also accused her of using water reserves for fire fighting for drinking water. Bass claimed that Pratt was spreading &#8220;inaccurate&#8221; details of her response to the L.A. fires and said the reservoirs in question &#8220;have been for drinking water&#8221; for decades. The mayor also accused Pratt of spreading false information on the wind speeds during the fire outbreak, which L.A. authorities said were too high for firefighting aircraft to respond to the fires.
&#8220;She&#8217;s an incredible liar,&#8221; Pratt responded, urging the audience to research what weather stations reported on the wind speeds in the early days of the blaze. The debate moderators cut him off and told him he could not engage in &#8220;name-calling.&#8221;
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NEW: Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt fires back after the debate moderator accused him of &#8220;name-calling.&#8221;
Pratt: &#8220;[Karen Bass] an incredible liar&#8230;&#8221;
Moderator: &#8220;I have to interrupt you for a minute. I have to interrupt you. No name-calling.&#8221;
Pratt: &#8220;She just… <a href="https://t.co/Z3L5gFPfmi">pic.twitter.com/Z3L5gFPfmi</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/2052195002659569843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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During a different exchange, Pratt criticized Raman over her approach to homelessness and said she would get stabbed if she tried to implement her drug treatment plan for the homeless. 
“Councilwoman Raman acts like she doesn&#8217;t have any authority with this homelessness. She was the third most powerful person in city council,” he said. “She runs the homeless housing thing. She acts like this is just Mayor Bass.”
“The reality is, no matter how many beds you give these people, they are on super-meth. They are on fentanyl. The DEA statistics says 93% of this is a drug addiction problem,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Councilwoman Raman’s plan for treatment first — I will go below the Harbor Freeway tomorrow with her, and we can find some of these people she&#8217;s going to offer treatment for.  She&#8217;s going to get stabbed in the neck. These people do not want a bed. They want fentanyl or super-meth. These ideas cost us over $400 million.”
Pratt also accused Raman of favoring squatters over tenants, saying she would sue landlords who try to get squatters out of their properties. 
Moderators also asked the candidates if they would support letting noncitizens vote in elections. 
Pratt said no, while both Bass and Raman said it “depends.” 
“They could have green cards, they could be here perfectly legal, and there&#8217;s a lot of states and cities that do that on very, very local elections,” Bass said. 
Raman accused Pratt of having a “MAGA” vision for Los Angeles and said he was working with Bass to attack her campaign. 
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Best part of the debate tonight! <a href="https://t.co/HLkwprBcEr">https://t.co/HLkwprBcEr</a> <a href="https://t.co/1qiTGsPA21">pic.twitter.com/1qiTGsPA21</a>
— Barefoot Broadcast (@BarefootBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarefootBC/status/2052211109617090952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“Mayor Bass and I are definitely not working together. I blame this person for burning down my house and my parents&#8217; house and my town, and all my neighbors down,” Pratt responded. “You think it&#8217;s easier to run against the incumbent mayor with all the unions or a random city council member who&#8217;s been a failure for six years? I would much rather run against Councilwoman Raman.” 
The Los Angeles mayoral race is slated for June 2, 2026. If no candidate gets a majority of the vote, the top two candidates will move on to a runoff in November.

Lucky’s Montecito 25th Anniversary

Reality TV Star Spencer Pratt Obliterates Leftist Policies In Heated L.A. Mayoral Debate

California

Palisades Fire

Feds swarmed MacArthur Park near downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, executing a massive drug bust and taking an alleged narco queen into custody.
Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, announced Operation Free MacArthur Park in a post shared via X, explaining that agents were targeting what amounted to an &#8220;open-air drug marketplace.&#8221;
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Operation Free MacArthur Park
Federal agents have taken control of MacArthur Park to execute federal arrest and search warrants targeting the notorious open-air drug market there.
We are going after street dealers and suppliers of massive amounts of fentanyl and… <a href="https://t.co/sozcSCGo5u">pic.twitter.com/sozcSCGo5u</a>
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAttyEssayli/status/2052134629772300726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We are going after street dealers and suppliers of massive amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Over the last 24 hours, federal and local law enforcement have started arresting 25 defendants charged in a federal criminal complaint with possessing and distributing dangerous narcotics, including fentanyl and methamphetamine,&#8221; Essayli added. &#8220;The park’s #1 drug trafficker, a Calabasas resident, is in federal custody and faces possible life imprisonment. The other defendants arrested today also face decades in federal prison.&#8221;
The New York Post gave additional details on the bust, reporting that Drug Enforcement Agency officers had also conducted a raid on the home shared by Mallaly Moreno-Lopez, a known &#8220;narco queen,&#8221; and her boyfriend Jackson Tarfur. After surrounding the suspected stash house, they called the occupants to come outside. When no one did so, officers crashed through the door  — and DEA officers reported finding occupants attempting to flush narcotics down the toilet at the time of the raid. Both Moreno-Lopezand Darfur were taken into custody.
Video taken at the scene showed just how massive the operation was.
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BREAKING: Major drug bust taking place right now across from LA’s MacArthur Park. <a href="https://t.co/tsCNh9UxmK">pic.twitter.com/tsCNh9UxmK</a>
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattSeedorff/status/2052136212878839977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, serving in President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration as the 17th administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, commented on the amount of fentanyl that was seized: &#8220;MacArthur Park has become a cemetery. The thought that 190,000 doses of Fentanyl was seized should scare you. Fentanyl is used in the operating room, before you know it you can&#8217;t breathe but fortunately we&#8217;re there with a tube.&#8221;
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Dr. OZ: MaCarthur Park has become a cemetery. The thought that 190,000 doses of Fentanyl was seized should scare you. Fentanyl is used in the operating room, before you know it you can&#8217;t breathe but fortunately we&#8217;re there with a tube &#8230;. <a href="https://twitter.com/DrOz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOz</a> <a href="https://t.co/OMIb9CjSae">pic.twitter.com/OMIb9CjSae</a>
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattFinnFNC/status/2052154282108141909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche praised the joint operation, including both DEA officers and members of the Los Angeles Police Department, saying that they&#8217;d succeeded in wresting control of MacArthur Park from the drug dealers.
&#8220;To the drug dealers poisoning the streets of Los Angeles: your safe haven is gone,&#8221; he said.
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Agents from <a href="https://twitter.com/DEAHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DEAHQ</a> and officers from the <a href="https://twitter.com/LAPDHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LAPDHQ</a> have taken back MacArthur Park.
To the drug dealers poisoning the streets of Los Angeles: your safe haven is gone. <a href="https://t.co/dNaVDitSTM">pic.twitter.com/dNaVDitSTM</a>
— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) <a href="https://twitter.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2052137806894375273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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DEA/LAPD serve warrants in MacAthur Park

Feds Target Street Dealers In Massive Drug Bust

Crime

Donald Trump

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.”

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

Animals

Elections

Homeless

Mayor

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.
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&#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.

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