Musk now attacks the German president: “He is a democratic tyrant.” Photo: Pixabay (Archive)
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In the midst of the effervescence caused by the public support shown by the American businessman Elon Musk for the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), the owner of SpaceX has returned to the charge with new statements, this time against the German president, Frank-Walter Stenmeier.
“Stenmeier is an anti-democratic tyrant! Shame on him!” Musk said in response to a post by an influencer close to the AfD party; the comment follows another one against German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, candidate for the head of the government, whom he called a “buffoon”.
According to the Deutsche Welle news agency, Steinmeier warned of possible manipulation in his country's elections during his speech on December 27, when he declared the dissolution of Parliament and called for elections on February 23, 2025.
“External influence is a danger to democracy, whether it is covert, as recently demonstrated in the elections in Romania, or open and obvious, as is currently being exercised with particular intensity on platform X,” he said at the time.
Musk's open support for the far-right party and his many offensive comments have sparked mixed reactions. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil accused the billionaire of repeatedly trying to "use his influence to influence the course of world politics."
SPD co-leader Saskia Esken told Reuters in an interview that there were “low-level attacks” against the German chancellor and president, which she said “shows their lack of respect for our democracy. Musk is disqualifying himself.”
Massive car crash on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 15 people. Photo taken from X.
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Mexico's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that two Mexicans are among the 35 people reported injured so far after the mass car crash on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, which left 15 people dead.
The attacker was Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US Army veteran, who drove his truck into people celebrating New Year's Eve in the French Quarter of this city.
The man, originally from Texas, was carrying an ISIS flag on his vehicle, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and shot and wounded two police officers. He eventually died in a shootout with security agents.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the two Mexicans injured in the attack are reported to be in stable condition. It added that the Mexican Consulate in New Orleans is maintaining contact with the victims' families and is providing the assistance and support that is required.
In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her solidarity: “We condemn the attack that occurred today in New Orleans. Our solidarity goes out to the families of the victims and to the people of the United States.”
Following the attack, the Mexican Consulate in New Orleans activated consular emergency protocols for anyone who requires them, through the telephone number 504-491-1577.
Ucrania detiene la exportación de gas ruso a Europa tras no llegar a un acuerdo. Foto: Gazprom
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El ministro de Energía de Ucrania, German Galushchenko, informó el cierre del paso de gas de origen ruso que pasaba por el territorio de este país, a través de antiguos gasoductos de la era soviética, durante los primeros minutos del 2025.
Esto debido a que expiró el acuerdo de tránsito del hidrocarburo que proviene de Rusia, el cual representaba aproximadamente la mitad de las exportaciones totales de ese país hacia Europa, y que ambos países en conflicto desde 2022 no pudieron llegar a un acuerdo.
“Hemos detenido el tránsito del gas ruso. Es un hecho histórico. Rusia está perdiendo sus mercados y sufrirá pérdidas financieras. Europa ya ha tomado la decisión de abandonar el gas ruso”, afirmó el ministro, en declaraciones recogidas por la agencia de noticias Reuters.
Por su lado, la empresa rusa Gazprom emitió un comunicado en el que confirmó la interrupción del suministro del gas natural que pasa por los conductos ubicados en Ucrania, lo que ha derivado en pérdidas por hasta 7 mil millones de dólares, según reporta la agencia informativa Europa Press.
Aunque la Comisión Europea ha señalado que la infraestructura de gas del continente es lo suficientemente flexible para seguir suministrando este hidrocarburo a las zonas central y oriental, países como Moldavia, Austria, Hungría y Eslovaquia serán los más afectados.
Those convicted of theft or certain drug-related offenses and retail theft could already be facing harsher penalties under an initiative voters approved this year, Proposition 36, which amends and adds key changes to California law.
Californians charged with certain drug and retail theft offenses could already be facing tougher penalties under an initiative voters approved this year, along with related bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In November, voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36, which amends and adds key changes to California law.
That includes allowing prosecutors to charge people convicted for a third time of various drug offenses with a so-called mandatory treatment felony, which would send them to substance abuse or mental health treatment instead of up to three years in jail or prison.
Under the new law, courts are also required to warn people convicted of selling or providing certain drugs, such as fentanyl, that they could face murder charges for later distributing illegal drugs that kill someone.
And petty theft and shoplifting offenses can also carry more serious consequences, including the possibility of up to three years in jail or prison if a person has already been convicted twice for certain theft offenses.
Several district attorneys and police departments announced this month arrests they planned to file under the new law, including in San Francisco, Solano and Shasta counties.
The measure partially reversed a different initiative that voters approved a decade ago, which reduced penalties for certain minor drug offenses and petty theft from felonies to misdemeanors. The initiative, Proposition 47, was aimed at developing new public safety strategies and reducing incarceration after the state’s prison population skyrocketed due to tough-on-crime policies dating back to the 1980s.
But prosecutors, law enforcement and major retailers who spoke in favor of Prop. 36 said those sentencing reforms went too far and created a revolving door for people to repeatedly commit crimes without being held accountable.
“It is a clear mandate from the public that we must take a new approach to public safety issues, specifically hard drugs, retail theft and fentanyl,” said Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig.
Opponents of the measure warned it would worsen homelessness, drug abuse and crime by cutting funding for treatment programs and increasing court and prison costs by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Behavioral health experts across the state have expressed concern about the efficacy of a crime requiring mandatory treatment, given that most California counties lack the resources to provide the “mass treatment” promised by proponents of the measure.
“I think (the proponents) have also been given a mandate to put in place problem-solving measures and support services for people who are struggling,” said Cristine Soto DeBerry, executive director of the California Prosecutors Alliance, a nonprofit that opposed Proposition 36.
“I don’t think the mandate was to put more people in prison. That’s not what people thought they were voting for. I hope that the people with the discretion to enforce this law think very carefully about the communities they serve and what they were asking for at this time,” she said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom tried to keep Proposition 36 off the fall ballot and briefly considered putting an anti-crime measure before voters. Instead, he signed a package of 10 bills in August that will make it easier to prosecute vehicle and retail thefts. Those laws take effect Jan. 1.
Although Gov. Newsom did not spend money fighting Prop. 36, he referred to the initiative as an “unfunded mandate” that will take California back to the War on Drugs. In fact, the measure included no new funding sources. But supporters like Reisig expressed optimism that funding opportunities already exist in the law, pointing to a $6.4 billion mental health bond that voters approved in March.
“I hope legislators and the governor will embrace the mandate and work collaboratively to ensure we are successful in fulfilling the promise of Proposition 36,” Reisig said.
Hombre que intentó estrangular a periodista diciendo “Esto es ahora el Estados Unidos de Trump”, Patrick Egan, de Colorado, enfrentará cargos por prejuicios, agresión en segundo grado, acoso e intimidación.
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Luego de intentar estrangular a un reportero de noticias de televisión de KKCO el pasado 18 de diciembre, después de exigirle saber su ciudadanía, diciendo “Esto es ahora el Estados Unidos de Trump”, Patrick Egan, de Colorado, enfrentará cargos por prejuicios, agresión en segundo grado, acoso e intimidación.
De acuerdo con el propio medio de noticias, a Egan le fijaron una fianza por 20 mil dólares y comparecerá ante el tribunal el próximo 2 de enero de 2025 a las 8:15 horas.
Los documentos de la policía, los oficiales se enteraron de que un hombre conducía desde Delta a Grand Junction, Colorado, cuando otro conductor comenzó a seguirlo en otro vehículo. En el área de HWY 6 y 50 y 25 Road, el sospechoso le pidió a la víctima su identificación y si era ciudadano estadounidense.
El sospechoso siguió a la víctima hasta la cuadra 2500 de Blichmann Avenue, donde se acercó a la víctima, la abordó y la estranguló antes de que varias personas pudieran intervenir y sujetar al sospechoso hasta que la policía llegó al lugar.
Así, Patrick Egan de 39 años fue detenido sin más incidentes. La víctima fue evaluada en el lugar.
La agencia The Associated Press (AP) refirió que Egan, quien conducía un taxi, se detuvo junto a Alex en un semáforo y, según su declaración, dijo algo como: “¿Eres siquiera ciudadano de Estados Unidos? ¡Esto es ahora el Estados Unidos de Trump! Soy un marine y juré proteger a este país de gente como tú”.
Alex Ja’Ronn fue el reportero de KKCO/KJCT afectado, quien en el momento del incidente cubría una noticia.
Racismo exacerbado
El presidente electo de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, tomará su cargo oficialmente el 20 de enero, pero tras nuevamente ganar las elecciones el pasado 5 de noviembre, el racismo se ha exacerbado en el país.
Eso no es nuevo pues, de acuerdo con un análisis de The Nation publicado en 2017, Trump aceleró un realineamiento del electorado en torno al racismo, según varios indicadores diferentes de animosidad racial, y que eso lo ayudó a ganar.
“El sistema político estadounidense se está organizando de tal manera que el progresismo racial y el progresismo económico están alineados en el Partido Demócrata, y el conservadurismo racial y el conservadurismo económico están alineados en el Partido Republicano”, señaló en ese momento el medio.
El documento refiere que el efecto de las actitudes hacia la inmigración en los blancos es incluso más fuerte que el de las actitudes anti-afrodescendientes. Los resultados, en ese entonces, predijeron una probabilidad de aproximadamente el 80 por ciento de votar por Trump para una persona blanca promedio con las actitudes más anti-inmigrantes, en comparación con menos del 20 por ciento para una persona blanca con las actitudes más pro-inmigrantes.
Douglas Brinkley, un historiador presidencial dijo a la agencia AP en 2018: “Lo que Trump está haciendo ha surgido periódicamente, pero en tiempos modernos, ningún presidente ha sido tan insensible racialmente y ha mostrado un desdén tan abierto por las personas que no son blancas”, dijo.
Brinkley también destacó que Trump fue el presidente más racista desde Woodrow Wilson, quien ocupó el cargo desde 1913 hasta 1921.
The Bay Area silverspot butterfly, an endangered species, is found in San Mateo, Sonoma and Solano counties, California. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the availability of a draft recovery plan for the Callippe silverspot butterfly (Speyeria callippe callippe). Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service.
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the availability of a draft recovery plan for the Callippe silverspot butterfly (Speyeria callippe callippe), an endangered butterfly found in San Mateo, Sonoma, and Solano counties, California.
Threats to the Callippe silverspot butterfly include habitat loss due to human activities, habitat modification by invasive grasses and native shrubs, pesticides, illegal collection, catastrophic population-level events, and threats associated with climate change.
Recovery plans are designed to guide recovery efforts for a species by addressing threats so that the risk of extinction is reduced to the point where the species no longer requires protection under the Endangered Species Act.
To that end, a recovery plan describes tactics to preserve and increase the health and population size of the species to the point where it can successfully withstand natural variability and catastrophic events and adapt to environmental change over time.
The agency received an investment of 62.5 million pesos in Inflation Reduction Act funds to address Endangered Species Recovery Planning efforts that will be implemented over the next several years to benefit more than 300 species currently listed under the Endangered Species Act.
The funding injection allowed the Service to hire additional biologists to complete the recovery plans necessary to recover the species and remove it from the Endangered Species list.
The Endangered Species Act has been effective in preventing species extinction and has inspired action to conserve endangered species and their habitat before they become endangered or threatened. Since the law was enacted in 1973, more than 99 percent of all listed species are still with us today.
The exchange of more than 300 prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine is shocking. Photo: From the account X @ZelenskyyUa.
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The latest exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine, this time amounting to 339 people, deeply shocked the victims and their families, whose images were shown by various international media.
This is the second prisoner exchange to take place in the past two months between the two warring countries; in total, there have been around 59 exchanges since 2022 involving more than 6,000 people from both sides, according to international news agencies.
Reuters news agency showed television footage of relatives and colleagues of Ukrainian servicemen waiting outside a building and crying loudly.
The Russian Ministry of Defence has also published images showing a group of freed soldiers on board a bus, with smiling faces and waving at the camera.
The deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates on New Year's Eve resulted in the handover of 189 Ukrainian servicemen by Russia, while Ukraine released 150 people. The reason for the discrepancy in the number of those released is still unknown.
Mexican who helped rebuild Notre Dame, his name is Alejandro Arredondo, among more than 2 thousand people, originally from Coacalco, State of Mexico, he was the only Latin American who participated in the project.
Another pride for Mexico!
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Alejandro Arredondo was the only Latin American architect to participate in the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, as he designed the digital model used in the restoration after the 2019 fire.
Among more than 2,000 people, Alejandro Arredondo, originally from Coacalco, State of Mexico, was the only Latin American who participated in the project.
“It was impressive to see the remains of burnt wood on the floor, to see the main vault open with nothing on it, it was impressive. It was a moment of shock,” Arredondo said in an interview with AD from France, where he lives.
His interest in architecture was born thanks to his father, who saw him build several works in Coacalco since he was a child.
“He is not an architect, but he built the house where we lived, he built it across the street, he built a house next door. I saw several of his works growing up. And one of his friends was a carpenter. So I remember that I liked the smell of wood and the smell of the workshop,” he said. CONNECT, the news site of the Monterrey Institute of Technology.
The graduate of PrepaTec and Tec de Monterrey State of Mexico campus is a specialist in Building Information Modeling (BIM), and with the developed model it was possible to reconstruct walls, spaces, ceilings and other parts of the emblematic building.
Arredondo coordinated a team that used three-dimensional scanners and high-precision drones to capture information and angles of the affected site.
“At first it was unknown, it’s not something you do every week,” said the Tec de Monterrey graduate, who also explained that he shared this task with an American classmate and an Italian classmate, during an interview with Architectural Digest (AD).
The architect arrived in Paris without a job and looked for work at several agencies until he was hired by Art Graphique et Patrimoine, an engineering agency specialising in historical monuments that has participated in interventions in sites such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre Museum, which was chosen by the authorities to develop the 3D projects that were the basis for the reconstruction.
Notre Dame Cathedral, considered one of the most emblematic monuments in France, was reopened on December 7, after more than 5 years of reconstruction work.
During his interview with AD, he shared the challenges he faced during the Notre Dame project, where there were masks, filters and overalls, but also the use of technology without damaging the architectural value of the work, since it is usually conceived to create new buildings, without considering the ravages of the passage of time such as inclinations and subsidence.
“Software is designed to create modern buildings where everything is straight, and Notre Dame broke with that,” explained Arredondo, who has participated in several public works projects in Mexico.
Since 2022, Alejandro has been a professor at the Sorbonne University, where he teaches digital modeling, specializing in historical monuments.
“I try to support students who are also involved in these engineering activities,” he said.
Regarding the future, he said during his interview with CONECTA of Tec de Monterrey that he would like to support the conservation of historical monuments in the world, in addition to continuing to give inspiring messages.
“Being a foreigner, being able to say that I contributed my stone to the building is something I would like many people to be able to feel,” he added.
Armas y tráfico de drogas en México, un problema que ha generado diversos discursos de doble moral por parte de Donald Trump, quien no considera que las armas que llegan a México provienen de Estados Unidos.
El presidente electo de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, ha advertido que declarará a los carteles mexicanos como organizaciones terroristas extranjeras, enfatizando el problema de armas y drogas que tiene México, convirtiéndose en un discurso de doble moral, señaló el periodista Manuel Ortiz.
Las declaraciones de Trump reflejan la idea de que Estados Unidos puede hacer “lo que se le da la gana” en el mundo, sin ninguna consecuencia, expresó Manuel Ortiz en entrevista con Marcos Gutiérrez durante el programa de radio Península 360 Press en Hecho en California.
“Donald Trump ha sido hipócrita y doble cara en el asunto de las armas, pues al hablar de armas se debería considerar el mercado de armamento que tiene Estados Unidos. Otro punto es el tráfico de drogas en Estados Unidos, otra doble cara, otra hipocresía, aquí no se habla absolutamente nada de eso, y la tercera, que lo dijo la presidenta de México, las adicciones, que es un asunto gravísimo de salud”, dijo.
Durante el programa de radio, Manuel y Marcos comentaron sobre la importancia de la salud física, pero también mental; la salud es un sector que preocupa y que Trump pone en riesgo.
“Parte del problema que nos genera tanta violencia en México, es la problemática de salud mental que hay en los Estados Unidos, no solo a las drogas, al alcoholismo, y si nos vamos más allá, al azúcar en la comida. Por otra parte, hay una descomposición social en los Estados Unidos que viene de hace mucho tiempo, donde cualquier político nos quiere dar clases de moral”, explicó Ortiz.
Marcos Gutiérrez informó que, por primera vez, México está haciendo demandas en contra de 5 compañías, en particular de Arizona, que venden armas, mismas que han sido encontradas en territorio mexicano.
Se estima que anualmente entran de contrabando a México entre 200 mil y medio millón de armas de fuego estadounidenses, hecho por el cual el gobierno mexicano ha interpuesto demandas: una contra el fabricante de armamento Smith & Wesson y uno de sus mayoristas, y una más que incluye a cinco tiendas de armas estadounidenses.
Por su parte, Claudia Sheinbaum ha comentado que México tiene la intención de colaborar y trabajar en conjunto, no así la permisión de que otros países, como Estados Unidos, interfieran en la seguridad nacional.
“Nosotros colaboramos, coordinamos, trabajamos juntos, pero nunca nos vamos a subordinar. México es un país libre, soberano e independiente y no aceptamos injerencias en nuestro país”, puntualizó la mandataria.
Sheinbaum refirió que, en México, se implementa la Estrategia Nacional de Seguridad, que tiene como eje principal la atención a las causas, para evitar que los jóvenes se acerquen a grupos delictivos y asimismo se fortalece la cero impunidad.
“Lo más importante para nosotros es construir la paz, en todo el país”, aseveró la presidenta de México.
Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy, has a degree in political science but is not a lawyer, and has warned that 249 public officials and employees of sanctuary zones could be prosecuted for interfering in the application of federal immigration laws. Photo: aflegal.org
An organization chaired by the far-right activist Stephen Miller, adviser to President Donald Trump, sent several letters, warning that 249 public officials and employees of sanctuary zones, such as those in California, could be prosecuted for interfering with the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
“Federal law is clear: illegal immigrants are subject to removal from the country, and it is a crime to hide, harbor, or protect them. Sanctuary policies are contrary to law, make a mockery of America’s democratic principles, and demonstrate an outrageous lack of respect for our Constitution and our citizens. Officials in charge of sanctuary jurisdictions have no excuse and must be held accountable,” said America First Legal Senior Counsel James Rogers.
The letters signed by the far-right organization America First Legal (AFL) Foundation are addressed to various public servants, including the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, and the San Diego County Supervisor, Nora Vargas, who recently resigned, arguing that she needed to protect her safety.
The message comes just weeks after the San Diego Board of Supervisors enacted a measure prohibiting local law enforcement from notifying immigration authorities about cases of undocumented individuals in local jails without a court order.
AFL has launched a multi-pronged initiative to hold elected officials in sanctuary jurisdictions across the country accountable for allegedly violating federal immigration laws. Image: X @America1stLegal
The new ordinance does not allow law enforcement officers to notify ICE about non-citizen inmates who are about to be released unless they have committed a serious crime.
Before the letter was released, California officials had already asked the Legislature for a budget of $25 million to spend on litigation costs with the Trump administration, including on immigration-related issues.
In turn, the AFL created a new interactive website called “Sanctuary Strongholds” (Sanctuary Fortresses) to provide detailed information about sanctuary jurisdictions across the country and contact information for elected officials who violate federal law.
/1🚨 BREAKING 🚨
AFL has launched a multi-pronged initiative to hold elected officials in sanctuary jurisdictions across the country accountable for violating federal immigration laws. pic.twitter.com/dDbN5VOGO8
The Sanctuary Strongholds website claims to be designed to “help Americans identify those responsible for imposing and maintaining illegal sanctuary policies so that appropriate legal action can be taken to hold them accountable.”
America First Legal is a far-right, pro-Trump group led by his former adviser, Stephen Miller, who has filed lawsuits against companies, among others, that support LGBTQ+ rights, arguing that they discriminate against white men.
“America First Legal is the long-awaited response to the ACLU. We are committed to an unwavering defense of true equality under the law, national borders and sovereignty, freedom of speech and religion, classical values and virtues, the sanctity of life and the centrality of the family, and our timeless legal and constitutional legacy. Through tireless litigation and oversight, we will protect America first, last, and always,” Miller says on the AFL website.
Miller, who was appointed by Trump himself as deputy director of the White House Policy Staff, has a degree in political science but is not a lawyer.
