Democrats want Biden to pardon felons in jail due to laws he supported
House Democrats are calling on President Joe Biden to grant more pardons and commutations before his administration ends Monday, Jan. 20. The lawmakers said the president should focus on nonviolent drug offenders, women who committed crimes against abusers and those with sentencing disparities for similar crimes, like powder and crack cocaine offenses.
“Every single pardon, every single commutation, every single life matters. So President Biden must keep going,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said.
The lawmakers said President Biden should thoroughly review the more than 10,000 pending commutation applications. They contend there are many incarcerated individuals who do not pose a threat to society.
“Mass incarceration continues to be a stain upon the soul of our country, ravaging our communities, destabilizing families and exacerbating generational trauma,” Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., said.
There are three laws in particular that advocates blame for what they describe as harsh sentences for federal crimes — the 1984 crime bill, 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act, and the 1994 crime bill. President Biden either co-sponsored or voted in favor of each one as a senator.
“The current president was a part of creating the problem of mass incarceration. And like, we’re not even blaming him, because that time there was a demand,” DeMareo Cooper, with the Center for Popular Democracy, said. “But like all of us, we can learn from our mistakes.”
Before he became president, Biden expressed regret for writing and supporting the legislation. During an event in 2019 he referred to the disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine in federal sentencing.
“It was a big mistake that was made,” Biden said. “We were told by the experts that ‘crack, you never go back,’ that the two were somehow fundamentally different. It’s not. But it’s trapped an entire generation.”
“Clemency is paramount in criminal justice. This tool, which is granted to the president, equips him with the ability to bring about fairness to Black lives that have been affected by bad policy,” Patrice Willoughby, with the NAACP, said.
Clemency advocates also point to the many inmates who give back to society. There are more than 1,000 California inmates fighting wildfires in the LA region. They are paid up to $10 per day plus $1 per hour on duty.
“Risking their lives to save lives, only to return to a jail cell at night,” Pressley said. “Now I think that makes the case, if we need it anymore, of people who should not be incarcerated, who should be reunited with their families.”
Border Patrol seizes backpacks filled with $1.1M of cocaine near Canadian border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said agents found two backpacks stuffed with over a million dollars worth of cocaine near the Canadian border. Officials said 78 pounds were recovered in the woods in Washington state.
According to a news release on Monday, Dec. 23, agents were patrolling the area and found the large black bags lying on the ground. When they looked inside, they found 30 “brick-like packages,” each of which contained a “white powdery substance, according to the press release.
Border officials said these agents typically stop illegal drugs from entering various communities along the northern border.
“Our agents work tirelessly day in and day out to protect this nation, and this seizure highlights that crucial commitment.”
Chief Patrol Agent Rosario “Pete” Vasquez.
Agents confirmed the powder found in the bricks was cocaine. The drugs were later turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Federal law requires most drugs seized by law enforcement to be destroyed. In some cases, the drugs are retained as evidence for future criminal proceedings.
Authorities haven’t announced any arrests in connection with the discovery.
So far this year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has seized more than 530,000 pounds of drugs. Meth, cocaine and marijuana are among the majority of the drugs recovered by agents.
Drug lord Fabio Ochoa released, returns to Colombia after 25 years in US prison
A convicted Colombian drug lord who served 25 years in a U.S. prison is now a free man in his home country. Authorities deported Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, 67, after he completed his prison sentence. He landed in Bogotá, Colombia, on Monday, Dec. 23.
Upon his arrival at the airport, Colombian authorities ran Ochoa’s fingerprints. They confirmed that he is not facing any criminal charges related to crimes he may have committed during his time with the Medellín Cartel throughout the 1980s and 90s.
Some Colombian historians believe the Medellín Cartel, under infamous leader Pablo Escobar, was responsible for killing more than 10,000 people in Colombia, according to The Associated Press.
Ochoa, a former drug lord and associate of Escobar with the Medellín Cartel, became a billionaire in the 80s. He played a significant role in smuggling cocaine from Colombia to the United States and other markets. Ochoa denies killing anyone –– a claim that victims of the Medellín Cartel’s violence refuse to believe.
In 1990, Ochoa and his brothers surrendered to Colombian authorities. He served nearly six years in a Colombian prison before his release in 1996. Authorities arrested Ochoa again in 1999, along with other drug lords, and extradited him to the U.S. in 2001. In 2003, he was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Now that Ochoa is back in Colombia, victims of Medellín Cartel crimes are voicing concerns about his freedom.
Carlos Fernando Galán, the mayor of Bogotá, is the son of Luis Carlos Galán, a presidential candidate killed by cartel hitmen hired by Escobar in 1989. Galán posted a message on X, stating it was “unacceptable” that Ochoa was not facing any charges in Colombia related to Medellín Cartel crimes.
Ochoa spoke to journalists at the airport, telling them U.S. prosecutors had framed him. He also said he had already “done his time” in a Colombian prison in the 1990s.
Peru’s Grinch tackles ‘naughty list’ leading to 3 drug arrests
The Grinch is busy as Christmas approaches, not stealing gifts, no, he’s cracking down on the naughty list, according to Peru’s National Police. On Sunday, Dec. 22, a police officer in Lima, Peru, disguised as the Grinch, reportedly led a law enforcement operation aimed at putting suspected members of a drug trafficking gang behind bars.
Peru’s National Police Agency released a video showing the drug raid. In the video, the Grinch is seen running down the street with a sledgehammer before breaking down a door to a building.
After gaining access to the building, the Grinch allegedly finds a stash of drugs. The video ends with the Grinch handcuffing a woman in the home.
In the video, police announce they’ve captured three accused drug dealers in the raid. The video also shows the Grinch standing next to what appears to be drugs and cash confiscated during the operation.
Authorities didn’t release the identities of those arrested. However, they did say they found packages of cocaine hydrochloride and cocaine paste, as well as measuring instruments.
The operation is part of Peru’s police tradition of dressing undercover agents as holiday characters during Christmas, Halloween and even Valentine’s Day.
Annual drug overdose deaths decreased by greatest number in US history: CDC
Drug overdose deaths fell 17% between July 2023 and July 2024, according to a new report released on Wednesday, Dec. 11, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although drug overdose death numbers won’t be added up until the end of the year, the CDC said the drop would represent the largest decrease in overdose-related deaths over a one-year period in U.S. history.
Still, since 2021, more than 100,000 people have reportedly died from drug overdoses each year. 2022 set a record for overdose deaths with more than 108,000 people who died. Overdose deaths went down in 2023 and continued to fall throughout 2024.
The White House credited the drop in deaths to its efforts like making Naloxone, a medicine designed to reverse opioid overdoses, available over the counter and cracking down on fentanyl production.
Most overdose deaths reportedly involve opioids, including fentanyl, and there has been a decrease in deaths associated with these drugs. However, a CBS News investigation previously found a rise in deaths involving other drugs like meth and cocaine.
Drug overdose survivor advocates also warn the Biden administration against taking a “premature victory lap.” They noted the fall in overdose deaths is good news but also acknowledged that the numbers overall remain much too high, especially among minorities.
Mental health and addiction experts also argued that the U.S. government still needs to invest in more recovery, treatment and prevention programs.
New charges filed in former One Direction Singer Liam Payne’s death
Two more individuals have been charged in connection with the death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne. The 31-year-old died on Oct. 16 after falling from a third-story hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
According to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone, the newly charged individuals include the hotel’s reception head and manager.
Details from the 911 calls
The reception head called emergency services twice around Liam Payne’s death. He reported a guest who was allegedly intoxicated and “trashing the entire room.”
In the second call, the receptionist asked dispatchers if police were on their way. When informed that police and Argentina’s emergency medical services (SAME) were en route, he requested that only SAME respond.
Rolling Stone reports the hotel still employs the reception head.
Charges remain unclear
It’s still unclear what charges the reception head and manager face. They joined three others previously charged in the case.
The first three individuals, detained in November, include two other hotel staffers and an individual accused of abandonment of a person leading to death.
Toxicology report
After Liam Payne’s death, a toxicology report revealed he had alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed antidepressant in his system.
The coroner confirmed Payne’s death resulted from internal and external bleeding, as well as a cranial injury sustained during his fall.
In November, there was a private funeral for Liam Payne in England. His family, girlfriend and former One Direction bandmates attended.
What happens next?
All five individuals charged will face interrogations in the coming weeks. A judge will then decide whether there is enough evidence to prosecute, drop the charges or take no further action.
Massive Australian cocaine bust reveals smuggling routes growing in Pacific
Authorities on two continents have made significant strides in the fight against the global cocaine trade. Australia and Columbia seized record amounts of drugs and uncovering sophisticated smuggling operations.
In Australia, a disabled fishing boat led to the country’s largest-ever cocaine seizure. In Columbia, officials intercepted “narco subs,” highlighting a growing Pacific trafficking route aimed at high-demand markets.
Authorities said drug runners smuggled the drugs from South America aboard a fishing boat. Officials said the drugs are valued at 760 million Australian dollars ($494 million).
The operation followed a tip about the Comancheros motorcycle gang and a monthlong investigation. Police said the smugglers made two failed attempts to transport the drugs from a “mothership” stationed in international waters.
Authorities arrested 13 people, including two minors. Some were arrested at sea, while others were detained onshore. They said the arrest happened while the suspects were waiting to collect the shipment.
The suspects face charges of conspiring to import drugs by sea, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Police Commander Stephen Jay said Australia’s high demand and high street prices for cocaine make it a lucrative target for organized crime.
Columbia
In Colombia, police seized six “narco subs” carrying cocaine during the week of Nov. 25. Authorities said this was part of a six-week operation involving 62 countries.
“Operation Orion” resulted in the capture of 1,400 metric tons of drugs, including 225 tons of cocaine and 128 tons of marijuana.
One semisubmersible vessel, intercepted in the Pacific Ocean, carried five tons of cocaine destined for Australia. Officials said the craft could travel up to 10,000 miles without refueling, indicating new trafficking routes targeting Australia, where cocaine sells for up to $370,000 per kilogram.
Colombian authorities said cartels have evolved into global networks, collaborating across continents to smuggle drugs to Europe, the U.S., and Oceania. Authorities arrested more than 400 people during the operation. They said the operation also revealed increasingly sophisticated smuggling methods.
Narco subs, first used by Colombian cartels in the 1990s, remain a primary method for transporting large quantities of drugs. Colombia, the world’s largest producer of cocaine, set records last year in production and coca cultivation. Australia, with the highest per capita cocaine use globally, is a key destination for traffickers.
Trump names campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff
Donald Trump makes his first staffing announcement as president-elect, naming his White House chief of staff. And a federal judge in Texas makes a ruling concerning undocumented immigrants married to American citizens. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.
Trump names campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) November 7, 2024
She will become the first woman to hold the job of chief of staff when Trump takes office on Jan. 20. It is a position considered to be the second most powerful job in Washington — behind the presidency.
Wiles, the daughter of the late NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall, also ran Trump’s campaign in the state of Florida during the 2016 and 2020 elections. Her political career dates back to Ronald Reagan’s years, when she worked as a campaign scheduler for his 1980 presidential bid.
In a statement, Trump said, “Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns. Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to make America great again.”
In the coming days, the president-elect is set to begin reviewing other names to build out his team, including filling cabinet positions. His son Donald Trump Jr. told Fox News the key factor each candidate must have is delivering on his father’s message and not someone who “thinks they know better.”
The GOP picked up a seat in Pennsylvania with several media outlets projecting Dave McCormick defeated Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey. Republicans now hold 53 seats in the chamber with two races, one in Nevada and one in Arizona, still to be called.
California governor calls special session to protect liberal policies
California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has called a special legislative session to protect the state’s liberal policies ahead of a second Trump presidency. Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Thursday they’re preparing to “protect California values” against the incoming administration.
California is ready to fight.
I just called an emergency special session to help bolster our legal resources and protect our state against any unlawful actions by the incoming Trump Administration.
Whether it be our fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom, or climate… pic.twitter.com/fIBPKsehot
“We know to take Trump at his word when he says he’ll roll back environmental protections, go after our immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, attack our civil rights and restrict access to essential reproductive care,” Bonta said. “Mr. Trump repeatedly overstepped his authority between 2016 and 2020. There’s no reason to think he won’t do it again. We checked him and we stopped him, and we pushed him back into his box when he tried to step out of it.”
The California special session is scheduled to start Dec. 2. Newsom is also calling on the state legislature to give the attorney general’s office more funding to battle federal challenges.
In his ruling on Thursday, U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker — who was appointed by President-elect Trump during his first term — said Congress has not given the executive branch the authority to implement such a policy. Campbell Barker had previously put an administrative hold on the regulation as he considered the lawsuit, which was brought by Texas and 15 other states.
The policy, which the Biden administration called “Keeping Families Together,” would have applied to spouses who have been living in the country for 10 years, as well as stepchildren. It could have affected between 750,000 and 800,000 people.
3 arrested in former ‘One Direction’ singer Liam Payne’s death
In a press release, Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office said authorities had arrested an employee at the hotel where Payne fell to his death last month, an alleged drug dealer, and a person who “accompanied the artist daily during his stay in the city of Buenos Aires.”
Officials said at least four supplies of narcotics were “conclusively proven” to have been addressed to Payne during his stay at the Casa Sur hotel between Oct. 13 and 16. Payne fell from a third-floor balcony of the hotel on Oct. 16.
Thursday’s report revealed that in the 72 hours before he died, Payne had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription anti-depressant in his system.
The hotel employee and alleged dealer are both charged with providing narcotics while the third person is charged with providing narcotics and abandonment of a person followed by death.
Man behind AOL’S iconic ‘you’ve got mail’ dies at 74
An iconic voice that defined a generation in technology has died.
Elwood Edwards, endearingly known as AOL’s “You’ve got mail” guy, died Tuesday. Nov. 5, at the age of 74 after suffering from a “long illness,” according to an announcement by local news station WKYC-TV in Cleveland, Ohio.
Edwards worked there as a graphics and camera operator, among other roles. According to the announcement, made Thursday, he died one day before his 75th birthday.
Toxicology report reveals Liam Payne died with ‘pink cocaine’ in his system
Liam Payne reportedly had “pink cocaine” in his system when he died after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, according to a toxicology report. The 31-year-old former One Direction singer’s tragic death has shed light on the dangers of the synthetic drug, known as “tusi,” which includes a mixture of methamphetamine, MDMA, ketamine and more.
Pink cocaine is an increasingly popular drug, especially in Latin America and Europe, known for its bright pink color and euphoric effects.
Getty Images
Despite its name, the drug often contains no actual cocaine, but instead combines substances that can have stimulant, dissociative and hallucinogenic effects.
The unpredictability of the ingredients makes the drug particularly dangerous, with users at risk of serious side effects such as unconsciousness, respiratory failure and even death.
Experts warn that the vibrant, designer appeal of pink cocaine can mislead users, who may believe they know what they’re taking. Its spread has been linked to a growing number of drug-related deaths.
The drug has gained notoriety due to its association with high-profile figures, including disgraced music mogul Diddy earlier in 2024.
Payne’s death adds to a tragic trend, and authorities are urging the public to be cautious about the growing presence of this highly dangerous drug.
Former Olympian is accused of running ‘ruthless’ drug smuggling operation
The U.S Department of Justice announced a federal indictment of former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding on Thursday, Oct. 17, which accuses him of running a billion-dollar cocaine trafficking operation and ordering the murders of several people.
“Instead of using his privileges that come with being an Olympic athlete to do good for people, he did the opposite,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada of the Central District of California, said. “He chose to become a major drug trafficker, and he chose to become a killer.”
Federal authorities said the 43-year-old Wedding’s transnational drug trafficking organization, backed by Mexican cartels, smuggled tons of cocaine across the U.S. and Canadian borders for more than a decade, using hitmen to kill people who got in their way.
“These individuals ran what we call the Wedding criminal enterprise,” Estrada said. “This criminal enterprise was extremely prolific and ruthless. By prolific, they moved massive amounts of cocaine. They were one of the largest suppliers of cocaine to Canada and the United States. They move an average of 60 tons of cocaine per year. By ruthless, they were killers. Anyone who got in their way, they would target with violence, including murder.”
Prosecutors said all victims of the assassins were shot execution-style in Canada, so their family members could see them murdered, including two parents in Canada, who were mistakenly thought to have stolen a drug shipment. The mother and father were shot in front of their daughter, who was also shot several times but survived.
Authorities seized cocaine, guns, ammunition, cash and more than $3 million in cryptocurrency.
Wedding is among four of the named 16 defendants in the indictment who are still on the loose and considered to be fugitives.
