A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/spain">Spanish</a> actress attempting to adopt her granddaughter has ignited a firestorm after it was discovered that she used her deceased son’s sperm to impregnate a surrogate three years after his death.
Ana Obregón, a well-known <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">celebrity</a> in Spain, announced the girl’s birth in a cover story for Hola! magazine in April, per a report from <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/06/europe/ana-obregon-surrogacy-debate-spain-intl/index.html">CNN</a>. The 68-year-old star discussed how the child was conceived using sperm samples from her son Aless, who died of cancer in 2020 when he was 27. The child’s mother is a Cuban woman who lives in Florida.
The child, named Ana Sandra Lequio Obregón after her grandmother, was born in Miami and will have a U.S. passport. Obregón plans on registering her at the Spanish consulate in Miami before bringing her back to Spain, where she’ll live permanently with her grandmother.
“This girl isn’t my daughter, but my granddaughter,” she told Hola!, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/06/europe/ana-obregon-surrogacy-debate-spain-intl/index.html">CNN</a>. “She is Aless’ daughter and when she grows up I will tell her that her father was a hero.” Obregón also mentioned that her son wanted a big family and she was open to repeating the process in the future.
The story became a huge scandal in Spain and raised both legal and ethical questions. Surrogacy is currently illegal in the country and sperm samples can only be used to impregnate a widowed partner within 12 months of the donor’s death, and then only with their explicit permission, the publication noted.
Critics say Obregón doesn’t have the legal right to bring baby Ana into Spain since she was born by methods which are illegal in the country. The actress argues that it should be permissible because adopting a baby born abroad is legal, and she is currently recognized as the child’s guardian in the U.S. Obregón also claimed that the child being conceived was her son’s dying wish.
“It seems questionable to me that the wishes of the deceased would have been for his sperm to be used to impregnate an egg in the body of a woman in another country,” philosophy professor Gonzalo Velasco said during an interview with radio station Cadena Ser. “It seems quite convoluted.”
The professor also compared the whole situation to a Stephen King horror story.
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President of Spain’s Association of Political Communication (ACOP) Verónica Fumanal also compared the scandal to fiction, saying it reminded her of the TV series “Black Mirror,” which has been described as a modern-day &#8220;Twilight Zone.&#8221;
“She bought herself a granddaughter with sperm from her dead son,” Fumanal said. “She put a camera in her face and sold the exclusive.” 
CNN also noted that Obregón is writing a book about the experience.

Spanish actress Ana Obregon

Spanish Actress Uses Dead Son’s Sperm To Impregnate Surrogate, Ignites Debate About Surrogacy

Spanish Actress Uses Dead Son's Sperm To Impregnate Surrogate, Ignites Debate About Surrogacy

Entertainment

Ethics

Motherhood

Spain

Two submarines authorities believe were used to transport cocaine were discovered and seized by officials this week in Europe and South America.
The Colombian Navy <a href="https://www.armada.mil.co/es/content/tragico-transporte-alcaloides-en-un-semisumergible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement this week that it interdicted a semi-submersible approximately 50 feet long in the Pacific Ocean that contained nearly 3 tons of cocaine, which officials valued at $87 million. The value of that cocaine skyrockets into the hundreds of millions of dollars by the time that it hits the streets of the U.S.
The Colombian military found two individuals on the craft who were experiencing serious health conditions due to some sort of accident that occurred onboard involving breathing in toxic fumes. Two more individuals were found dead on board.
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Al interior de la embarcación, fueron hallados dos sujetos en malas condiciones de salud, y dos cuerpos sin vida, al parecer por la inhalación de gases tóxicos. Esta operación evitó el ingreso de más de 87 millones de dólares a estructuras de organizaciones narcotraficantes. <a href="https://t.co/RFfYIvoMu3">pic.twitter.com/RFfYIvoMu3</a>
&mdash; Armada de Colombia (@ArmadaColombia) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArmadaColombia/status/1634972331406917632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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On Tuesday, Spain&#8217;s Civil Guard took <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/14/spain-drugs-semisubmersible-vessel-cocaine/4f0c0788-c272-11ed-82a7-6a87555c1878_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possession</a> of a submarine off the coast of the northwestern region of Galicia. The vessel was spotted on Monday and officials say it may have carried cocaine.
The vessel, about the same size as the one found by Colombia&#8217;s Navy in the Pacific, was empty when authorities seized it from the bottom of the ocean floor.
Spanish authorities seized a similar vessel with three tons of cocaine on it in 2019.
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Finalmente el sumergible hallado en la zona de Vilagarcía de Aurosa (Pontevedra) es traslado al puerto de Xufre.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GEAS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GEAS</a>: Grupo Especial de Actividades Subacuáticas de la <a href="https://twitter.com/guardiacivil?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@guardiacivil</a> <a href="https://t.co/sgBIcCtt6n">pic.twitter.com/sgBIcCtt6n</a>
&mdash; Guardia Civil 🇪🇸 (@guardiacivil) <a href="https://twitter.com/guardiacivil/status/1635679566004903941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The majority of the world&#8217;s cocaine comes from three countries in northern South America: Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia.
Colombia produces by far the most cocaine out of three nations, with one estimate in 2017 suggesting that there were 460,000 acres in the country that were growing coca plants, a total much higher than when notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar ran the Medellin Cartel, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/a-side-effect-of-peace-in-colombia-a-cocaine-boom-in-the-us/2017/05/07/6fb5d468-294a-11e7-9081-f5405f56d3e4_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a>.
The amount of cocaine being grown in Colombia is so high that &#8220;unpicked coca leaves are rotting in the fields,&#8221; the report said.
“We’ve never seen anything like it before,” said Luis Carlos Villegas, Colombia’s defense minister.
The drug cartels build submarines and semi-submersible craft largely in the mangrove swamps in Colombia. It can cost $1-2 million to build the vessel, which is then often used only once by the crew to transport hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cocaine to a destination. Once the drugs are offloaded from the vessel it is usually discarded by the crew.

Cocaine Sub

Two Massive Drug Submarines Recovered On Opposite Ends Of The World

Cocaine

Colombia

Crime

World

A detransitioned woman is taking the first legal action in Spain against the healthcare provider that prescribed her hormones as a teenager and later removed her uterus as a young adult.
Susana Domínguez, 24, <a href="https://www.elmundo.es/papel/historias/2023/02/22/63f64bbcfc6c83e24a8b4586.html">filed a claim</a> against Galician Health Service, the publicly funded healthcare system in Spain, that prescribed her cross-sex hormones at 16 and performed a hysterectomy on her at 19, which she now deeply regrets.
Domínguez told El Mundo, Spain&#8217;s second-largest printed daily newspaper, that her current condition is &#8220;awful,&#8221; and she feels that her life has been &#8220;ruined.&#8221;
The claim, a step before a potential lawsuit, is asking for 314,000 euros (approximately $333,000 USD). It alleges that Domínguez was misdiagnosed, did not receive adequate psychological support, and that hormone treatment aggravated her mental health condition.
Domínguez told the outlet that she was 15 when she was introduced to the transgender narrative through YouTube influencers who claimed their mental health improved after transitioning. When she was 16, she began receiving testosterone from the public health service. Then, at age 18, she had a double mastectomy, which her family paid for out-of-pocket.
When Domínguez was 19, her endocrinologist recommended she have a hysterectomy, also facilitated by the public health service. Shortly after having her uterus removed, Domínguez realized she had made a terrible mistake.
She said it took her approximately six years from when she first believed she was transgender to realize that perhaps her mental health problems, including depression, several suicide attempts, and her recent discovery that she may be on the autism spectrum, interfered with her ability to make responsible decisions. 
Domínguez told El Mundo that she is angry with her psychologist because, when she confronted him, he allegedly told her he knew transitioning would not help her. She must now be on estrogen therapy because she cannot produce it naturally.
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The Galician law passed in 2014 allows patients to make autonomous decisions about their medical transition. An even more radical &#8220;Trans Law&#8221; that recently passed in Spain nationally enforces an &#8220;affirmative&#8221; approach that provides patients with hormone therapy and surgery and prohibits — and even fines — mental health professionals up to 150,000 euros ($159,000 USD) for providing therapy that might relieve their patients&#8217; gender-related distress.  
Last year, the leading medical institutions in Spain began <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spains-medical-societies-revolt-against-proposed-transgender-law">speaking out</a> against the “Trans Law,” warning that they have seen an explosion in trans-identifying youth and fear the new law would harm the young people who mistakenly believe themselves to be transgender.
Domínguez has found support from other detransitioners from the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/detrans/">Detrans subreddit</a>, a forum created in 2017 that has grown to nearly 45,000 members. Her mother is now involved with a parent-led group in Spain called the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spains-medical-societies-revolt-against-proposed-transgender-law">Amanda Association</a>, which was formed to advocate for medical professionals to proceed with caution when dealing with trans-identifying children and, as of last year, represents approximately 300 parents across Spain. 
When El Mundo reached out to Galician Health Service for comment, a representative said that &#8220;all protocols were followed&#8221; and that &#8220;a clinical committee evaluates each case.&#8221; 
Domínguez is the seventh detransitioner worldwide to bring legal action against the medical providers that facilitated her medical transition. There are two pending lawsuits in the United States from detransitioners, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/detransitioner-chloe-cole-announces-official-lawsuit-against-kaiser-permanente-for-medical-negligence">Chloe Cole</a>, who recently announced she is suing Kaiser Permanente for facilitating her medical transition that included a double mastectomy as a minor, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/detransitioner-announces-lawsuit-against-oregon-gender-clinics-for-expediting-surgery">Camille Kiefel</a> who is pursuing legal action against the health professionals who she alleged approved the surgery to have her breasts removed after only two brief Zoom meetings. 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/detransitioner-files-first-lawsuit-in-canada-against-medical-providers">Michelle Zacchigna</a> recently announced the first detransitioner lawsuit in Canada against the eight doctors and mental health professionals who treated her over the years, beginning when she was 21. She alleges that they failed to address her complex mental health needs and instead allowed her to self-diagnose as transgender and undergo irreversible procedures including testosterone treatment, a bilateral mastectomy, and a hysterectomy that she now regrets. 
<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/absolutely-devastating-woman-sues-psychiatrist-over-gender-transition-20220823-p5bbyr.html?fbclid=IwAR2aRDWagm1K1UB2Xqm-x4_TUL9-aOszCijkBfzZazUZcpec12AlUTUwZ_Q">Jay Langadinos</a> is taking legal action in Australia against the psychiatrist who permitted her to begin medical transition when she says she was experiencing a mental health crisis. Similarly, Ritchie Herron is pursuing legal action in England against the doctors who authorized him to undergo hormone therapy and genital surgery while he was also going through a period of mental distress, he claims.
In 2020, Keira Bell, a detransitioned woman in the United Kingdom, received compensation, helped bring about legislative changes, and succeeded in getting the clinic where she underwent sex reassignment shut down. The court ruled that Bell, who began her transition at the age of 15, was not sufficiently mature at that time to make such a life-changing decision. 
The exact number of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-cuomo-hosts-first-national-news-coverage-of-detransitioners">detransitioners</a> is unknown, and more research is needed. Clinicians in this emerging field of medicine have limited guidance from a small collection of studies that show varying rates of detransitioning from 1% to 30%, but even less is known about the incidence of regret among patients treated as minors. 
Two extensive studies found that 2% or less of adults regret their transition, but these studies have limited relevance for the new cohort of adolescents that people are most concerned about. Researchers recognize that short-term studies may underestimate detransition and regret because it can take up to a decade after treatment for some people to experience these outcomes. Additionally, some studies lose track of patients as they age out of pediatric clinics.
Two smaller studies in the U.K. report that between <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-open/article/access-to-care-and-frequency-of-detransition-among-a-cohort-discharged-by-a-uk-national-adult-gender-identity-clinic-retrospective-casenote-review/3F5AC1315A49813922AAD76D9E28F5CB">7%</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35052285/">10%</a> of patients initially assessed for gender-related medical services later detransitioned. In the United States, a recent study found that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054139X22007194">29%</a> of 68 patients seeking medical transition care changed their requests for hormone treatment, surgery, or both. Another U.S. study from last year found that <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/107/9/e3937/6572526?login=false">30%</a> of patients who commenced cross-sex hormone treatment discontinued it within four years for unknown reasons.

Patient sitting on hospital bed waiting

Detransitioner Takes First Legal Action In Spain Against Health Provider That Transitioned Her As A Minor

Courts

Lawsuit

Medical

Transgender

transgender surgery

A Moroccan man has been accused of killing one and wounding four others in a machete attack at two churches in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/spain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spain</a>. 
The suspect, a 25-year-old man <a href="https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2023/01/27/culprit-in-algeciras-church-massacre-in-spains-terror-attack-was-moroccan-national-under-surveillance-and-awaiting-deportation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> set to be deported, allegedly ran into two Catholic churches in Algeciras, Spain, on Wednesday evening, killing one and injuring three others. 
According to EFE, a Spanish international news agency, the suspect <a href="https://twitter.com/EFEnoticias/status/1618512903849578496">shouted</a> “death to Christians” and “Allah is great” during the attack. The attack is being investigated as an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/radical-islam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">act of terrorism</a>, according to Spanish authorities. The public prosecutor&#8217;s office <a href="https://www.laprensalatina.com/1-dead-4-wounded-in-attacks-on-churches-in-spain/">said</a> the attack was &#8220;presumably terrorist.&#8221;
The churches that were <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/1-dead-spanish-church-machete-attacks-terror-link-probed-rcna67581" target="_blank" rel="noopener">targeted</a> were the church of Maria Auxiliadora y San Isidro and Nuestra Señora de La Palma. Diego Valencia, the sexton of the second church, was killed while attempting to escape the attack. 
One of the priests injured during the attack, Antonio Rodriguez, is expected to quickly recover. “If all goes well, he [Rodriguez] may even be released in the next few hours,” Algeciras Mayor Jose Ignacio Landaluce <a href="https://www.laprensalatina.com/1-dead-4-wounded-in-attacks-on-churches-in-spain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
“We are all stunned by these acts, which have filled us with pain,” Landaluce added. “Algeciras has always been a city where concord and tolerance reign, despite incidents like this that create an image that does not correspond to reality.”
According to <a href="https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2023/01/27/culprit-in-algeciras-church-massacre-in-spains-terror-attack-was-moroccan-national-under-surveillance-and-awaiting-deportation/">local media</a>, the suspect was in Spain illegally and set to be deported. He had also been monitored by Spanish counter-terrorism police over suspected ties to unspecified terrorist groups. 
Santiago Abascal, the leader of the national-conservative Spanish political party Vox, <a href="https://twitter.com/Santi_ABASCAL/status/1618539643745751040">took aim</a> at the country’s immigration policies in a statement on the attack. “He entered Spain illegally, he had an expulsion order, he was under surveillance for jihadism, he was a squatter. How many will there be like him in Spain? The human trafficking mafias and the politicians who open their borders and shower them with subsidies cannot hide their responsibility,” Abascal said. 
In another tweet, he <a href="https://twitter.com/Santi_ABASCAL/status/1618339837995782144">said</a> that Spain “cannot tolerate Islamism advancing on our soil.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also offered his condolence to those impacted by the attack. “I want to express my sincerest condolences for the families of the sexton slain in the terrible attack in Algeciras,” he wrote on Twitter. “I wish the injured a swift recovery.”
Algeciras, located on the Bay of Gibraltar, has a population of around 123,000.

SPAIN-INVESTIGATION-POLICE-HOMICIDE-RELIGION

Machete Attack On Spanish Churches Leaves One Dead; Suspect Shouted ‘Death To Christians’

Machete Attack On Spanish Churches Leaves One Dead; Suspect Shouted 'Death To Christians'

Catholicism

Christianity

Radical Islamic Terror

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music-industry">Shakira&#8217;s</a> ex-mother-in-law claims the Colombian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">singer</a> taunts her with a life-sized witch mannequin on her balcony.
A rumor began circulating over the weekend that Shakira had positioned a gray-haired witch figure, complete with a pointy hat and broomstick, on the balcony of her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/spain">Barcelona</a> home, which is in direct view of her former mother-in-law’s place. 
The addition appeared just days after the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer released a song that fans believe was about her ex-husband, soccer player Gerard Piqué. The video for the song “Out of Your League” was viewed more than 63 million times in 24 hours, making it the most-watched Latin song in that time period, per <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64267366">BBC News</a>. 
The lyrics say she is &#8220;worth two 22-year-olds&#8221; and accuses her ex of swapping &#8220;a Ferrari for a [Renault] Twingo&#8221; and a &#8220;Rolex for a Casio.&#8221;
They split up in June 2022 after 10 years of marriage amid rumors that he had cheated on her. Shakira and Piqué have two children together.
Piqué’s mother, Montserrat Bernabeu, told Spanish reporters that she believed her former daughter-in-law had displayed the witch to taunt her, per <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/16/shakira-taunts-ex-mother-in-law-with-witch-doll-on-her-balcony-report/">The New York Post</a>. A report on the Spanish television show “Más Vale Tarde” said that Bernabeu asked members of Shakira’s staff to turn the statue away from her house, but her request was denied.
Further, Bernabeu reportedly said she thought the doll was being used to practice witchcraft against her.
“Weeks ago, I got some information that Pique’s mother was worried about an alleged ritual that was done to her with a black witch,” Barcelona-based reporter Marc Leirado Millán shared in a <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcLeirado/status/1613498242045743105">tweet</a>. 
“So I went to check if this information was true or not, and sure enough, there was a life-size black witch with a white beard.” 
Meanwhile, Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, is facing up to eight years in prison for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-shakira-could-face-up-to-8-years-in-prison-for-tax-crimes">alleged tax fraud</a> in Spain. The indictment said she failed to pay the Spanish government what’s equivalent to about $15 million USD in taxes between 2012 and 2014. If found guilty, the singer could have to pay a $24 million fine in addition to doing time in prison.

“Elvis” Red Carpet – The 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival

Shakira Accused Of Taunting Her Ex-Mother-In-Law With Life Sized Witch Doll

Celebrities

Music

A woman who is <a href="https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/nation-world/bessie-hendricks-oldest-woman-united-states-dies-115/507-266e82f9-3670-4240-8210-8f5e95066a1f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considered</a> to have been the oldest living woman in the United States <a href="https://www.powersfh.net/obituary/bessie-hendricks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> away on Tuesday at 115 years old.
Bessie Hendricks passed away at a nursing home in Lake City, Iowa, on Tuesday. She was born on November 7, 1907, and was a teacher at a one-room schoolhouse. She was also the mother of five children and was married to Paul Hendricks for almost 65 years when he died on May 25, 1995.
She previously <a href="https://www.messengernews.net/news/local-news/2019/11/happy-112th/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Messenger her thoughts on how to live for a long time. When she turned 110, she said, “[h]ard work.” Her daughter, Glenda Hendricks, said her mother says to “[s]tay away from doctors.” Her son added that she “loves her sweets.”
Edie Ceccarelli, who is going to turn 115 on February 5, is now the oldest person in America. Branyas Morera, a woman who is set to turn 116 years old in March, is <a href="https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/nation-world/bessie-hendricks-oldest-woman-united-states-dies-115/507-266e82f9-3670-4240-8210-8f5e95066a1f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thought</a> to be the oldest American alive, although she lives in Spain.
Supercentenarians are <a href="https://www.idtdna.com/pages/community/blog/post/what-helps-supercentenarians-live-so-dang-long" target="_blank" rel="noopener">people</a> who are older than 110 years. Boston University’s <a href="https://www.bumc.bu.edu/centenarian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New England Centenarian Study</a> website notes that genetics are a main factor in whether or not someone lives a long time.
“But for some rare exceptions, centenarians have just as many disease-associated genetic variants as the average population,” the site added. “Thus, their genetic advantage is likely due to variants that slow aging and decrease risk for aging-related diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease.”
The United States had 97,000 centenarians — people who have lived to be 100 years old — the World Economic Forum <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/02/living-to-one-hundred-life-expectancy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in 2021. Japan <a href="https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01443/#:~:text=An%20increase%20of%204%2C000%20meant,time%20as%20of%20September%202022." target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently</a> saw the number of centenarians in the country increase. As of September of last year, there were 90,526 centenarians in the country. The oldest woman in the world is Lucile Randon, 118 years old, <a href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/67477-oldest-person-living-female#:~:text=The%20oldest%20person%20living%20(female,previous%20holders%20of%20this%20record." target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Guinness World Records, as of April of last year.
As of last July, the United States reportedly <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2022-07-15/nations-with-the-most-people-over-100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had</a> 29 centenarians per 100,000 people, which put it at eleventh place.
Peter Martin, a professor at Iowa State who focuses on longevity, said many different pieces play into whether or not someone lives a long time.
&#8220;After 115 it gets very difficult,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/01/05/americas-oldest-person-bessie-hendricks-dies-115/10994158002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, per USA Today. &#8220;Every year is really a gift that you get that you could not have expected to get.”
“She amazes us,” Sara Casey, Shady Oaks Care Center administrator, said several years ago of Hendricks, who lived at the center in the final years of her life. “A strong will and love of family keep Bessie going. She appreciates life so much.”

Cropped shot of a senior couple holding hands in a park

Oldest Woman Living In America Dies At 115 Years Old

Oldest Woman Living In America Bessie Hendricks Dies At 115 Years Old

elderly

Health

Japan

U.S.

Authorities in Spain arrested an alleged pornography website owner who was on the FBI&#8217;s <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Ten Most Wanted Fugitives&#8221; list</a> last week, the bureau said Friday.
Michael James Pratt, 40, <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/sandiego/news/fbi-ten-most-wanted-fugitive-michael-pratt-captured-in-spain">faces</a> a 19-count indictment, including counts of sex trafficking, production of child pornography, sex trafficking of a minor, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, in connection with the operation of the GirlsDoPorn adult website. Spanish National Police arrested Pratt in Madrid on Wednesday pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice <a href="https://www.interpol.int/en/How-we-work/Notices/View-Red-Notices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeking his detention</a>, per an FBI bulletin.
“The capture of Michael Pratt is an example of how the FBI will pursue justice beyond U.S. borders — you can run but you can’t hide,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Thank you to our determined FBI San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and to our federal and international partners for their commitment to making sure that Michael Pratt is brought to justice.”
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Spanish authorities have captured <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FBI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FBI</a> Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Michael James Pratt in Madrid, Spain. Pratt has been a fugitive since 2019 and was wanted for sex trafficking and the production of child pornography. <a href="https://t.co/LYeXNDp39M">https://t.co/LYeXNDp39M</a> <a href="https://t.co/hPj10GbzsM">pic.twitter.com/hPj10GbzsM</a>
&mdash; FBI (@FBI) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI/status/1606357574844039171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The FBI said Pratt is being held in Spain pending extradition.
Spanish National Police tweeted a video on Friday that it said showed the arrest of a New Zealand fugitive on the FBI&#8217;s 10 most wanted list. Though the tweet did not identify the individual, Pratt is the only person on that FBI list who is from New Zealand.
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🚩Detenido en <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Madrid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Madrid</a> un fugitivo neozelandés, incluido en la lista de los 10 más buscados del <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FBI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FBI</a> 
Fue condenado a cadena perpetua en <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EEUU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EEUU</a> por delitos de pornografía infantil, explotación sexual, agresión sexual y ganancias ilícitas, llegando a ganar +17 millones de dólares <a href="https://t.co/E9uLKMaGw9">pic.twitter.com/E9uLKMaGw9</a>
&mdash; Policía Nacional (@policia) <a href="https://twitter.com/policia/status/1606236926209662976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Pratt is accused of participating in a conspiracy to recruit young adult and minor women from United States and Canada to engage in commercial sex acts by force, fraud, and coercion from 2012 to 2019.
The FBI said Pratt and a co-conspirator owned and operated a pornography production company and two online pornography websites. They allegedly recruited their victims though deceiving internet advertisements for clothed modeling jobs.
&#8220;Pratt also allegedly paid other young women working at his and his co-conspirators&#8217; direction to act as references and provide false assurances to the women that, if they filmed a pornographic video, the video would not be posted online,&#8221; the FBI said. &#8220;Some women were allegedly not permitted to leave the shooting locations until the videos were completed, others were allegedly forced to perform sex acts they had declined to perform, and some women were allegedly sexually assaulted.&#8221;
The porn websites allegedly run by Pratt generated more than $17 million in revenue, according to the FBI.
Another alleged owner of the website, Matthew Isaac Wolfe, as well as adult film performer and producer Ruben Andre Garcia and administrative assistant Valorie Moser, were additionally <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/girlsdoporn-owners-and-employees-charged-sex-trafficking-conspiracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged in the alleged sex trafficking conspiracy</a>. Wolfe <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/07/27/girlsdoporn-co-owner-pleads-guilty-to-sex-trafficking-by-force/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleaded guilty</a> in July 2022. They faced up to life in prison, per <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/girlsdoporn-owners-and-employees-charged-sex-trafficking-conspiracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Justice Department announcement in October 2019</a>.
A judge in San Diego awarded $12.775 million to 22 unnamed women who sued the GirlsDoPorn production company in a class action lawsuit alleging it defrauded and coerced them into performing adult scenes, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/amateur-porn-company-girls-do-porn-hit-with-dollar12775m-in-damages-for-exploiting-young-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Daily Beast reported in January 2020</a>.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Pratt in the United States District Court, Southern District of California, on November 6, 2019. The FBI added Pratt to its &#8220;Ten Most Wanted Fugitive List&#8221; in September, offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to his arrest.
“This was a despicable crime that has devastated its victims,” U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/sandiego/news/san-diego-fugitive-placed-on-fbis-ten-most-wanted-fugitives-list--100000-reward-for-capture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement at the time</a>.

Spanish National Police

Alleged Child Pornographer On FBI’s ‘Ten Most Wanted List’ Nabbed In Spain

Pornography

The U.S. Embassy in Madrid announced that it discovered a letter bomb one day after a similar device exploded at the Ukrainian Embassy in Spain, injuring one staff member.
“We can confirm a suspicious package was received at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, and are aware of reports of other packages sent to other locations throughout Spain,” the U.S. Embassy said in a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spain-letter-bomb-suspicious-package-us-embassy-madrid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
“We are grateful to Spanish law enforcement for their assistance with this matter,&#8221; it added.
Authorities detonated the envelope Thursday morning, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spain-letter-bomb-suspicious-package-us-embassy-madrid/">according</a> to CBS News. The mailing is being investigated as a terrorist act.
The explosive package is now the sixth device sent to targets in Spain, including the Spanish defense ministry, an air force base, the Ukrainian Embassy, and a weapons manufacturer, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/third-mail-bomb-found-spanish-air-force-base-el-mundo-reports-2022-12-01/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Reuters.
A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Embassy, Oleg Nikolenko, said an explosive device was “hidden” in an envelope and detonated early Wednesday.
“FM @DmytroKuleba instructed to strengthen the security of all Ukrainian embassies,” Nikolenko tweeted. “He also called on the Spanish authorities to urgently investigate this attack.”
The envelope arrived by regular mail and was not scanned. The explosive device caused “a very small wound on the ring finger of the right hand” of the injured staffer, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spanish-police-say-blast-ukrainian-embassy-injured-one-employee-2022-11-30/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Reuters.
The unidentified man reportedly visited a hospital for treatment.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov and Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles met on Thursday to discuss the details of Spain’s additional military aid package for Ukraine.
&#8220;What must be very clear is that none of these deliveries or any other violent action will change the clear and firm commitment of Spain, NATO countries and the European Union to support Ukraine,&#8221; she said in a <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-12-01/third-mail-bomb-found-in-spanish-air-force-base-el-mundo-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from Ukraine.
No person or organization has yet taken responsibility for the letter bombs. Secretary of State for Security Rafael Perez <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/01/europe/spain-security-letter-bombs-intl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Thursday that the letters were likely sent from Spanish territory, though an investigation has yet to confirm their place of origin.
The report also follows strong words by Secretary of State Antony Blinken against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during a press conference in Bucharest, Romania.
“Heat, water, electricity, for children, for the elderly, for the sick — these are President Putin’s new targets. He’s hitting them hard,” Blinken <a href="https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-11-30-22/h_3b4bd4e985925e8b375eff751693d09b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Wednesday. “This brutalization of Ukraine’s people is barbaric.”
Blinken’s visit came as the U.S. announced $53 million more in aid to help Ukrainians following attacks on civilian infrastructure.

U.S. Embassy Madrid

Letter Bomb Discovered At U.S. Embassy In Spain Following Explosion At Ukrainian Embassy

Bombings

Ukraine

This article is a companion piece to today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Senate Codifies Same-Sex Marriage
The Senate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-dem-controlled-senate-passes-same-sex-marriage-bill-12-republicans-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> Tuesday on legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages, moving Congress closer to passing the bill enshrining both into federal law. Twelve Republicans and 49 Democrats supported the bill, but opponents like Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), say the bill as currently written does not protect religious liberties.
U.S. House Passes Bill To Avoid Rail Strike
The U.S. House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-legislation-to-avoid-a-nationwide-rail-strike-bernie-sanders-intends-to-block-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed an urgent bill today</a> in hopes of avoiding a nationwide rail strike. The bill would bind companies and workers to a proposed settlement that was reached in September but rejected by some of the 12 unions involved. The measure heads to the Senate, and if approved will head to President Joe Biden — who has urged the Senate to move quickly.
Disney Denies Politics
Disney CEO Bob Iger <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-disney-ceo-says-company-will-quiet-things-down-regrets-predecessor-battled-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarked during a town hall event</a> with employees that he wants to advance social causes in a more subdued fashion. The comment comes after the entertainment giant faced public scrutiny earlier this year. Iger also denied that the company’s previous actions amounted to political activism.
&#8220;I think there’s a misperception here about what politics is, I think that some of the subjects that have proven to be controversial, as it relates to Disney, have been branded political and I don’t necessarily think they are,&#8221; Iger said. &#8220;I don’t think when you are telling stories and attempting to be a good citizen of the world that that&#8217;s political.”
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EXCLUSIVE: I have obtained video from returning Disney CEO Bob Iger&#39;s first town hall with employees, in which he signals that he will work to &quot;quiet things down&quot; politically and move toward neutrality in the culture war.<a href="https://t.co/ZBGdHhxFVS">https://t.co/ZBGdHhxFVS</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZbMCZN4MlG">pic.twitter.com/ZbMCZN4MlG</a>
&mdash; Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) <a href="https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1597683598496526338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.
Lethal Robots In San Francisco
This week, San Francisco <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/remote-controlled-robots-with-deadly-explosives-approved-by-sf-board-of-supervisors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">granted</a> the city’s police department permission to deploy potentially lethal robots in emergency situations.
Police noted that the remotely-controlled machines will not have firearms, but could have explosive devices “to contact, incapacitate, or disorient violent, armed, or dangerous suspects&#8221; in life-threatening situations.
New Democratic Leadership
House Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-dems-elect-hard-left-rep-hakeem-jeffries-to-succeed-pelosi-as-house-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> unanimously on Wednesday for hard-left Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to take over for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as the new House Minority Leader. Jeffries ran unopposed. Pelosi announced she would not seek re-election to party leadership earlier this month.
Layoffs At CNN
CNN CEO Chris Licht <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/news/cnn-starts-laying-off-hundreds-of-employees-targeting-on-air-contributors-first/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a wave of layoffs this week amid &#8220;a recalibrated reporting strategy.&#8221; The network will first notify contributors Wednesday, then full-time staff starting Thursday.
“It will be a difficult time for everyone,” Licht wrote in a memo to staff. The news network is reportedly attempting to change its editorial standards to be seen as more neutral.
Earlier this week, CNN anchor Don Lemon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-don-lemon-offers-bizarre-rebuttal-when-colbert-says-new-cnn-boss-wont-let-anchors-be-liberal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed back</a> on the claim that the network had a liberal bias when asked about the changes by Stephen Colbert.
&#8220;The word on the street is that you guys aren’t allowed to be liberal anymore. Is that, is that the case?&#8221; Colbert asked.
“I don’t think we ever were liberal,” Lemon shot back.
“What?” Colbert said, appearing to be confused.
“Yes, I don’t think we ever were,” Lemon insisted.
Colbert pushed back, saying that it wasn’t really him saying that Licht wasn’t <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/that-is-bulls-cnn-head-honcho-says-hes-not-interested-in-being-centrist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allowing anchors</a> to be liberal: “That’s the people out there saying that he’s not letting you be liberal anymore.”
“Well, listen, I think that, I think what Chris is saying is that he wants Republicans, sensible Republicans,” Lemon explained, arguing that the new direction was more about keeping people “comfortable” than about choosing a side. “But also, by the nature of what we do, we have to hold people to account. And so that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re going liberal or conservative or whatever. It just means that we are doing what we do. And that’s good journalism.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
On <a href="https://twitter.com/colbertlateshow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@colbertlateshow</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/donlemon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DonLemon</a> claims of CNN: “I don’t think we ever were liberal.” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Colbert?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Colbert</a> <a href="https://t.co/eHj8LYg5xt">pic.twitter.com/eHj8LYg5xt</a>
&mdash; Brent Baker 🇺🇦 (@BrentHBaker) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentHBaker/status/1597461526926999552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Explosion At Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid, Spain
An <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/30/europe/madrid-ukraine-embassy-explosion-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explosion at the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid, Spain</a>, early Wednesday reportedly injured one person. A Ukrainian spokesperson said an explosive device was “hidden” in an envelope that detonated inside the embassy. Local authorities are investigating the incident. No person or group has claimed responsibility.
Woman Sues Over Homemade Mac And Cheese
And a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woman-sues-after-mac-and-cheese-takes-more-than-3-5-minutes-to-make" target="_blank" rel="noopener">woman is suing Kraft for $5 million</a> in a lawsuit alleging that the company’s macaroni and cheese product takes longer than the promised 3.5 minutes to make it.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Wednesday

Wednesday Afternoon Update: CNN Layoffs, Disney Denies It’s Political, Killer Robots In San Francisco

Disney

Don Lemon

General

Morning Wire

Podcast

Same-Sex Marriage

Senate

An explosion at the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid, Spain, early Wednesday reportedly injured one person.
Embassy spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said an explosive device was &#8220;hidden&#8221; in an envelope that detonated inside.
&#8220;FM @DmytroKuleba instructed to strengthen the security of all Ukrainian embassies,&#8221; Nikolenko tweeted. &#8220;He also called on the Spanish authorities to urgently investigate this attack.&#8221;
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An explosive device hidden in an envelop detonated inside the embassy of Ukraine in Madrid. One staff member injured. FM <a href="https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DmytroKuleba</a> instructed to strengthen the security of all Ukrainian embassies. He also called on the Spanish authorities to urgently investigate this attack.
&mdash; Oleg Nikolenko (@OlegNikolenko_) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlegNikolenko_/status/1597952252148592640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The envelope reportedly arrived by regular mail and was not scanned. The explosive device caused &#8220;a very small wound on the ring finger of the right hand&#8221; of the injured staffer, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spanish-police-say-blast-ukrainian-embassy-injured-one-employee-2022-11-30/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The unidentified man reportedly visited a local hospital for treatment.
The envelope is believed to have been addressed to Serhii Pohoreltsev, the ambassador, <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/letter-bomb-madrid-ukraine-embassy-c9hvndp9t" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> reporting by The Times.
Reuters added that the residential area around the embassy in Madrid had been cordoned off. A bomb disposal unit was deployed to the scene.
Local authorities are investigating the incident. No person or group has claimed responsibility.
The explosion occurred just one day after Ukraine Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba met with Spain&#8217;s Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares.
&#8220;Grateful for providing air defense systems and generators,&#8221; Kuleba tweeted following the meeting. &#8220;He affirmed more supplies will be delivered. We also discussed the implementation of Ukraine’s peace formula announced by @ZelenskyyUa at G20 summit.&#8221;
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I met with my Spanish counterpart, Ukraine’s true friend <a href="https://twitter.com/jmalbares?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JMAlbares</a>. Grateful for providing air defense systems and generators. He affirmed more supplies will be delivered. We also discussed the implementation of Ukraine’s peace formula announced by <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZelenskyyUa</a> at G20 summit. <a href="https://t.co/5Y1Y7hv5Xf">pic.twitter.com/5Y1Y7hv5Xf</a>
&mdash; Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) <a href="https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1597619487301578752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The report also follows strong words by Secretary of State Antony Blinken against Russia&#8217;s invasion of Ukraine. He made the remarks during a press conference in Bucharest, Romania.
“Heat, water, electricity, for children, for the elderly, for the sick — these are President Putin&#8217;s new targets. He&#8217;s hitting them hard,” Blinken <a href="https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-11-30-22/h_3b4bd4e985925e8b375eff751693d09b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “This brutalization of Ukraine&#8217;s people is barbaric.”
Blinken&#8217;s visit came as the U.S. announced $53 million more in aid to help Ukrainians following attacks on civilian infrastructure.
The embassy explosion comes more than nine months after Russia invaded Ukraine. Western nations have condemned the Kremlin&#8217;s actions and have supported Ukraine in its resistance efforts.
Members of the United Nations General Assembly on November 14 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-nations-call-on-russia-to-pay-ukraine-war-reparations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> upon Russia to pay Ukraine war reparations due to violations of international law.
The resolution passed with 94 countries in favor and 14 opposed, with Russia, China, and Iran among the disapproving parties. Seventy-three countries abstained.

Ukraine Embassy Spain

Explosion At Ukrainian Embassy In Spain Injures One Person

Explosion

Global Politics

Three men were <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/3-nigerian-stowaways-found-ship-rudder-11-days-sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered</a> on the rudder of a ship after they stowed away during an 11-day journey across the ocean from Nigeria to the Canary Islands. 
Two of the discovered stowaways were helped and put back on the ship in order to be deported. A local government spokesperson reportedly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigeria-stowaways-who-survived-11-days-ship-rudder-must-return-home-spanish-2022-11-29/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the third person had hypothermia and dehydration and is still in a hospital on Gran Canaria, one of the islands. A law enforcement spokesperson told Reuters that the law in Spain states that if a stowaway doesn’t seek asylum, they have to be sent back to the original port by whomever runs the ship.
According to the coast guard, the men were saved by a coast guard ship around 7p.m. local time on Monday evening. 
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Three migrants rescued in Spain&#39;s Canary Islands, after apparently enduring an 11-day journey from Nigeria crouched on the rudder of a fuel tanker, should now be returned home under stowaway laws, a police spokesman told Reuters on Tuesday. <a href="https://t.co/l8yQpjzyuG">https://t.co/l8yQpjzyuG</a> <a href="https://t.co/g51XlWKFJt">pic.twitter.com/g51XlWKFJt</a>
&mdash; Reuters Africa (@ReutersAfrica) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReutersAfrica/status/1597573419570462721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Helena Maleno, director of Walking Borders, said that the stowaway men should have been told they had the right to request political asylum and should have been asked questions before they were put back on the boat, per Reuters. 
&#8220;The conditions of the journey are already an indication that something very serious may be behind it because the photos are incredible. We have never seen conditions like this where they have arrived alive,&#8221; Maleno pointed out. &#8220;These people have to be in a state of shock. They need a couple of days to recover and from there they can explain what they were running from to have made that decision.”
Many <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/migrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">migrants</a> attempt to get to Europe by way of the Canary Islands, but it is not a safe or pleasant journey. This year, over 11,600 people have come to the Spanish islands via ships, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-africa-business-migration-canary-islands-0373acc1d919249b1a8fe9f29044f736" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
The MarineTraffic tracking site reportedly revealed that the boat departed from Nigeria on November 17 and got to Las Palmas on Monday — a distance of around 2,800 miles. 
In 2020, a 14-year-old teen <a href="https://elpais.com/espana/2020-12-12/relato-del-terrible-viaje-del-pequeno-prince.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrived</a> in Gran Canaria from Lagos after traveling for 15 days on a tanker’s rudder. He drank salt water and alternated sleeping in a hole located over the rudder with the other men on the journey.
&#8220;We were very weak. I never imagined it could be this hard,” he told outlet El Pais.
The amount of people coming to the Canary Islands from the western region of Africa has <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63791372" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skyrocketed</a> over the past few years.
As the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54491057" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in 2020, from January to the end of July of that year, 3,269 migrants journeyed from West Africa to the Canary Islands. The number is almost a 600% spike from the same period of time in 2019, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Last year, the United Nation’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated there were 1,126 fatalities on the dangerous path.

a small wave rstarting to break

Three Stowaways Found Alive On Ship’s Rudder After Almost 2,800 Mile Journey At Sea

Three Stowaways Found Alive On Ship's Rudder After Almost 2,800 Mile Journey At Sea To Canary Islands From Nigeria

Coast Guard

Immigration

Migrants

Leading medical institutions in Spain are speaking out against the newly proposed &#8220;Trans Law&#8221; that would allow minors to self-declare as transgender and access irreversible medical transition procedures.
Bernard Lane, a Sydney-based independent journalist, recently published two stories on his Substack, <a href="https://genderclinicnews.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gender Clinic News</a>, about Spain <a href="https://genderclinicnews.substack.com/p/spain-wakes-up-to-gender-contagion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">waking up</a> to &#8220;gender contagion&#8221; and the medical experts who are leading a <a href="https://genderclinicnews.substack.com/p/the-experts-revolt?utm_source=profile&amp;utm_medium=reader2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;revolt&#8221;</a> against it. 
According to Lane&#8217;s reporting, the second largest printed daily newspaper in Spain, El Mundo, <a href="https://www.elmundo.es/papel/historias/2022/10/17/634d620ffc6c832b568b45b4.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> a story on its front page last week with the headline: “Psychiatrists explode against the Trans Law: It can bring a lot of pain and regret to many people.&#8221;
Sub-headings were translated as: “There is an avalanche of adolescents who believe they are trans and the majority are not”; and: “What do we do with someone whose penis has been severed and wants it back?”
Lane reports that the directors of Spain’s Society of Psychiatry, Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Society of Endocrinology were interviewed by El Mundo, voicing their fears and objections to the Trans Law.
&#8220;The <a href="https://www.congreso.es/public_oficiales/L14/CONG/BOCG/A/BOCG-14-A-113-1.PDF#page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">draft Trans Law</a> allows <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/29/spain-bill-change-official-gender-without-medical-checks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a change of sex</a> in the registry from the age of 12 with judicial approval; from the age of 14 with parental support (but a judge can override parental refusal); and from the age of 16 independently,&#8221; Lane reported.
&#8220;The medical society directors all see a link between the bill for self-declared sex change and mistaken trans identity claims, neglect of underlying disorders, needless medicalisation and treatment regret,&#8221; he added.
The medical societies of Spain share the concerns of <a href="https://segm.org/segm-summary-sweden-prioritizes-therapy-curbs-hormones-for-gender-dysphoric-youth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sweden</a>, <a href="https://genderreport.ca/finland-strict-guidelines-for-treating-gender-dysphoria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finland</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/englands-national-health-service-abandons-gender-affirming-model-of-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">England</a>, whose national health departments have all abandoned the &#8220;gender affirming&#8221; model of care after performing independent systematic reviews of the available evidence. 
Most recently, the U.K.&#8217;s National Health Service (NHS) proposed <a href="https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/specialised-commissioning/gender-dysphoria-services/user_uploads/b1937-ii-specialist-service-for-children-and-young-people-with-gender-dysphoria-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new guidelines</a> last week recognizing that children and adolescents identifying as transgender may be experiencing a “transient phase” and warning that doctors should not encourage them to change their names and pronouns, as “social transition” is not a “<a href="https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/specialised-commissioning/gender-dysphoria-services/user_uploads/b1937-ii-interim-service-specification-for-specialist-gender-dysphoria-services-for-children-and-young-people-22.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">neutral act</a>” and could have “significant effects” in terms of “psychological functioning.” Additionally, they have banned the use of puberty blockers in patients under 18, making exceptions only in certain cases for strict clinical trials.
Dr. Celso Arango, head of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry department at one of Spain’s leading public university hospitals, told El Mundo in an <a href="https://www.elmundo.es/papel/2022/10/08/634062b8e4d4d89c0c8b45b3.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> earlier this month that the hospital at which he works has seen an explosion in young people identifying as transgender.
“On a day-to-day basis at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_General_Universitario_Gregorio_Mara%C3%B1%C3%B3n" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gregorio Marañón Hospital</a> [in Madrid] we are assisting an explosion, a boom, an exponential increase in adolescents who say they are trans, and they are not,” Arango said.
Of the proposed new &#8220;Trans Law&#8221;, Arango was adamant it would bring a great deal of harm to youth mistakenly believing themselves to be transgender.
&#8220;This is madness, it&#8217;s going to hurt a lot of people, a lot of young people who have disorders think they&#8217;re going to fix them by becoming trans — when they&#8217;re not,” he said.
In addition to allowing minors to &#8220;self-declare&#8221; as transgender and access irreversible medical treatments, the law enacts a “conversion therapy” ban that would lead mental health professionals found guilty of its practice to face a maximum fine of €150,000.
A parent-led group called AMANDA has also been formed to advocate for medical professionals to proceed with caution when dealing with trans-identifying children, and now represents approximately 300 parents across Spain. Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.amandafamilias.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AMANDA</a> protested in the Spanish capital with posters translating to “Less Surgery, More Psychology” and “Trans Law = Danger For Our Children.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Huge success of our presentation at the Medical Academy yesterday, with over 400 people attending including over 200 of our families and the support of <a href="https://twitter.com/Icomem_Oficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Icomem_Oficial</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/CALDirector?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CALDirector</a> and most of the Feminist Movement. We are deeply grateful and pleased! 1/ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoHayconsenso?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoHayconsenso</a> <a href="https://t.co/Kmzpnou3Km">pic.twitter.com/Kmzpnou3Km</a>
&mdash; Agrupación AMANDA (@Amanda_DGIR) <a href="https://twitter.com/Amanda_DGIR/status/1579024993249132545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Lane described the conflict between the trans rights groups in Spain who lobbied for the new law and their opposing parties. &#8220;The Socialists are caught between feminist opposition to self-declared gender identity — at odds with sex-based protections for girls and women — and the trans rights imperative of their populist-woke coalition partners Unidas Podemos, who oppose any delay,&#8221; said Lane.
Apparently, the division within the Socialist Workers’ Party of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has caused a &#8220;partial pause&#8221; to be placed on the draft law, allowing an additional week for amendments.

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