‘Mexican America’: Sheinbaum trolls Trump, proposes renaming US
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum took aim at U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The jab came one day after Trump suggested renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”
During a news conference Wednesday, with an old global map displayed behind her, Sheinbaum sarcastically proposed that North America should be renamed “América Mexicana,” or “Mexican America.”
“Obviously, the Gulf of Mexico’s name is recognized by the United Nations, by a United Nations agency, but why don’t we call it (United States) Mexican America?” Sheinbaum asked. “Sounds nice, doesn’t it?”
Sheinbaum argued that the United States was once referred to by this name, according to a founding document from 1814. She also reiterated that the Gulf of Mexico has had its name since 1607.
When a reporter asked Sheinbaum about the incoming Trump administration, she said that Mexico would maintain good relations with the United States and President Trump. She cited the positive relationship Trump had with former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who also served as Sheinbaum’s political mentor.
While López Obrador was in office, he cultivated a relationship with Trump. Under U.S. pressure, Obrador’s government began blocking migrants from traveling north toward the U.S. border.
After Trump made the “Gulf of America” remark during a news conference on Tuesday, Jan. 7, he added, “Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country.”
He also claimed that Mexico is run by drug cartels and, in recent weeks, threatened Sheinbaum with tariffs on Mexican imports unless her administration does more to stop migrants and drugs from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
In response to the cartel comment, Sheinbaum said, “In Mexico, the people rule.”
Weeks ago, Sheinbaum initially said Mexico would not accept deportees from other countries. However, she later revised her position, stating that Mexico would accept deportees under certain conditions.
Mexico votes to end watchdog agencies, critics question gov’t transparency
The Mexican Senate passed a proposal to get rid of several independent watchdog organizations. While supporters said it will help reduce corruption and waste, critics said the country’s president is trying to eliminate a checks and balances system.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the bill will help reduce financial waste with savings from the agencies expected to go towards a new government pension fund. It would also be used for educational programs and for higher soldier salaries.
The new legislation is part of a plan pushed by the former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and is now supported by Sheinbaum, who said the INAI going away does not mean transparency in government will disappear.
The plan also includes constitutional changes, like a measure that would dismantle Mexico’s judiciary and allow citizens to choose nearly all judges, even in the Mexican Supreme Court.
This raises concerns that Morena, Mexico’s dominant party, will take over the courts. If the watchdog agency bill is approved by a majority of Mexico’s 32 state legislatures, most of which are controlled by Morena, then it will become law.
Large migrant caravan departs southern Mexico ahead of US election
A caravan of about 2,000 migrants left southern Mexico Sunday, Oct. 20, hoping to reach the U.S. southern border before the election on Nov. 5. This group is the third and largest since Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum took office Oct. 1. Sheinbaum is maintaining her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s immigration policies, according to reports from The Associated Press.
Other groups encompassing 800 or 900 migrants, mostly from Venezuela, left Mexico earlier in October. Venezuelan migrants said dire situations in their country are motivating them to look for better opportunities in the United States.
Migrants told the AP that they worry that after the 2024 U.S. presidential race, either a Harris or a Trump administration may bring an end to asylum appointments through the Biden administration’s CBP One app.
“That is what makes us fearful,” one migrant making the journey with his wife said. “They say this could change because they could both close the CBP One appointment and all the services that are helping migrants.”
One activist estimates about 40,000 migrants are currently stranded in southern Mexico.
The Biden-Harris administration faced sharp criticism for its handling of immigration as U.S. Customs and Border Protection numbers show agents have encountered 8.6 million individuals at the U.S. southern border from fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year 2024.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden signed an executive order expanding asylum restrictions for migrants looking to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Under the action, migrants will not be granted asylum when federal officials deem the border overwhelmed. Restrictions won’t be lifted until there are fewer than 1,500 border crossings per day for 30 days.
Immigration is a key issue for voters. On the campaign trail, former President Donald Trump has said he will carry out mass deportations and hire 10,000 border patrol agents, while Vice President Kamala Harris says she stands by the failed bipartisan Senate border bill that would have poured $20 billion into border resources and hired 1,500 new agents.
Mexican mayor’s murder prompts 4 mayors to demand more security
Four mayors in Mexico are demanding more security detail. The politicians’ requests come due to safety concerns stemming from the death of newly elected Mayor Alejandro Arcos, who was reportedly murdered just days into the job.
Mexican federal authorities announced on Tuesday, Oct. 8, that the request for federal protection came just a day after Arcos’ remains were found on Monday, Oct. 7. The requests for added security came from the Guerrero state and another state, Guanajuato, which has also been rocked by gang violence.
Meanwhile, few details have been released on Arcos’ homicide, but he did tell local reporters before his death that he needed more protection.
Mexico has recently been gripped by violence against public officials. In the lead up to the June election, at least 24 politicians were reportedly murdered, including a mayor in western Mexico, who was gunned down along with her bodyguard while leaving a gym, just hours after Claudia Sheinbaum won the Mexican presidency.
Sheinbaum laid out a plan on Tuesday to quell drug cartel violence. However, experts argue it’s the same approach as her predecessor who dubbed his tactics the “Hugs, Not Bullets” policy. Sheinbaum blames the violence largely on low wages and her solution is to rely on armed forces and appeals to criminal organizations to keep the peace.
A Mexican security analyst doesn’t agree with Sheinbaum, and instead said that the more likely cause of violence is cartels fighting over territory to smuggle drugs across the U.S. border.
Mexico’s Senate advances judicial overhaul reform in spite of mass protests
In a move that could have impacts far beyond its borders, Mexico’s Senate voted on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in favor of overhauling the country’s judiciary, an effort led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The approval clears the way for the contentious constitutional revision that forces all judges, including supreme court judges, to run for election. The legislation must now be ratified by the legislatures in at least 17 of the country’s 32 states.
López Obrador, who has ignored courts in the past, said that the plan cracks down on corruption by making it easier to punish judges.
President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, a López Obrador protégé, endorsed the overhaul, claiming it “will strengthen the delivery of justice in this country.”
However, critics fear it will do the opposite, threatening Mexico’s democracy and international relations.
Experts note that the reform could allow criminals to influence or politicians to sway judges’ opinions. U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar called the reform a “risk” to democracy and economic threat.
The changes have also scared investors, who have threatened to pull out of Mexico on the grounds the move violates the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement. They claim politicizing the court would jeopardize resolving international trade disputes, arguing that the reforms would “dismantle” the country’s “antitrust agency” and other protections.
Hundreds of protesters joined by opposition senators stormed the Senate chamber on Tuesday, Sept. 10, calling on lawmakers to strike down the proposal.
Mexico pauses relations with US Embassy over judicial reform comments
Mexico is not happy with the United States right now. Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced he is pausing relations with the U.S. Embassy because Ambassador Ken Salazar put out a statement that said the country’s proposed judicial reforms pose a “risk” to democracy.
“How are we going to allow the ambassador, with all our respect, this is not a matter of quarrel, of animosities, but how are we going to allow him to give his opinion that what we are doing is wrong?” López Obrador asked reporters rhetorically.
Mexico’s Congress will debate the reforms Sunday, Sept. 1. If approved, about 7,000 judges in the country, including its Supreme Court, would be elected by a popular vote. It would also shrink the size of the Supreme Court, and lower age and experience requirements.
“Based on my lifelong experience supporting the rule of law, I believe popular direct election of judges is a major risk to the functioning of Mexico’s democracy,” Salazar said in his statement. “Any judicial reform should have the right kinds of safeguards that will ensure the judicial branch will be strengthened and not subject to the corruption of politics.”
After the pause was announced, the U.S. Embassy said it respects Mexico’s sovereignty but still has concerns about the popular election of judges.
López Obrador said Salazar will not be required to leave the country and suggested the U.S. State Department is behind his public comments.
“Pausing means we are going to give us some time and hopefully the U.S. Department of State,” López Obrador said. “Because it’s not him.”
This is not the first time this month that López Obrador has expressed disapproval with the United States. Just two weeks ago, López Obrador said he agreed with the Mexican Attorney General’s decision to open an investigation into the arrest of drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada by U.S. authorities.
Zambada was arrested with Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of El Chapo, after their plane landed in New Mexico. Guzman allegedly wanted to turn himself in, while Zambada said he was taken against his will.
Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office announced it is considering charges for Guzman and anyone else who helped turn over “El Mayo.” The charges include “illegal flight, illicit use of airports, immigration and customs violations, kidnapping, treason and any other crimes that may apply.”
López Obrador said he opposes U.S. intervention in Mexico.
“Why don’t they change that policy in the United States? Why do they think that arresting one famous drug lord — or two, or three or 10 — is going to solve their [drug abuse] problem?” López Obrador said when the investigation was announced.
López Obrador said Zambada’s arrest could be part of a plot to smear him and his political party. He also has a “hugs not bullets” policy for fighting drug cartels.
Mexico considers treason charges for anyone who helped hand over drug lord
Prosecutors in Mexico are considering criminal charges for anyone who helped hand over the drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to the United States. In July, the Justice Department arrested Joaquin Guzman Lopez — Sinaloa cartel co-founder and El Chapo’s son — and Zambada after their plane landed at a small airport in New Mexico.
Guzman and Zambada are both leaders of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel. Guzman allegedly wanted to turn himself in, while Zambada said he was taken against his will.
The charges include “illegal flight, illicit use of airports, immigration and customs violations, kidnapping, treason and any other crimes that may apply.”
In Mexico, there’s an added meaning to its treason statute, it includes anyone who “illegally abducts a person in Mexico in order to hand them over to authorities of another country.”
According to the AP, that clause was added after someone kidnapped a doctor who was responsible for the torture and killing of a DEA agent in 1985, handing him over the to the United States.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador agreed with the decision to open a criminal investigation into Zambada’s arrest.
“[Zambada’s arrest] could have been an operation of the U.S. Department of Justice, and they must provide an explanation because we will find out anyway,” Lopez Obrador said at a press conference.
President Lopez Obrador has previously said he opposes U.S. intervention in Mexico. He also said the arrest could be part of a plot to smear him. This is the same president who has a “hugs not bullets” policy for fighting drug cartels.
“Why don’t they change that policy in the United States,” Lopez Obrador questioned. “Why do they think that arresting one famous drug lord — or two, or three or ten — is going to solve their [drug abuse] problem?”
Mexico’s president and Mexican prosecutors are expressing their disapproval of the operation after Zambada’s lawyer released a letter the drug lord wrote from prison that stated he was ambushed, kidnapped and taken to the United States against his will.
Those are serious accusations coming from a man who had a $15 million bounty on his head and faces murder, kidnapping and trafficking charges.
Zambada has already made two court appearances in the United States, he’s scheduled to make a third on Sept. 9. He’s being held without bond.
Where does Mexico’s new president stand on border, immigration, Trump?
Mexico elected Claudia Sheinbaum as its next president on Sunday, June 2, replacing Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Sheinbaum is from the same political party as López Obrador, so her political ideology and policies will likely mirror what is already in place in Mexico. However, she has also previously spoken about hot topic issues including the border, immigration and Donald Trump.
Sheinbaum has said that to slow the influx of migrants passing through Mexico to reach to U.S. starts with investing in the countries people are leaving.
By helping the economies of countries in Central America, Sheinbaum said those countries’ people won’t have to flee based on necessity. Sheinbaum suggested the U.S. could use some of its military funds to help those countries and allegedly reduce illegal immigration.
“So, to the extent that there is development in Central America and in other countries that unfortunately many people to leave for economic reason to the United States, the long-term vision is that there should be investment and support in those areas,” Sheinbaum said. “So, if a part of what is destined to war investment in the U.S. were destined to investment for peace, we would be talking about a natural decrease in migration.”
Sheinbaum also said the U.S. needs immigration to help with its labor shortage. She also opposed the construction of a border wall, saying it would not lead to a better relationship between the U.S. and Mexico.
When it comes to who is elected in 2024, Sheinbaum said either President Joe Biden or Donald Trump would be good for Mexico.
“I think it will be good, whether President Biden or President Trump wins,” she said. “We have very strong economic integration with the United States. We are now the principal trading partner and that requires us to have a good relationship.”
Gracias, gracias, gracias; no les voy a fallar. Vamos a avanzar con el Segundo Piso de la Cuarta Transformación. pic.twitter.com/vwXlA7w54X
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) June 3, 2024
According to the latest data, she received between 58 and 60 percent of the vote, the highest vote percentage in Mexico’s history.
“For the first time in 200 years of the republic, there will be a woman president and she will be transformative,” Sheinbaum wrote in a statement in Spanish on social media.
After the preliminary results, Sheinbaum assured supporters that her government would prioritize fiscal responsibility and maintain the central bank’s independence.
She promised to tackle security issues but provided few specifics. The election, marked by the murder of 38 candidates, was Mexico’s most violent and underscored deep-seated security challenges. Analysts note that organized crime has grown under Andrés Manuel Lòpez Obrador’s administration.
The violence continued on election day, with two fatalities at polling stations in Puebla. More than 185,000 people have died during Lòpez Obrador’s tenure, a record high, despite a slight decrease in the homicide rate.
In her victory speech, Sheinbaum thanked Lòpez Obrador as “a unique person who has transformed our country for the better.”
Jury selection to begin in Hunter Biden federal gun trial
Another historic trial begins on June 3, this time Hunter Biden — the son of the president of the United States — faces charges. And in Mexico, a woman is elected president for the first time in the country’s history. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, June 3, 2024.
Jury selection to begin in Hunter Biden federal gun trial
Just days after Donald Trump became the first former president to be found guilty on felony charges, President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, will be making history. Jury selection is set to begin in the federal gun case against him on Monday, June 3, making him the first child of a sitting president to go on trial.
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Hunter Biden is charged with lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application used to screen firearms applicants when he said he was not a drug user — at the time he was admittedly battling addiction — and illegally owning a gun for 11 days.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Hunter Biden has said he feels he’s been unfairly targeted by the Justice Department after a deal with prosecutors that would have resolved this case and a separate case into his taxes was thrown out by a judge.
Republicans decried that deal as “special treatment” because it would have had Hunter Biden plead guilty to only misdemeanor offenses to resolve tax crime charges against him and led to a “diversion agreement” on the gun charges.
Under that agreement, if Hunter Biden had stayed out of trouble for two years, those charges would have been dropped.
Hunter Biden’s separate tax trial, in which he is accused of failing to pay more than a million dollars in taxes, is set to begin in September.
Trump launches TikTok account, sits down with Fox after guilty verdict
Days after being found guilty in his criminal trial in New York, former President Donald Trump made his first public appearance over the weekend, launched his own TikTok account and sat down for an interview with Fox News.
Trump attended the Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday, June 1, where he was cheered on by thousands at the Prudential Center. During the event, Trump launched his TikTok account, quickly amassing over 3 million followers. His post from the UFC event has garnered over 60 million views since it was posted.
While president, Trump had advocated for banning TikTok in the U.S., a stance he has since reversed. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden, who signed a bill in April that could lead to TikTok being banned, also launched his own account earlier this year.
In his Fox News interview that aired on Sunday, June 2, Trump discussed the possibility of facing jail time or house arrest, stating he is “OK with it,” though he questioned whether “the public would stand for it.” Trump was convicted of falsifying business records to influence the 2016 presidential election and has denied any wrongdoing.
During the interview, Trump also commented on his political rivals following the verdict, stating, “And I say it and it sounds beautiful — my revenge will be success.”
Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
Mexico elects its first female president
In a historic landslide victory, Claudia Sheinbaum has been elected the first female president of Mexico, as well as the first Jewish person to hold that position.
According to the latest data, she received between 58 and 60 percent of the vote, the highest vote percentage in Mexico’s history.
“For the first time in 200 years of the republic, there will be a woman president and she will be transformative,” Sheinbaum wrote in Spanish on social media.
California ‘Corral Fire’ now 50% contained, evacuations lifted
California firefighters have achieved significant progress in controlling a wildfire that burned thousands of acres in San Joaquin County, located about 60 miles east of San Francisco. The blaze, known as the Corral Fire, burned about 14,000 acres.
Thousands of residents who had been evacuated due to the wildfire’s threat have been allowed to return to their homes.
Authorities, including teams from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory — a key center for nuclear weapons science and technology where the fire initially broke out — are investigating the cause of the blaze that began on Saturday, June 1.
Officials say the fire poses no threat to the lab.
Sally Buzzbee steps down as Washington Post’s executive director
Under her leadership, the Post won several Pulitzer Prizes but also experienced significant declines in audience and revenue.
Matt Murray, former editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal, will succeed Buzbee as executive editor. He is set to hold this position through the 2024 presidential election. Following the election, the Post plans to reorganize its newsroom.
Murray will head a new division focused on social and service journalism, while Robert Winnett, currently deputy editor of the Telegraph Media Group, will take over as the leader of the Washington Post’s core news coverage.
Michael Jordan autographed card sold for $2.92 million
More than two decades after Michael Jordan retired from the NBA, he’s still setting records. Over the weekend, a 2003-2004 Upper Deck autographed Michael Jordan card was sold at auction for nearly $3 million, marking the highest price ever paid for a Jordan card.
The card is especially valuable because it includes an NBA logo patch from a game-used jersey worn by Jordan during his time with the Chicago Bulls. The auction house has described it as the most sought-after Jordan card ever produced.
Despite this record for a Jordan card, it falls short of the overall record for a sports card. That record is held by a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, which sold for $12.6 million.
