INTERNACIONAL
Talarico campaigns with surgeon who operated on transgender minors: ‘Wolf in sheep’s clothing’
These are not Texas values, Ken Paxton says
Texas Attorney General and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Ken Paxton reacts to Rep. James Talarico’s, D-Texas., radical views on Christianity and gender on ‘Hannity.’
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Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is facing questions after fundraising with a «female-to-male» top surgeon who previously operated on minors shortly after saying that he does not support sex-change surgeries for children.
Talarico, a progressive Democrat, state lawmaker and Presbyterian seminarian, is running a highly competitive race to flip a Texas Senate seat for the first time in decades. He is opposing Republican state attorney general Ken Paxton. The seat is critical to both parties’ hopes of holding a Senate majority this next session.
During an appearance on the «Unity Over Division» podcast on June 8, Talarico responded to criticisms that he supports gender transition for minors by stating, «I oppose gender reassignment surgeries for minors.»
Days later, he participated in an Austin «Pride for Talarico» fundraiser that featured Dr. Dustin Reid, a female-to-male breast surgeon who confirmed with Fox News Digital that he previously operated on minors in «rare» cases prior to Texas banning the practice. He said that he no longer performs these surgeries in line with Texas law.
SENATE HOPEFUL SAYS TEXAS HOME TO THE ‘BEST DRAG QUEENS IN THE NATION’ IN RESURFACED COMMENTS
Left: Supporters of transgender rights rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol ahead of an advocacy day of meetings with state representatives on March 20, 2023. Right: Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. (Julia Robinson for The Washington Post via Getty; Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Speaking with Fox News Digital over the phone, Reid confirmed his participation in the event in support of Talarico. He said that «in the past, on a case-by-case basis, I would do that [female-to-male surgeries on minors] but not since they made it illegal in Texas.»
His practice’s website currently states he «does follow the WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) standards for patients under the age of 18.»
Reid clarified that, in line with WPATH’s guidelines, he previously performed FTM surgeries on minors, saying «it was rare but not completely unheard of.»
«There were occasions where someone would be under 18 and everyone involved in their care agreed that it was the best decision for this patient. But that was, like I said, rare because, for the most part, I like people to make the decision as an adult.»
WPATH’s «Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People» state that the association recommends health care professionals suggest «gender-affirming medical or surgical treatments» for adolescents only when said minor meets a set of conditions. These conditions include that the minor «meets the diagnostic criteria of gender incongruence,» which is «marked and sustained over time,» that the child «demonstrates the emotional and cognitive maturity required to provide informed consent/assent for the treatment,» and that «the adolescent’s mental health concerns (if any) that may interfere with diagnostic clarity, capacity to consent, and/or gender-affirming medical treatments have been addressed.»
WPATH requires minors receiving sex-change surgeries to be «informed of the reproductive effects, including the potential loss of fertility.»
The guidelines also state that while «in most settings, for minors, the legal guardian is integral to the informed consent process … for unique situations in which an adolescent minor is consenting for their own treatment without parental permission … extra care must be taken to support the adolescent’s informed decision-making.»
As Texas attorney general, Paxton notably recently joined the state in the Federal Trade Commission’s suit, which alleges that WPATH «falsely asserts that its recommendations are the result of rigorous scientific procedures and expert consensus, even though WPATH disregarded established guideline- development standards, ignored the results of its own evidence reviews, and removed age limits in response to external pressure rather than scientific evidence.»
TALARICO SAYS HE ‘HATES CHRISTIANITY’ IN UNEARTHED INTERVIEW WITH TRANSGENDER ‘LATINX’ THEOLOGIAN
Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general and Republican US Senate candidate, arrives to speak during a runoff election night event in Plano, Texas, US, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (Antranik Tavitian/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the website for Reid, who practices out of the Restora Austin Plastic Surgery Centre, says he has «extensive experience in FTM [female-to-male] top surgery.»
The center’s website features a large picture on the top of its page on FTM surgeries showing a young individual ripping a piece of paper with the word «female.»
Reid’s personal website features several before and after pictures of surgically removed breasts. The site states that «with over a decade of experience, he is known for delivering masculine, natural-looking results while providing a patient-first experience.» The website claims that «patients travel from across Texas and the United States because they trust his exceptional skill—and his empathy.»
«Our clinic provides an affirming, inclusive environment where your identity and goals are honored,» says the website.
When asked by Fox News Digital, Reid said he could not recall how many such surgeries he performed. While saying he does not oppose the ban outright, he told Fox News Digital that «a total ban on anything in medicine can be problematic.»
«For the most part, I think the bar should be higher for gender-affirming care or surgery in minority patients, but it shouldn’t be banned because, like I said, there were times where on a case-by-case basis it was the right thing for the patient,» he said.
While Talarico has recently come out against sex-change surgeries for children, he voted against a bill banning the practice in Texas in 2023. Around the same time, he said the ban on transgender surgeries for minors «infuriates me» and listed it as one of «the most dangerous» bills passed in Texas.
In a podcast appearance that same year, Talarico said the ban stemmed from the «Christofascism» movement. In another speech that year, he said that if Jesus visited the Texas legislature, he would say, «Blessed are the trans children who are bullied.»
SHOCK POLL: TALARICO TIES PAXTON IN TEXAS SENATE RACE, THREATENING GOP STRONGHOLD
James Talarico, a Democrat from Texas and US Senate candidate, speaks at a campaign event in Round Rock, Texas, US, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Talarico’s pride fundraiser this June also saw the participation of the Human Rights Campaign’s political action committee, which has endorsed his Senate run. The Human Rights Campaign previously opposed the Texas ban on what it called «evidence-based, life-saving health care for transgender adolescents.» Today, the group holds that «medically-necessary health care for Transgender people (called gender-affirming care) is under threat nationwide.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the Human Rights Campaign for comment.
Following his participation in the Austin event, Lone Star Liberty PAC spokesman Gregg Keller criticized Talarico, telling Fox News Digital he «is lying to Texans» by «claiming he doesn’t support child genital mutilation surgeries after fighting for them his entire political career.»
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«Talarico is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and his fundraisers last month with radical transvestite surgery activists proves it,» said Keller. «They are bankrolling his campaign because they know he still secretly supports their evil agenda of castrating young boys and amputating the healthy body parts of girls.»
In response, JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, reaffirmed that «James opposes gender reassignment surgery for minors.»
«While billionaire-bought politicians like Ken Paxton spread lies to divide Texans, James will continue to stand up against both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system and bring down costs for Texas families,» Ennis told Fox News Digital.
Meanwhile, Madison Cercy, a spokesperson for Paxton’s campaign, asserted that Talarico «is willing to sacrifice common sense at the altar of his extreme ideology, only to turn around and lie to Texans about the positions he has supported his entire career.»
Referring to Talarico as «Talacreepo,» Cercy told Fox News Digital that the Democrat «has a long history of denying biological reality, opposing protections for kids, and standing with the most radical activists in the country who have no regard for child safety.»
She said that «as Attorney General, Ken Paxton has fought to protect Texas children by defending girls’ sports, taking legal action against those who perform ‘transition’ procedures for kids, defending parents’ rights, and holding institutions accountable when they put ideology ahead of children’s safety.»
«The contrast couldn’t be clearer: Sanity vs. Extremism,» she added.
Fox News Digital also reached out to WPATH for comment.
elections, senate elections, woke, dei, texas, democratic party, midterm elections
Tom Homan: Democrats ‘lying’ about ICE facility conditions
Border czar Tom Homan refutes claims of inhumane conditions at a New Jersey ICE facility. Homan states, ‘Democratic politicians were lying’ about alleged hunger strikes and mistreatment after personally inspecting the medical, recreation and housing units. He found the facility well-maintained, even eating the same meal as detainees to verify food quality.
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The Trump administration plans to open up a new migrant holding facility next to an airport hub in Louisiana, potentially allowing the federal government to speed up deportations of families and unaccompanied children.
A holding facility with 528 beds is set to open in Alexandria, Louisiana near the Alexandria International Airport (AEX), according to The Associated Press.
The proximity to the airport is believed to make it easier for federal immigration officials to house illegal immigrants and unaccompanied children during final flight preparations, the outlet reported.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is describing the new Louisiana facility as a «staging area» and not a detention center, saying migrants would only be held there for a few days at most.
NEW YORKER SUING ICE AFTER OFFICERS WENT TO HIS HOME TO WARN HIM OVER CRITICISM OF AGENCY
FILE – The Trump administration plans to open up a new migrant holding facility next to an airport hub in Louisiana. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
«England Airpark is a staging facility for deportations. A staging facility is where illegal aliens await their deportation flight to their destination country or transfer to a detention facility,» a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, which deferred to DHS.
Airpark officials at the airfield where the structure is being built said the facility is a «humanitarian effort» for families who are «self-deporting,» but immigration advocates say families and unaccompanied children sometimes decide to leave due to pressure or a lack of an understanding of their options, The AP reported.
The facility would be stationed next to the nation’s largest hub for deportations.
More than 4,400 immigration enforcement flights came to and from the Alexandria International Airport last year, according to data from the ICE Flight Monitor, an initiative of Human Rights First.
ICE documents say families and children at the facility «are in the legal custody of ICE and can only be released at the direction of ICE.»
The agency has told contractors that families at the facility should not be referred to as prisoners, detainees or inmates, records show.
Contractors were instructed not to utilize bars or cages when transporting families and unaccompanied children. The facility will not be required to take headcounts and should allow families to wear their own clothes, the agency said.
The facility would be stationed next to the nation’s largest hub for deportations. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Unaccompanied children are typically not taken to facilities overseen by ICE and must instead be placed in the care of state-licensed shelters and foster care programs, which are run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement in the Department of Health and Human Services, but that agency is not involved in the new facility’s operation, a spokesperson at the airfield where the facility is being built told The Associated Press.
The facility would be run by a nonprofit arm of LaSalle Corrections, a private prison contractor, according to Ralph Hennessy, executive director of the England Airpark Authority, who said it could be operational as early as next month.
«These are people that are volunteering to go back home and they’re going back home as a family unit,» Hennessy told The Associated Press.
ICE signed a contract late last month to build the facility at the former military base near Alexandria International Airport, Hennessy said.
APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM HOLDING MIGRANTS WITHOUT BOND FOR OVER 90 DAYS
ICE is describing the new Louisiana facility as a «staging area» and not a detention center. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
The facility would operate as a 72-hour holding center for migrants awaiting deportation, records show, according to The Associated Press.
LaSalle Corrections runs several private prisons and federal immigration detention centers throughout the south, including the «Louisiana Lockup» inside the state’s maximum-security prison in Angola.
The official contractor for the new ICE holding facility will be the company’s nonprofit arm, the LaSalle Family Foundation, but LaSalle Corrections itself will be involved in operating the holding facility and ensuring compliance, according to the company’s chief financial officer, Tim Kurpiewski.
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Since April, two detainee deaths have been reported at a LaSalle-run ICE facility in the state.
Winn Correctional Center was also found last month to have violated standards regarding environmental health and safety, food service, use-of-force, medical care and other concerns, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
deportation, immigrant rights, immigration, homeland security, louisiana, politics, illegal immigrants
INTERNACIONAL
La película Cordillera de Fuego llega a la capital guatemalteca con su primera proyección oficial
La película Cordillera de Fuego debutó jueves en la capital guatemalteca con su primera proyección oficial en el Teatro al Aire Libre del Centro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias, una presentación que puso en circulación nacional la quinta cinta de Jayro Bustamante y situó desde el inicio su eje temático: la amenaza de un nuevo volcán, la vulnerabilidad de comunidades mayas y el peso de la corrupción y los intereses económicos sobre una emergencia.
La producción fue filmada en 2022 en municipios de Sololá como San Lucas Tolimán, San Andrés Semetabaj y Santiago Atitlán, además de la ciudad de Guatemala, y según la productora supuso una inversión de USD 1.5 millones en la economía local. La película incorpora diálogos en español, kaqchikel y tz’utujil.
El estreno de gala reunió al director, al elenco, al equipo de producción, representantes del sector cultural, invitados especiales y medios de comunicación. Varios integrantes del equipo viajaron desde Santiago Atitlán y San Lucas Tolimán para participar en la función del jueves 2 de julio, que cerró entre aplausos.
La trama se centra en Paula, una vulcanóloga que intenta poner a salvo a poblaciones mayas amenazadas por el surgimiento de un nuevo volcán. En ese proceso enfrenta intereses políticos y económicos que, de acuerdo con la sinopsis y la presentación de la obra, convierten el desastre en un terreno de disputa y agravan el riesgo para miles de personas.
La cinta combina ficción, ciencia y drama, y también incorpora elementos de realismo mágico, según el texto de presentación de la producción. El relato explora la relación entre desastres naturales, resistencia comunitaria, territorio y desigualdades que atraviesan a los pueblos indígenas del país.
Bustamante explicó después de la función que la película se aparta del modelo centrado en un héroe individual. “Para los pueblos originarios de Mesoamérica, el viaje de un individuo no tiene importancia si no afecta a la comunidad”, afirmó.
Esa definición ordena buena parte de la propuesta narrativa de la obra, que prioriza el relato colectivo sobre la figura de un solo protagonista. El cineasta sostuvo además que la producción buscó demostrar la capacidad instalada del país para sostener una película de gran escala con personal local: “El objetivo era demostrarnos a nosotros mismos que ya podíamos cubrir todos los puestos y realizar una película de esta magnitud únicamente con el enorme talento que existe en Guatemala”.
La película fue protagonizada por María Mercedes Coroy, quien interpreta a la vulcanóloga, y cuenta con actuaciones de María Telón, Juan Pablo Olyslager, Tatiana Palomo, Enrique Salanic, Willian Toc y Jonathan Shitamúl. Según la presentación del proyecto, el elenco y el equipo técnico reflejan una apuesta sostenida por el talento guatemalteco.
Bustamante destacó que el rodaje se realizó casi en su totalidad con personal guatemalteco, tanto frente como detrás de cámaras, una meta que la productora persigue desde sus primeras películas. La obra también incorporó un programa de formación para nuevos talentos de las comunidades donde se desarrolló la filmación.
La actriz y guionista Margarita Kenéfic señaló que muchas de las personas que participaron en el rodaje habían vivido desplazamientos provocados por desastres naturales, una experiencia que, según explicó, alimentó la construcción del relato. “Esta es una película de toda Guatemala”, expresó.
Según explicó la producción a Prensa Libre, la película incorpora además un trasfondo histórico concreto: la erupción del volcán de Fuego de 2018, cuando el coloso liberó flujos piroclásticos sobre aldeas situadas en sus laderas. El hecho dejó miles de personas fallecidas y desaparecidas, además de graves daños materiales.
Cordillera de Fuego llegó a la Ciudad de Guatemala después de su estreno en Santiago Atitlán. La función en el Centro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias incluyó una alfombra roja, un encuentro con el director y parte del elenco, y la primera exhibición oficial del largometraje ante el público capitalino.
Como parte de la velada también se presentó el primer avance de Erupción, el próximo largometraje documental de Bustamante. Ese proyecto, según se anunció durante la actividad, explorará la memoria histórica del país a partir de testimonios, arte y danza.
Cordillera de Fuego,Jayro Bustamante,cine,teatro,presentación,7 Stages Theatre
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Cuba’s foreign minister accused the United States of committing an «act of war» by restricting fuel shipments to the island Tuesday, prompting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz to deliver a forceful response blaming Cuba’s communist government for years of blackouts, repression and economic collapse.
The confrontation unfolded at the U.N. General Assembly one day after Cuba’s national electrical grid collapsed, leaving nearly 10 million people without power. It was the third nationwide grid failure this year and the eighth since October 2025, Reuters reported.
Cuban officials had restored electricity to parts of central Cuba and roughly one-third of Havana by Tuesday morning, although large areas remained offline or faced unstable service, according to Reuters.
CUBA PLUNGES INTO THIRD MAJOR BLACKOUT THIS YEAR AS POWER CRISIS WORSENS
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz holds up a photograph of jailed Cuban dissidents during a General Assembly debate on the U.S. embargo against Cuba at U.N. headquarters in New York on July 7, 2026. (UNTV)
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez told delegates that the Trump administration was carrying out a «multidimensional, non-conventional war» against Cuba that had grown «more cruel and ruthless in the last seven months.»
Rodríguez described U.S. efforts to restrict fuel deliveries as the imposition of «an energy collapse, equivalent to a naval blockade, which is an act of war,» according to a UNTV transcript.
Waltz rejected the claim that the United States had established a naval blockade around Cuba.
«There is no ring of Navy warships, U.S. Navy warships sitting around this island blocking trade or humanitarian aid going into Cuba,» Waltz said. «It’s fake. It’s false. It’s a lie. Period.»
Waltz argued that the real embargo was the one Cuba’s government imposed on its own citizens.
HAVANA REGIME IN SUSPENSE AFTER CASTRO INDICTMENT WITH TRUMP PRESSURE ON, SAYS CUBAN-BORN GOP REP.
People walk on the street during a national electrical grid collapse, in Havana, Cuba, March 14, 2025. (Norlys Perez/Reuters)
«There’s a lot of talk today of an embargo. And indeed there is one,» he said. «It’s the embargo the Cuban regime mercilessly imposes on its own people decade after decade after decade.»
He called on Havana to «change your ways» and «turn the lights back on for your people,» while accusing Cuba’s leaders of ensuring that government compounds and propaganda operations had power even as families worried about spoiled food, hospitals losing electricity and phones running out of charge.
Waltz noted that Tuesday’s meeting came days before the fifth anniversary of the July 11, 2021, demonstrations, when thousands of Cubans took to the streets amid shortages of food, medicine and electricity and demanded greater freedom.
As Waltz spoke, a member of the Cuban delegation pounded on the table, prompting the ambassador to respond.
«This is not Havana. This is the United States of America. This is the United Nations,» Waltz said. «And we will speak, we will be heard, and we will not be silenced like your own people. So, pound away.»
Waltz displayed photographs and read the names of several jailed Cuban artists, musicians and activists, including Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Castillo Pérez and Duannis Dabel León Taboada.
MILLIONS LOSE POWER ACROSS CUBA AS TRUMP SANCTIONS CONTINUE TO FUEL ONGOING ENERGY CRISIS
Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez speaks during a news conference in Havana. (Reuters/Alexandre Meneghini)
«They’re not armed. They’re not violent,» Waltz said. «They carry flowers, and write poems and write music. And for that, the regime beats them, detains them and tries to break them.»
Waltz also said GAESA, Cuba’s military-run conglomerate, controls approximately half of the country’s economy and holds $18 billion in assets.
Reuters has reported that estimates of GAESA’s economic reach range from approximately 40% to 70%, while Cuban officials dispute the U.S. government’s $18 billion figure.
Waltz said that despite Cuba’s blockade claims, humanitarian assistance had recently arrived from countries including China, Russia, Mexico, Canada and Spain, as well as from the European Union and the United Nations.
He also said the United States had provided more than $100 million in aid this year and approximately $500 million annually in commodities.
«The answer is simple: because blaming the United States is the only economic plan Havana has left,» Waltz said of Cuba’s decision to bring the issue before the General Assembly.
CUBA SAYS CIA CHIEF RATCLIFFE MET WITH OFFICIALS IN HAVANA AMID US TENSIONS
Protesters gather outside a Communist Party headquarters in Morón, Cuba, as a fire burns in the street during overnight unrest. Video obtained by Fox News Digital appeared to show demonstrators attempting to set fire to the building amid protests linked to widespread blackouts. (Reuters)
Before the wider debate, U.S. Representative for U.N. Management and Reform Jeffrey Bartos objected to reopening the agenda item and called for a vote on whether the proceedings should go forward.
Bartos said the three-hour meeting would cost approximately $84,000, money he argued could instead provide food, emergency medical supplies and solar lanterns to Cuban families.
«Right now, Cuba is in darkness — again,» Bartos said. «I urge the Cuban regime: turn the lights back on for your people.»
Members of the Cuban delegation also interrupted Bartos several times by pounding on the table. Bartos at one point paused and responded, «Keep banging away. It’s very effective,» before continuing his remarks.
Bartos accused Havana of seeking «another propaganda clip» rather than solutions and pointed to what he said were more than 800 political prisoners held by the government.
Independent organizations have produced varying estimates. Human Rights Watch said in April that more than 700 people remained imprisoned for political reasons, while Prisoners Defenders reported more than 1,200 political prisoners in Cuba in the spring of 2026. Cuba denies holding anyone for political reasons.
«That is the real Cuban embargo,» Bartos said. «It is the embargo the regime imposes on its own people: on speech, on faith, on enterprise, on dissent, on political rights and hope — and now, quite literally, on light.»
Rodríguez accused the U.S. delegation of offering «worn-out lies» and attempting to prevent the General Assembly from debating the effects of American policy.
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Jeff Bartos, U.S. Representative to the United Nations for Management and Reform, addresses a meeting of the Security Council at U.N. headquarters in New York City, Nov. 25, 2025. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
Cuba’s electricity crisis has been driven by severe fuel shortages and an aging, poorly maintained power system that has struggled to meet demand. The Cuban government primarily blames U.S. restrictions, while Washington attributes the island’s broader economic crisis to communist economic policies, corruption and repression.
Reuters contributed to this report.
cuba, united nations, national security, world protests
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