The influence of Mexican drug cartels threatens both border control and the independence of the judiciary, potentially impacting U.S. strategies against transnational crime. Mexican judges fear for their lives. Things might be getting worse. Judicial Reforms and Concerns Mexico’s Senate passed a judicial reform to allow judges to be elected by popular vote. This decision has sparked controversy and protests, with critics arguing it undermines checks and balances and strengthens the ruling Morena party’s power. This shift could compromise judicial independence and create vulnerabilities to cartel influence. The reform includes provisions for “faceless” judges in organized crime cases, raising concerns about fair trial guarantees. Critics see this as a victory for President López Obrador, who has clashed with the Supreme Court. Mexico faces multiple challenges—from corruption to cartel violence to drug trafficking—that intersect with and amplify each other. But is there anything US policy can do to help Mexico's government address these problems? https://t.co/f9VQ60b3kT — Modern War Institute (@WarInstitute) November 8, 2024 Cartel Influence on Migration Migrants entering Mexico from Guatemala face significant challenges from cartels, who often control their movement more than federal agents. Many experience extortion and kidnapping, impacting their ability to attend CBP One appointments. This poses substantial risks for U.S. border security and immigration policy. This is Tom Homan, President Trump's Border Czar. His message to all the illegals who crossed the border will give you goosebumps, "You better start packing now… cause you're going home." And to the cartels, he said, "Trump will wipe you off the face of the Earth! YOU'RE… pic.twitter.com/ygZICaVVJb — George (@BehizyTweets) November 11, 2024 The cartels’ presence hinders organizations attempting to aid migrants, with reports of violence against aid workers. This scenario intensifies the struggles migrants face and complicates immigration efforts. U.S. Implications and International Responses The Jalisco New Generation drug cartel (CJNG) has significantly been involved in violent crimes, including murders and decapitations in Jalisco. The cartels’ potential influence over judicial elections provides these groups the means to consolidate power further, complicating Mexico’s judiciary’s autonomy, and affecting the U.S.’s battle against drug and human trafficking. The constitutional amendment changing the appointment of judges to elections allows cartels to potentially manipulate the judicial process through financing and intimidation. As the U.S. focuses on combating transnational crime, these developments demand a coordinated international response to address these growing threats. Sources: Migrants and the cartels. Judges in Mexico The post How Mexican Cartels Influence Border Security and Judicial Autonomy appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

'The choice before the House Republican conference is clear'

'First of all, where is your hair?'

In my first article of this series, Why Every Survivalist Should Be Homesteading, I talked about the importance of learning lifelong survival skills you and your family can use on your homestead. Survival skills, in my opinion, start at home. Now, I want to discuss the ins and outs of  purchasing a homestead. Things To Consider Before Purchasing A Homestead In my second article of this series, Survivalism Meets Homesteading: The To-Do List, I covered the basics of homesteading to get you started. I covered different options for food, water, cleaning products, and clothing for rural and urban homesteaders. In this article, let’s take it a little further. If you are interested in purchasing land to start a rural homestead there are things you should consider. Let’s take a quick look at what I’ll cover in this article: What will your needs be? Zoning Ordinance Road conditions and access Electricity and water access When you purchase land to start a homestead, you are investing in your future…your family’s future. Take your time to be sure the land you purchase is the right fit for you and your family. Let’s begin! Things To Consider Before Purchasing A Homestead One more thing… I want each of you to remember one thing. Homesteading is about survival. When it comes down to it, in the event of an emergency, your home is your safe haven, your fortress. It will be the best experience of your life, trust me! What Will Your Needs Be? First, let’s talk size. Not all size fits all, so to speak. Some future homesteaders want a small piece of land and some want a larger piece of land. It all depends on what you need (or want) the land for. For example, do you want a small home with just enough room for a small vegetable garden and maybe a chicken coop to raise chickens? Or do you want a bigger home with land large enough to raise cattle and possibly a large vegetable crop? Outside structures such as a barn, a shed, a bomb shelter, tornado shelter, or even a guest house should all play a part as well in the decision-making process when purchasing land for a homestead. Make it a family affair. Learn what each family member may need or want. And don’t worry; nothing will be decided overnight. As I said before, take your time. Zoning Ordinance | By definition, the zoning ordinance is written regulations and laws that define how property in specific geographic zones can be used. Zoning ordinances specify whether zones can be used for residential or commercial purposes, and may also regulate lot size, placement, bulk (or density) and the height of structures. Zoning ordinances are lengthy documents describing not only the acceptable use for specified areas of land but also the procedures for handling infractions (including any penalties), granting variances and hearing appeals. (source) This is definitely one of the most important considerations when purchasing land for a homestead. There are resources on the internet that can provide you with the information you will need and this website is a great place to start. Your real estate agent can also be of great help with zoning ordinance information for your area. Road Access And Conditions The purpose of me writing this series is based on the scenario of being homebound during an emergency due to lack of road access. However, should that not become the case, then the road conditions and access are important. Some properties have multiple routes to the nearest town. This gives you more options in the case of road closure due to bad weather, for example. Some properties are more remote and have only one way out. This may not bother some folks. Me personally? I like to have options with different routes to town. Another consideration is the physical condition of the road(s) surrounding your property. Some are asphalted and some are gravel or dirt. Again, this is the matter of personal preference due to if you have the proper vehicle(s) to withstand certain road conditions. For example, you wouldn’t want to drive a small 4 door sedan on a dirt road covered in snow. You would need a pickup for that and even then, you could possibly become stuck in snow and/or mud. Electricity and Water Access Most already established properties have electricity and running water or water access but, if the property has never been developed then these are important things to consider. This is where the knowledge of zoning ordinance in your area will be helpful should you purchase undeveloped land. For example, some areas will allow for solar and wind energy whereas some areas will not. In that case, you will have to consider other options. Your local electric provider and/or your real estate agent can help provide additional information. Some properties will have power lines in the immediate area. In this case, you should call your local electric provider for additional information on possible setup options for your property. Water access is another important consideration when purchasing land. Again, knowledge of zoning ordinance will help you in this decision should the land be undeveloped. For example, a piece of undeveloped land in certain parts of Colorado can have a well or a cistern installed but, it must comply with the local regulations. An American Homestead shows us what to look for when building a homestead: If you are new to the homesteading scene and you are looking to purchase land, please try to not become overwhelmed. It will not all happen overnight. Take it one step at a time…one day at a time. It takes a lot of patience and sometimes tears but, when you reach the final steps of owning and running your own homestead, it makes every step of the journey well worth it! Do you have a tip you want to share about buying a homestead? Tell us in the comments below! Here are 33 home depot hacks and homesteading tips for repurposing your home! Follow us on facebook, instagram, pinterest, and twitter!  

Guess Who Underperformed Kamala Harris!

Appearing as a guest on Friday's The 11th Hour, MSNBC contributor Eddie Glaude charged that racism was the real reason Donald Trump was reelected president and raged over fellow liberals implicating economic issues instead. The race-obsessed analyst even tied in Trump supporters allegedly finding it "confusing" to see "racially ambiguous children on Cheerios commercials." Host Stephanie Ruhle argued that some voters supported Trump because of inflation: "There are a lot of people who voted for Donald Trump who didn't listen to the rally and who don't know who Tucker Carlson is, but who are super-unhappy about inflation -- that they can't afford their lives, and they voted for him. And they're not buying into fascism."     Glaude, a Princeton University professor, asserted that Trump voters were afraid that "whiteness" was "under threat" as he responded: I get that, but I think they have an idea, though, that whenever the incoherence of the country comes into full view, the tricky magic of falling into place -- falling behind a notion of whiteness that can hold off all of the -- the reason why all hell is breaking loose economically, right, is because government is putting its thumb on the scale and redistributing -- redistributing resources from deserving people to undeserving people, right? He added: "So there's this sense, right, that whiteness, right, is under threat -- the demographic shifts the country is in -- all these racially ambiguous children on Cheerios commercials are confusing the hell out of me." On the liberal news network where it's unusual to see two participants actually have a debate, the two did go back and forth this time; with Glaude refusing to believe that Americas were feeling the pain of Bidenomics: RUHLE: Eddie, a lot of people voted because their life's too damn expensive, and it was here, and (inaudible) GLAUDE (jumping back in): You're telling me, Stephanie, that all of these people who believe that their lives -- that bread is too high and eggs are too high, that they voted for a convicted felon -- a guy who said we can grab the P -- RUHLE: I think that a lot of -- GLAUDE: They voted for this guy. Ruhle continued to press the point: I'm not defending it, but I think there are tons of people that don't pay attention to -- and I'm not defending it -- don't pay attention to politics at all, but while we live in the most prosperous country in the world, people are saying, "Life's not fair -- I'm not doing well -- my son's still living in the basement -- I can't seem to get a job -- I don't like the status quo -- I'm voting for something else and a different person." Glaude then concluded his rant, and ended up letting salty language slip out before slapping his hand over his mouth: Steph, I love you to death, but I do not believe that. I cannot believe that. And the reason I think you believe it is because you don't want to believe that that's what's really motivating them. That's always the case! We -- people don't want to believe what the country actually is because if they believe it, they're going to have to confront what's in them. I don't believe that. They voted for a crook -- a person who they know is stealing from -- just doing everything to undermine the so-called country that they love. And then they're telling us the BS that it's economics. We know that's not true! We know it's not true, and we got to raise out kids in this shit. Oops! The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: MSNBC's The 11th Hour November 8, 2024 11:43 p.m. Eastern STEPHANIE RUHLE: There are a lot of people who voted for Donald Trump who didn't listen to the rally and who don't know who Tucker Carlson is, but who are super-unhappy about inflation -- that they can't afford their lives, and they voted for him. And they're not buying into fascism. EDDIE GLAUDE, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: I get that, but I think they have an idea, though, that whenever the incoherence of the country comes into full view, the tricky magic of falling into place -- falling behind a notion of whiteness that can hold off all of the -- the reason why all hell is breaking loose economically, right, is because government is putting its thumb on the scale and redistributing -- redistributing resources from deserving people to undeserving people, right? So there's this sense, right, that whiteness, right, is under threat -- the demographic shifts the country is in -- all these racially ambiguous children on Cheerios commercials are confusing the hell out of me. RUHLE: Eddie, a lot of people voted because their life's too damn expensive, and it was here, and (inaudible) GLAUDE (jumping back in): You're telling me, Stephanie, that all of these people who believe that their lives -- that bread is too high and eggs are too high, that they voted for a convicted felon -- a guy who said we can grab the P -- RUHLE: I think that a lot of -- GLAUDE: They voted for this guy. RUHLE: I'm not defending it, but I think there are tons of people that don't pay attention to -- and I'm not defending it -- don't pay attention to politics at all, but while we live in the most prosperous country in the world, people are saying, "Life's not fair -- I'm not doing well -- my son's still living in the basement -- I can't seem to get a job -- I don't like the status quo -- I'm voting for something else and a different person." GLAUDE: Steph, I love you to death, but I do not believe that. I cannot believe that. And the reason I think you believe it is because you don't want to believe that that's what's really motivating them. That's always the case! We -- people don't want to believe what the country actually is because if they believe it, they're going to have to confront what's in them. I don't believe that. They voted for a crook -- a person who they know is stealing from -- just doing everything to undermine the so-called country that they love. And then they're telling us the BS that it's economics. We know that's not true! We know it's not true, and we got to raise out kids in this shit. Oops!

Atmospheric and gruelling action roguelikes are all around us these days, but they pretty much all involve heading into dungeons, scaling towers, or escaping otherworldly realms on foot. Well, in the newly-revealed Scaravan 66, you’re fortunate enough that protagonist Lucky has passed her test, because this roguelike is all about brutal vehicular combat. Continue reading Mad Max meets Hades in demonic roguelike car combat game Scaravan 66 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best roguelike games, Best single player games, Best racing games

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