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Tuesday, January 31, 2017

"El Chapo" Guzm�n"s extradition clears the way for a new, more vicious round of cartel fighting

Posible FUGA de "El Chapo" Guzman en EU en vivo parte 1

Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman arrives at Long Island MacArthur airport in New York, January 19, 2017, after his extradition from Mexico. Reuters

Sinaloa cartel chief Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn has spent much of the last three years locked up in Mexico, jail time that culminated in his extradition to the US in January.

While those stints in Mexican prison ostensibly took Guzmn out of the picture, his presence, and influence, still loomed over the country"s narco landscape.

Now, however, with Guzmn in the USfor good, a new dose of uncertainty has been injected into relations between Mexico"s cartels, and with Guzmn out of the way, a new round of drug-related violence seems likely.

The Jalisco New Generation cartel, a relatively new cartel that blossomed from a former Sinaloa cartel factionand has never shied from violence during its rapid expansion, seems likely to seize on the moment.

Over the last two years, the CJNG, its initials in Spanish, has challenged the Sinaloa cartel in parts of Mexico, including in Tijuana, the crown jewel in Mexico"s drug-trafficking businesses.

The Sinaloa cartel "is still strong," Mike Vigil, the former chief of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told Business Insider in the days after Guzmn"s extradition, and the cartel"s horizontal structure, which has allowed it to endure personnel changes, may also help it survive in the near term.

Nemesio Oseguera, aka "El Mencho," the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel. Screenshot

"But I think that Nemesio Oseguera, "El Mencho," from the New Generation cartel, will perceive it as weakness," Vigil said, "and one of the things that Mencho wants to do is he wants to control the drug routes along the 2,000-mile border" between the US and Mexico.

Oseguera "needs to control as much of that area as he possibly can," saidVigil, author of "Metal Coffins: The Blood Alliance Cartel."

"They may decide to go on an all-out offensive on the Sinaloa cartel now that Chapo is no longer in the country," he told AFP.

In addition to Tijuana, where the CJNG"s partnership with an old Sinaloa cartel foe haspushed violence in Baja California to new highs, the CJNG and Sinaloa cartels are clashing elsewhere in the country.

In tiny Colima state, on Mexico"s west coast, the Sinaloa cartel reportedly showed up in late 2015, partnering with remnants of another cartel to challenge the CJNG for control of the state"s port and trafficking routes in the area. Since then, drug-related violence has pushed the body count in the state to new heights.

Colima"s homicide rate rose from just under 14 per 100,000 people in 2014 to over 23 per 100,000 in 2015. It then nearly quadrupled in 2016, hitting 81.55 per 100,000, nearly five times the national rate.

Mexican government data

Both groups appear to be involved in violence in Veracruz, on Mexico"s Gulf coast.

In that state, where the CJNG made a significant push several years ago, Vigil said, a panoply of cartels is vying for control over the state"s large port, which facilitates the import of precursor chemicals for synthetic drugs, as well as over the smuggling routes that criss-cross the state.

Recent violence in Quintana Roo, in Mexico"s far southeast, has also cast light on another area of CJNG-Sinaloa competition.

While two recent shootings don"t appear to have involved Sinaloa and CJNG, they were the latest in a series of violent events that CJNG and Sinaloa have contributed to.

As with the CJNG"s advance on Tijuana, its designs on Quintana Roo, home to tourist hotspots of Cancun and Playa del Carmen, are likely part of its north-south expansion efforts, as the statehas long been a major transshipment point for drugs coming from South America destined for the US.

The CJNG and the Sinaloa cartel also have home turf in adjacent parts of Mexico"s west coast. The Sinaloa cartel emerged from and remains dominant in Sinaloa state, while the CJNG has its stronghold in Jalisco, farther south.

Their geographical proximity and growing conflict appeared to come to a head in August last year, when at least one of Guzmn"s sons was kidnapped from an upscale restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, which is in Jalisco state.

Guzmn"s son was released unharmed several days later, and while that kidnapping appears to have been orchestrated by low-level members of the CJNG, the incident shows that the Jalisco cartel is within striking distance of the Sinaloa cartel.

Footage of gunmen entering a Puerto Vallarta restaurant during the kidnapping of "El Chapo" Guzmn"s son, August 2016. Omar Gonzalez/YouTube

In addition to external threats, internal clashes seem be a threat to the Sinaloa cartel"s stability and cohesion, and in turn to the security of the areas it operates in.

Despite his prominence, Guzmn was not the only Sinaloa cartel leader. Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada andJuan Jose Esparragoza Moreno, aka "El Azul" both reclusive and the latter rumored to be dead have long been considered Guzmn"s peers at the top of the cartel.

Now Zambada andGuzmn"s sons are believed to be vying for control, reportedly competing with Guzmn"s brother for control of Sinaloa state itself.

Zambada "continues being the principal director of the [Sinaloa] federation and he is the most important narco in Mexico," Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope told El Pas in October, "but right now it is not known what is his position" in the cartel.

Screenshot via D.E.A

"I still say that Ismael "Mayo" Zambada has literally been running the Sinaloa cartel," Vigil told Business Insider after Guzmn"s extradition.

"This conflict (between the cartels) will continue," Hope told AFP. "But it could accelerate with an internal conflict."

According to security officials who spoke with Mexican news site El Debate, Guzmn"s sons appear to be the cartel"s current leaders, but Aureliano Guzmn Loera, aka El Guano, their uncle and Guzmn"s brother, actually has the most power within the cartel.

El Guano is considered most violent and reportedly controls several key territories in Sinaloa state, including the La Tuna municipality, where Guzmn was born and where his mother lives.

He was reportedly involved in an ambush on September 30 that left five Mexican soldiers dead.

That attack is now thought to be an effort by Zambada"s faction to stir up trouble in territory control by Guzmn"s sons, his rivals for control of the cartel.

Other former Sinaloa members and former allies have taken aim at the cartel in recent months as well, likely emboldened by Guzmn"s arrest.

While the CJNG looks set to grow in power, and may perhaps soon eclipse Guzmn"s organization, the Sinaloa cartel"s internal disputes, which have boiled over into bloodyconfrontations in recent months, may be the most proximate cause of the cartel"s eventual demise.

Internal rivals, like external foes, are all likely to see Guzmn"s extradition, as well as the continued uncertainty aboutfigures like Zambada, as opportunities to pursue control, which is sure to escalate the violence.

"So there some internal dissension, and a lot of that is driven by like plaza bosses that are not happy, and then you have "Mayo" Zambada and then you have "Chapo" Guzman"s sons, and they"re all vying for power," Vigil told Business Insider. "So unless something breaks, the disintegration of Sinaloa, if you will, will not be external. It will be internal."

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/el-chapo-guzman-extradition-effect-sinaloa-jalisco-cartel-fighting-2017-1

Dow Jones makes history, what that means for you

Dow Jones vs. S&P 500: What’s the difference?

RADFORD, Va. (WDBJ7) It"s been a historic week on Wall Street. The Dow Jones is above 20,000 for the first time.

Investors are calling this a "Trump rally" after the new administration started forming its agenda. Some say it"s the anticipation of the new president"s promises to encourage more business friendly policies.

It"s part politics and part economic trends that helped the dow jones industrial average reach new heights.

"Certainly the business community did think that regulations had grown quite a bit over the last eight years or so," said Steven Beach, Radford University"s associate dean of the College of Business and Economics.

He says fewer regulations on businesses is more positive for the economy.

Change in the administration is being mirrored in the stocks. Just this week President Trump signed executive orders to revise trade agreements - at the same time the Dow rose higher.

"Financials are going to do well generally in an environment where we expect it to be a pro-business, pro-economy administration. Furthermore when we look at it that way we can expect there to be inflation also and that is what"s driving a lot of this," Beach said.

This has impacts on us all, even people not invested in the market place. First, Beach says, it can generate tax revenues that help fund state and federal services. Also, the stock market usually predicts upcoming trends in the economy.

"And if that"s truly the case and it"s correct, then this is a sign that we should expect the economy to be growing," Beach said.

Wall Street is expecting the stock prices to climb higher if investors stay optimistic about the future.

Source: http://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Dow-Jones-makes-history-what-that-means-for-you-412012955.html

Stephen Miller: No Citizen From A Foreign Land Has A Constitutional Right To Enter US

Stephen Miller on Don Lemon CNN 2016/06/21

trump senior policy advisor stephen miller said that every single person denied a visa could file a legal claim because they could not enter the U.S. He said such people who fall into this category enjoy no legal benefits.

"The immigration orders were drafted by a team of some of the most qualified, talented lawyers in the USA," Miller said on Monday"s edition of Tucker Carlson Tonight on the FOX News Channel. "I am proud to have the opportunity tonight to stand up for President Trump"s order and to defend the action as lawful, necessary and important."

Miller said the decision to fire acting Attorney General Sally Yates further shows Trump"s cabinet nominees need to be confirmed, namely U.S. Attorney General designate Jeff Sessions.

"It was a betrayal of her office and [Sally Yates] is being replaced with somebody who will enforce the laws of the U.S," Miller announced.

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/01/30/stephen_miller_no_citizen_from_a_foreign_land_has_a_constitutional_right_to_enter_us.html

Plot Twist: James Marsden Has A 15-Year-Old Son, And They Look Exactly Alike

James Marsden Takes Mini-Me Son to 2017 SAG Awards | E! Live from the Red Carpet

In a plot twist straight out of westworld, james marsden has a look-alike robotic host teen son.

Dimitrios Kambouris via Getty Images

David Livingston via Getty Images

Given Marsdens youthful appearance, many viewers were shocked to learn the actor was over 40, let alone the fact he has a 15-year-old son.

Even more confusing to fans than Jacks age was his striking resemblance to his father.

What is this magic? Allow us to advance one theory:

Just kidding! Were sure its just the power of genetics, not the machinations of a team of scientists.

Frazer Harrison via Getty Images

Well ... 99.8 percent sure.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/james-marsden-has-a-teenage-son-what_us_588f95ffe4b0c90efeff1655

Trump Impeachment Campaign Begins

Professor who called Trump election now predicts impeachment

Even as Donald Trump took the oath of office on Jan. 20 and the national conversation turned to foreboding interpretations of his inaugural address, a very different story was unfolding. Two public interest nonprofits launched a campaign to begin an impeachment investigation into the new president.

At issue are Trumps businesses, both at home and abroad, which may result in payments from foreign governments or from the U.S. or state governments. Thats something many legal scholars believe is explicitly forbidden by a clause in the U.S. Constitution that reads:

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

The two groups, Free Speech for People and RootsAction, have a website (impeachdonaldtrumpnow.org) with model legislation they want to see introduced in Congress, as well as a petition and a host of other ways to take action. I spoke with John Bonifaz, co-founder and president of Free Speech for People, to learn more about the campaign. Bonifaz is an attorney and political activist specializing in constitutional law and voting rights. Hes based in Amherst, Massachusetts.

James Trimarco: Whats the emoluments clause?

John Bonifaz: There are two emoluments clauses in the U.S. Constitution. The Foreign Emoluments Clause makes clear that the president or any other elected official shall not receive any gifts or payments from foreign governments. Thats there because we want our elected officials, including the president, to be beholden to the people of the United States and not to foreign governments.

Its clear with Donald Trumps business empire all over the world144 businesses in 25 countries that he either owns or receives licensing income fromthat he has foreign payments coming to his business on a regular basis. He also has debts to many of those foreign countries. He has a nearly $1billion debt to the Sovereign Bank of China, the state-owned bank of China.

He has a nearly $1billion debt to the Sovereign Bank of China.

The second emoluments clause is the Domestic Emoluments Clause, which applies solely to the president and makes clear that he or she shall not benefit from any gifts from the federal government or from state governments and that the salary alone is what the president shall receive. Thats because we do not want a president whos serving his or her own personal financial interests in carrying out the duties of the presidency.

Trump is in violation of that one, too. For example, he has received $885million in tax breaks since 1980 from the New York state government for his businesses there. If he continues to get those and other tax breaksand he willthose are essentially gifts from the states to the president.

And then, when he makes decisions on behalf of the federal government that benefit his business, hes created a conflict of interest.

If he decides, as has been reported, to overhaul the executive order that the Obama administration issued on overtime pay, that will directly benefit the bottom line profit of his businesses at the expense of workers. That is an example of a policy that is clouded by a conflict of interest.

The emoluments clauses are anti-corruption provisions in the Constitution and this new president is in direct violation of them. These violations are impeachable offenses.

Trimarco: Is there any historical precedent for a president being in violation of these clauses?

Bonifaz: There have been findings in the past of presidents who have taken gifts and been seen as in violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clausebut not in recent times. This is an unprecedented situation in modern American history, where we have someone so flagrantly violating both of these clauses in the Constitution.

The reason is that for decades, before they took the oath of office, presidents have divested from their businesses and put those assets in a blind trust. Jimmy Carter famously sold his peanut farm. And this president has been warned repeatedly that he, in fact, needed to do that before he took the Oval Office, or he would be in violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause on day one. And yet, he decided not to.

His refusal to fully divest from his business means hes on the road to an impeachment investigation.

Hes come up with a so-called plan to address it, which involves his two sons running the company. But he still owns the company. So this has not been remedied in any way whatsoever. What is happening here is we have a president who is treating the office of the presidency like a profit-making enterprise. The president is a public servant, and Mr. Trump does not seem to understand that basic concept.

At this point, he can either resign the office of the presidency and resume his role as a businessman, or he can face impeachment. But his refusal to fully divest from his business means hes on the road to an impeachment investigation.

Trimarco: When it comes to the campaign that your group, Free Speech for People, is doing together with RootsAction, what steps have you taken so far?

Bonifaz: We launched this campaign with RootsAction on the day Trump took office. Were already past the 200,000 point in petition signatures. I expect those numbers to grow exponentially as people learn about this campaign and learn about these direct violations of the Constitution.

We anticipate that a member of Congress will step forward and have the courage to introduce our proposed resolution, which formally starts the impeachment process with the call for an impeachment investigation.

That resolution will have to be approved by members of Congress. And we recognize that there are Republicans who will need to come on board with this resolution. But as time goes forward, and more and more evidence comes forward as to the defiance that this president exhibits toward the Constitution, I think there will be Republicans who are willing to step forward.

Trimarco: I saw a story on Breitbart that claimed that there were connections between this campaign and George Soros Open Society Foundation. How do you respond to that criticism?

Bonifaz: Theres no connection whatsoever. It is a fiction. Free Speech for People has received a total of $25,000 from the Open Society Fund, which we received in 2015 to support a symposium we were doing on money in politics at Loyola Law School. Free Speech for People is not a major recipient of funding from the Open Society Foundation; that is the only grant we have received from them. I am not aware of RootsAction being a major recipient of Open Society funding. Im not talking to staff at the Open Society Foundation. I have no idea whether they support this or not.

Trimarco: If there are readers who want to get involved in this, what are some of the steps you would suggest?

Bonifaz: We have on our Take Action page on the website a number of ways for people to get involved. The first way is to sign the petition. Then share it with friends and networks to spread the word about this campaign, to post it on Facebook and Twitter, to send it around to your friends and neighbors. We also are urging people to call their members of Congress and urge that they introduce this resolution oronce its already been introducedto support the impeachment investigation.

Right now our strategy is to get this moving right away.

We have on our website in that section a draft model resolution that we urge people to get passed in their local communities. Go before your city council, or county commission, or state government, and get your community on record calling for this impeachment investigation to begin in the House of Representatives. We need the support financially of people from around the country to help lift up this campaign, to do this organizing, legal, and communications work.

Trimarco: Do you feel this would be more likely to pass through the Judiciary Committee if the House were to flip to the Democrats in 2018? Is that part of your strategy?

Bonifaz: Right now our strategy is to get this moving right away. Waiting two years is not acceptable. This is a president who is flagrantly in violation of the Constitution from day one. He needs to face these impeachment charges now, not two years down the road.

I have to say that, with respect to the skeptics who say theres no way this could get through the House of Representativesthere were plenty of people who thought there was no way Donald Trump would be the nominee for the Republican Party. There were plenty of people in this country who thought there was no way he could win the election. So we are living in unprecedented times. For people who care about our democracy and our Constitution and want to defend our republic, at this point that means moving forward with impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.

Source: http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/trump-impeachment-campaign-begins-20170126

Monday, January 30, 2017

Days Of Cyclops Past: James Marsden Rumored To Be On The Shortlist For Green Lantern Casting

James Marsden"s scary horseback riding moment in "Westworld"

Excitement is building for Green Lantern Corps, a movie that promises to give us not one but two Green Lanterns in what"s been teased as "Lethal Weapon in space". In terms of casting the most famous Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, fans are tossing around names like Tom Cruise, Joel McHale, Armie Hammer, Jake Gyllenhaal, and even Ryan Reynolds! But one report indicates a veteran superhero actor could well be in for the role...

Meet James Marsden

A seasoned actor, #JamesMarsden made his superhero debut in 2000"s X-Men, where he was cast as Cyclops. He played the role through the first #XMen trilogy, but it"s not really viewed as his best work; he was only really given a chance to show his acting skills in the last film, when Jean Grey"s resurrection brought the repressed Cyclops"s emotions to the surface. Unfortunately for Marsden, that was also the scene where his character was killed off!

The problem, you see, was that like Bryan Singer himself Marsden had been drawn to another project: Superman Returns. This was really Marsden"s breakout role, as he played Lois Lane"s fiance, who had to deal with the return of the Man of Steel - and the fact his fiance was in love with Superman! He was soon taking on major roles in films like Hairspray and Enchanted.

A very different James Marsden in "Enchanted". [Credit: Disney]

#Westworld has given Marsden"s career another boost. Marsden played Teddy Flood, a major figure in the sci-fi drama, and right now the sun is shining on all things Westworld. Superhero fans may not have been impressed with marsden"s performance in x-men, but in the years since, he"s proven himself to have real star caliber. Personally, I think he"d play a great Hal Jordan.

How Likely is This?Hal Jordan. [Credit: DC Comics]

Warner Bros. is undoubtedly considering a whole range of options for the role of Hal Jordan, one of the two stars of Green Lantern Corps. Trying to confirm the initial reports about the casting shortlist from The Wrap, We Got This Covered reached out to sources inside Warner Bros. - and they named James Marsden.

"Ive heard one more name, too. Ever since Westworld Marsden has been pretty hot around here. Theyve discussed him for Hal as well."

Now, it"s worth noting that this is one unconfirmed report, and that according to this, Marsden"s name is only being "discussed". In truth, Warner Bros. will only be at the first stage of casting right now throwing out names to see which ones fit. What"s more, the studio won"t just be considering actors in isolation; Green Lantern Corps has two stars, not just the one, and the dynamic between these two actors is what will really sell the role.

Green Lantern John Stewart. [Credit: DC Comics]

This is where I think Marsden shines. He"s proven that he can build strong rapport with his co-stars Superman Returns, Enchanted and Westworld all demonstrated that. His star is on the ascendant after Westworld, and he"d pretty much be a perfect fit for this kind of partnership movie.

Terrorist attack on Quebec mosque kills 6

MOSQUE SHOOTING - QUEBEC CITY - 5 DEAD - TRUDEAU IMMIGRATION - TRUMP MUSLIM BAN

QUEBEC CITY (AP) A shooting at a Quebec City mosque during evening prayers left six people dead and eight others wounded in an attack that Canadas prime minister called an act of terrorism. Police arrested two suspects.

More than 50 people were at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre when the shooting erupted Sunday night. Some of the wounded were gravely injured, Quebec provincial police spokeswoman Christine Coulombe said early Monday. The dead ranged in age from age 35 to 70, she said, and 39 people were unharmed.

One suspect was arrested at the scene and another nearby in dOrleans, and police said they did not believe there were other suspects. Police didnt release names of the suspects or give a possible motive.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard both characterized the attack as a terrorist act, which came amid heightened tensions worldwide over President Donald Trumps travel ban on several Muslim countries.

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We condemn this terrorist attack on Muslims in a center of worship and refuge, Trudeau said in a statement. It is heart-wrenching to see such senseless violence. Diversity is our strength, and religious tolerance is a value that we, as Canadians, hold dear.

Boston police boost security around mosques

No known threat has been issued against Boston mosques in the wake of the terror attack in Quebec City.

Muslim-Canadians are an important part of our national fabric, and these senseless acts have no place in our communities, cities and country, he said.

Canada is generally very welcoming toward immigrants and all religions, but the French-speaking province of Quebec has had a long-simmering debate about race and religious accommodation.

The previous separatist government of the province called for a ban on ostentatious religious symbols such as the hijab in public institutions.

In the summer of 2016 a pigs head was left on the doorstep of the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre in the middle of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Practicing Muslims do not eat pork.

The Muslim community was the target of this murderous attack, Couillard said at an early morning news conference. He said solidarity rallies would be held across Quebec on Monday.

Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume, appearing shaken, said, No person should have to pay with their life, for their race, their color, their sexual orientation or their religious beliefs, Labeaume said.

Cultural Centre President Mohamed Yangui said the shooting in occurred in the mens section of the mosque. He said he wasnt at the center when the attack occurred, but he got some details from people on the scene.

Ali Hamadi said he left the mosque a few minutes before the shooting and said a friend, Abdelkrim Hassen was killed. He said Hassen, who worked in information technology for the government, had three daughters and a wife, whom he had to notify of the death.

quebec city police spokesman Constable Pierre Poirier said the mosque had been evacuated and the situation was under control.

Trudeau had earlier reacted to Trumps visa ban for people from some Muslim-majority countries by tweeting Saturday: To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada.

Trudeau also posted a picture of himself greeting a Syrian child at Torontos airport in late 2015. Trudeau oversaw the arrival of more than 39,000 Syrian refugees soon after he was elected.

The mayor of Gatineau, Quebec, near Canadas capital of Ottawa, said there would be an increased police presence at mosques around his city following the attack.

The New York Police Department also said it was stepping up patrols at mosques and other houses of worship.

NYPD is providing additional protection for mosques in the city. All New Yorkers should be vigilant. If you see something, say something, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Twitter.

Our prayers tonight are with the people of Quebec City as they deal with a terrible attack on a mosque. We must stand together, de Blasio said in another tweet.

Canadas public safety minister, Ralph Goodale, said on Twitter Sunday that he was deeply saddened by the loss of life. His office said no motive had been confirmed.

Francois Deschamps, an organizer of a refugee-support group in Quebec City, said the motive for Sundays attack was unknown, but right-wing groups are very organized in Quebec City, distributing fliers at the university and plastering stickers around town.

Deschamps said he has received death threats after starting a refugee support group on Facebook and people have posted his address online.

Im not very surprised about the event, Deschamps said. The Canadian Council of Imams said in a statement that Islamophobia has killed innocent Canadians.

We ask all decent people to stand against hatred of Islam and Muslims in any forum, the statement read. Our message to anyone in the Canadian Muslim community who may experience Islamophobia is not to suffer in silence.

Andre Pichette/EPA

Police hung up paper to cordon off the crime scene at the mosque.

Rob Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Sean Farrell in Montreal contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEa6-THOe0T5YXJsYmTPNH8p5dYdw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&ei=kpSPWNiRNsTC3gHEi6OgBA&url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2017/01/29/quebec-city-police-say-there-been-shooting-mosque/b8OYHhP53HyuMrIkNvhBzN/story.html