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Appeals court says Texas can enforce drag show ban, suggests not all drag shows violate state law
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A federal appeals court has ruled that Texas can enforce a 2023 law that prohibits drag shows in public or when children are present, although the ruling indicates that the judges do not believe all drag shows would be restricted under the measure.
Senate Bill 12 bans drag performers from dancing suggestively or wearing certain prosthetics on public property or in front of children. Business owners could face a $10,000 fine for hosting these performances, and performers who violate the law could be slapped with a Class A misdemeanor.
A three-judge panel in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Thursday reversed an earlier decision by a district court, returning the case to the district court, according to The Texas Tribune.
In Thursday’s decision, the judges ruled that most of the plaintiffs, which included a drag performer, a drag production company and pride groups, were not found to have planned a «sexually oriented performance,» meaning they could not be harmed by the law that seeks to restrict sexually explicit dances, the outlet reported.
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Senate Bill 12 bans drag performers from dancing suggestively or wearing certain prosthetics on public property or in front of children. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian via AP, File)
The ruling also suggests that the court does not believe all drag shows are sexually explicit and, therefore, are not impacted by the ban.
In September 2023, U.S. District Judge David Hittner ruled that the law was unconstitutional, writing that it «impermissibly infringes on the First Amendment» and that it is «not unreasonable» to believe it could affect activities such as live theater or dancing.
Critics of the ban have previously argued that GOP lawmakers were attempting to label all drag shows as sexually explicit, as Republicans continue to target the performances in Texas and several other states.
The court found that performances described by a drag production company are arguably sexually explicit, although the ruling does not specifically state which actions were included.
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The ruling suggests that the court does not believe all drag shows are sexually explicit and, therefore, are not impacted by the ban. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
«When asked whether the performers ‘simulate contact with the buttocks of another person,’ the owner testified that the performers sit on customers’ laps while wearing thongs and one performer invited a ‘handsome’ male customer ‘to spank her on the butt,’» the ruling said. «When asked whether the performers ‘ever perform gesticulations while wearing prosthetics,’ the owner testified that in 360 Queen’s most recent show, a drag queen ‘wore a breastplate that was very revealing, pulsed her chest in front of people, (and) put her chest in front of people’s faces.’»
Judge Kurt Engelhardt also wrote in a footnote that there is «genuine doubt» that these actions are «actually constitutionally protected —especially in the presence of minors.» He was joined by Judge Leslie Southwick, while Judge James Dennis disagreed.
«That gratuitous dictum runs headlong into settled First Amendment jurisprudence and threatens to mislead on remand,» Dennis wrote in his partial dissent.
The court also removed most of the defendants from the case before sending it back to the district court to reconsider a part of the measure that centers on the Texas attorney general’s job in enforcing the law.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton praised the ruling, saying in a news release that he «will always work to shield our children from exposure to erotic and inappropriate sexually oriented performances.»
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton praised the ruling, saying he «will always work to shield our children from exposure to erotic and inappropriate sexually oriented performances.» (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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«It is an honor to have defended this law, ensuring that our state remains safe for families and children, and I look forward to continuing to vigorously defend it on remand before the district court,» he said.
The plaintiffs and the ACLU of Texas, which represents the plaintiffs, described the ruling as «heartbreaking,» adding that they plan to continue fighting the law.
«We are devastated by this setback, but we are not defeated,» they said in a joint statement. «Together, we will keep advocating for a Texas where everyone — including drag artists and LGBTQIA+ people — can live freely, authentically, and without fear. The First Amendment protects all artistic expression, including drag. We will not stop until this unconstitutional law is struck down for good.»
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Mexico’s most-wanted fentanyl kingpin, «El Mencho,» was captured and killed Sunday after authorities tracked his romantic partner to a secret rendezvous location over the weekend, Mexican officials revealed Monday.
The operation reportedly began Feb. 20, targeting Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as «El Mencho.» He carried a $15 million U.S. bounty and rose to power following the arrest of Joaquín «El Chapo» Guzmán, the former head of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo said during a news conference that military intelligence identified and located a trusted courier or guard connected to one of Oseguera Cervantes’s romantic partners.
The associate then transported the partner to a designated cabin for an overnight meeting with «El Mencho.»
A mughsot of Ruben «Nemesio» Oseguera Cervantes, known as «El Mencho,» beside graffiti depicting the letters of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, covering the facade of an abandoned home in El Limoncito, in the Michoacan state of Mexico. (Eduardo Verdugo/AP Images; Drug Enforcement Administration)
«On February 20, through central military intelligence work, a man of trust of one of El Mencho’s romantic partners was located, who took her to a facility in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco,» Trevilla Trejo said.
The following day, the partner left the property, but intelligence confirmed that Oseguera Cervantes remained behind with a small security detail, prompting authorities, including Army Special Forces and the National Guard’s Immediate Reaction Force, to carry out the operation.
Security forces reportedly raided the private property after aerial surveillance spotted Oseguera Cervantes’ inner circle openly carrying illegal high-caliber weapons, including rocket launchers and long guns.
A worker sorts freshly printed copies of the newspaper PM bearing the headline «U.S. mapped ‘El Mencho’ and Mexico delivered the final blow, Caught between two fires,» following the killing of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as ‘El Mencho,’ in a military operation, Sunday, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico,. (Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters)
During the confrontation, Oseguera Cervantes’ security detail reportedly fired «very violently» on military personnel, triggering Special Forces to engage the attackers. Officials said eight criminals were killed in the initial phase — correcting earlier reports of four — and two military personnel were also wounded.
CARTELS OUTGUN POLICE: ROCKET LAUNCHERS SEIZED IN EL MENCHO RAID SPOTLIGHT CJNG FIREPOWER
Smoke billows from burning vehicles amid a wave of violence, with torched vehicles and gunmen blocking highways in more than half a dozen states, following a military operation in which a government source said Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as «El Mencho,» was killed, Sundya, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. (@morelifediares via Instagram/YouTube/via Reuters)
Amid the chaos at the cabins, Oseguera Cervantes and his «close circle» fled into a nearby wooded area, officials said. After soldiers located them «hidden among the brush,» cartel suspects allegedly opened fire on the troops. Military personnel then wounded «El Mencho» and two of his escorts in the shootout, according to Trevilla Trejo.
Military medics determined that Oseguera Cervantes and his two escorts were in critical condition and required immediate evacuation by helicopter. Oseguera Cervantes and his two escorts ultimately died during transport, officials said.
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Authorities noted that 2,500 reinforcements were sent to join the 7,000 already in the state to prevent further violence in the cartel’s retaliation.
Oseguera Cervantes’ capture and subsequent death marks one of Mexico’s most significant blows to drug trafficking and organized crime since President Donald Trump called for intensified crackdowns on cartel violence.
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mexican cartel violence,location mexico,drugs,crime,world
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Liberaron bajo fianza al ex embajador británico en EEUU, Peter Mandelson: permanecerá bajo investigación por conducta indebida
La policía de Londres liberó bajo fianza al ex embajador en Estados Unidos, Peter Mandelson en la madrugada de este martes, en el marco de una investigación sobre sus vínculos con el financista estadounidense Jeffrey Epstein.
El documento oficial informó que Peter Mandelson permanece bajo fianza “y pendiente de posteriores investigaciones”, sin proporcionar detalles adicionales “para no prejuzgar la integridad de esa investigación”.
El arresto de Mandelson, de 72 años, ocurrió días después de la detención del ex príncipe Andrés, ambos implicados en indagaciones sobre conducta indebida en un cargo público relacionadas con documentos recientemente divulgados sobre Epstein.
Mandelson, figura clave en la política británica y ex enviado del Reino Unido a Washington, fue arrestado alrededor de las 17:00 (hora local) del lunes bajo sospecha de mala conducta en un cargo público.
“Un hombre de 72 años arrestado bajo sospecha de mala conducta en un cargo público ha sido puesto en libertad bajo fianza en espera de una mayor investigación”, informó el lunes la policía metropolitana en un comunicado emitido aproximadamente nueve horas después del traslado de Mandelson a una comisaría de Londres.
Imágenes difundidas por la televisión británica mostraron a Mandelson acompañado por un hombre y una mujer al salir de su residencia en el norte de Londres, después de que la policía allanara sus propiedades a principios de mes.
El arresto se produjo pocos días después de la detención de Andrés Mountbatten-Windsor, hermano menor del rey Carlos III, quien fue liberado bajo investigación en una causa separada por mala conducta en un cargo público, también relacionada con los nuevos documentos sobre Epstein.
Mandelson está siendo investigado por presuntamente haber enviado documentos confidenciales a Epstein durante su gestión como ministro del gobierno, incluso en el contexto de la crisis financiera de 2008. Hasta el momento, la policía no detalló cuáles documentos forman parte de la investigación.
En septiembre pasado, el primer ministro Keir Starmer removió a Mandelson de su puesto como enviado a Washington, luego de la publicación de documentos que documentaban el alcance de su relación con Epstein. El nombramiento desató una crisis política en Downing Street, provocando la renuncia de dos asesores principales de Starmer.
El primer ministro pidió disculpas a las víctimas de Epstein por la designación de Mandelson y acusó al ex enviado de falsear la información sobre su relación con el financista durante el proceso de selección. “Defenderemos la integridad de la vida pública y haremos todo lo que esté a nuestro alcance y en interés de la justicia para garantizar que se haga efectiva la rendición de cuentas”, expresó Starmer.
La Comisión de Inteligencia y Seguridad del Parlamento revisa actualmente los documentos vinculados al nombramiento de Peter Mandelson, aunque los archivos completos permanecen sin publicar a solicitud de la policía para no interferir con la investigación en curso.
El pasado 8 de febrero, la policía metropolitana informó que agentes del equipo de delitos especializados ejecutaron órdenes de allanamiento en dos direcciones del área de Londres: una en Wiltshire y otra en Camden. Las autoridades señalaron que estos operativos forman parte de la investigación en curso contra Peter Mandelson.
La investigación también examina la posible revelación de hechos sensibles relacionados con el rescate financiero de 500.000 millones de euros que la Eurozona evaluaba en 2010. Durante ese periodo, Peter Mandelson se desempeñaba como ministro en el gobierno encabezado por el ex primer ministro británico Gordon Brown.
El Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos difundió el 30 de enero más de tres millones de archivos vinculados al caso Epstein. Entre los documentos figuran tres pagos a Peter Mandelson de 25.000 dólares cada uno, enviados entre 2003 y 2004 desde cuentas bancarias del multimillonario.
(Con información de AFP)
International,Relations,Diplomacy / Foreign Policy,Europe
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