Let's be thankful for the gifts received...
Finally, we have a Government -at the Municipal level- that we deserve and have earned through the Art of Communication...
What we are missing now is the return of Councilwoman Marilyn Ruano to the dais, the Constitutional Champion...
We, the people VOTE for her to be nominated to finish the term left with an empty Council seat...
Her institutional knowledge will be invaluable as the new Council evolves and we have someone who READ all the Original Ordinances, shining the path for returning the Special Taxing Districts to the original intent which as it stands, is more than we agreed to bear...?
Hope Reynolds, Author Destroyed Dreams & Sue?os Destruidos... to watch the trail, click below:
We arrived rather early to find a room where almost every chair had a sign that it was reserved for the Swearing In Ceremony... The RESERVED signs were for the Councilmen's / Mayor's family members; politicians; dignitaries; Judges; former University / Law Professors. The last aisle in the back of the room was open seating and we were waiting for Bonnie Cintron, Boris Foster, Enid Lomax, Miriam Campos. Alex and I stood by the seats and soon were accompanied by Enid Lomax, then Boris Foster, Miriam Campos sat with neighbors up front, Miguel Martinez and his lovely wife, Millie...
From the back of the room, we took several photos and for the most part it was great until the time that Town photographers got in the middle of every photo and most visitors raised their hands with cell phones to video record the proceedings or to take photos of their own. We, therefore, filed a Public Records Request with Town Clerk Gina Inguanzo to obtain clear photos of the special moments: Oath of Office, Family Photo, All elected officials on the dais. The above photo is precious because there is Steven Herzberg and the little girl that smiles is his gorgeous daughter...
Honor Guard Officers ready for the presentation of colors and Pledge of Allegiance
Town of Miami Lakes Resident, property owner, Trump Woman: Miriam Campos, a dear friend
Mr. John Tingle enters the Chambers looking for a seat
Bonnie Cintron sits next to me on the last aisle next to the wall / window that separates the Chambers from the IT room where Zoom & video recording is taking place...
Former Chair of the Blasting Advisory Board Miguel Martinez and his lovely wife
Bonnie Cintron, Hope Reynolds and Enid Lomax
Left to right Roberto Alonso, our area Representative on the Board of Education for Miami Dade County, State of Florida Representative Tom Fabricio's aid Nikita, Rudy Blanco; Alex Rizo, Miami Laker Reporter, J.C. Fernandez and his wife
Senator Rene Garcia, District 13 Commissioner
Left to right, sitting daughter and wife Laura and standing Tom Fabricio & Alex Rizo, State of Florida Representatives greet Miami Dade County Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Tomas Alcala as he enters the room with his girlfriend, Joshua Dieguez, Miami Lakes Mayor's Mother and in the distance Rudy Blanco and J.C. Fernandez
Left to right, Miami Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez, Joshua Dieguez Mom, Joshua Dieguez, Miami Lakes Mayor, Bryan Morera sitting on the dais and Tomas Alcala greeting everyone...
Left to right, Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez, Tomas Alcala Miami Dade County Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, with Miami Lakes Mayor Joshua Dieguez
Left to right, Roberto Alonso... Mario Pineda... Joe Rogger... Senator Rene Garcia
FBI Director Christopher Wray is going to resign soon, the bureau said on Dec. 11, paving the way for President-elect Donald Trump’s next nominee for the position.
Wray, 57, told FBI employees during a town hall that he will step down when the current administration ends in January 2025, an FBI spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email.
“After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down,” Wray told the employees.
“My goal is to keep the focus on?our mission—the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.”
Wray is currently serving a 10-year term that started in 2017.
Trump nominated Wray during his first term in office. President Joe Biden opted to keep Wray in place during his only term in office.
Trump has nominated Kash Patel, a former federal prosecutor, to be FBI director once he enters office again on Jan. 20, 2025.
FBI directors require Senate confirmation.
Patel, 44, worked as a public defender after graduating from law school. In 2014 he transitioned into a federal prosecutor role.
During Trump’s first term, Patel helped the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee to compile evidence showing the FBI did not act properly when it investigated former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Special counsel John Durham later found that FBI agents were motivated by confirmation bias in the probe, which did not establish coordination between the campaign and Russia.
Patel later worked for the White House National Security Council. In 2020, he worked in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. And during the final months of Trump’s first term, he was the chief of staff to acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller.
Trump?said when announcing his choice to lead the FBI that Patel “will work under our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI.”
Patel?told The Epoch Times after being selected that “we will restore integrity, accountability, and equal justice to our justice system and return the FBI to its rightful mission: protecting the American people.”
Wray clerked for a federal judge after graduating from Yale Law School. He went on to serve as a federal prosecutor before being appointed to head the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division under President George W. Bush.
The FBI in 2022 executed a search warrant on Trump’s home in Florida, in one of two federal cases brought against the former president. Trump said he did nothing wrong. Prosecutors closed the cases after Trump won the November election.
Trump and many other Republicans have repeatedly criticized the FBI, alleging its actions have been fueled by partisanship.
Wray told a House panel in 2023 that he has been a Republican his whole life and has not acted with bias.
“The idea that I am biased against conservatives seems somewhat insane to me, given my own personal background,” he said at the time.
Reuters contributed to this report.?
Pete Hegseth’s Momentum Grows
A Key Battle for America’s Defense
DEC 11
In Defense of Pete Hegseth: A Clear Choice for Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, has emerged as a pivotal figure in the fight to shape America's defense policy. Despite facing skepticism and political attacks, Hegseth's confirmation campaign has gained substantial momentum thanks to vocal support from Trump allies, grassroots conservatives, and Hegseth’s own determination.
In an era of heightened political polarization, Hegseth's candidacy has become a symbol of the broader effort to defend not only his nomination but also the integrity of Trump’s Cabinet as a whole. A source within Trump's inner circle articulated this strategy: "If Trump world allowed a couple of establishment senators to veto a second nominee, it would have led to a feeding frenzy on Trump's other nominees. We have to defend Pete not just for the sake of defending Pete, but also for the sake of defending our other nominees."
Hegseth’s confirmation prospects seemed tenuous last week, but a series of developments have significantly bolstered his position. High-profile endorsements, strategic outreach to Republican senators, and public displays of grassroots support have shifted the tide in his favor.
Key among these efforts is Vice President-elect Sen. J.D. Vance’s work behind the scenes to rally Republican colleagues. "J.D. has been Pete's biggest champion internally in Trump world," said a source close to Vance, highlighting the senator's role in consolidating support for Hegseth.
Additionally, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa—a pivotal vote on the Armed Services Committee—has voiced her support following productive discussions with Hegseth but has held back from an endorsement. Ernst, a combat veteran and influential conservative, emphasized that her backing came after "encouraging conversations" in which Hegseth committed to conducting a Pentagon audit and prioritizing the well-being of servicemen and women.
Hegseth’s own approach has also been instrumental. In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, he described his meetings with senators as "an amazing advice and consent process" and highlighted the substance of his discussions with Ernst, whom he has known for over a decade. "The fact that she’s willing to support me through this process means a lot," he said.
The surge of grassroots energy behind Hegseth has added a critical layer of support.
President-elect Trump has publicly praised Hegseth, calling his backing "strong and deep," while prominent conservative voices like Donald Trump Jr. and Charlie Kirk have rallied the base to defend the nomination.
In a pointed social media post, Trump Jr. called out Republican senators who might oppose Hegseth despite previously voting for Biden's defense secretary, Lloyd Austin: "If you’re a GOP Senator who voted for Lloyd Austin but criticize Pete Hegseth, then maybe you’re in the wrong political party!"
Kirk, meanwhile, issued a warning to wavering senators, including Ernst, about potential primary challenges from MAGA-aligned candidates. "This is the red line. This is not a joke. Primaries are going to be launched," he said.
Hegseth’s qualifications for Secretary of Defense are clear. As a former Army officer and veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he brings firsthand knowledge of military operations and the challenges facing servicemen and women. His experience as an executive director for veterans' advocacy organizations demonstrates his commitment to supporting those who serve.
Moreover, Hegseth’s vision for the Pentagon aligns with the priorities of conservative voters: streamlining bureaucracy, upholding merit-based standards, and ensuring the military remains focused on readiness and excellence rather than political agendas.
Hegseth’s confirmation battle is more than a vote on one nominee; it represents a test of the broader conservative agenda under President-elect Trump. As State Attorney General Brenna Bird aptly noted in a recent Breitbart column, "D.C. politicians think they can ignore the voices of their constituents and entertain smears from the same outlets that have pushed out lies for years."
With growing support from key senators, grassroots conservatives, and Trump allies, Hegseth's nomination is on firmer ground. His ability to overcome partisan attacks and gain endorsements from pivotal figures like Sen. Ernst underscores the merit of his candidacy.
As the confirmation process continues, the stakes remain high—not just for Pete Hegseth, but for the broader vision of a strong, merit-driven defense policy that prioritizes America’s national security. For conservatives, Hegseth is more than a nominee; he is a standard-bearer for the values and priorities they seek to restore in Washington.
The strangely normal suspect in the United Healthcare CEO murder case. The manhunt that followed the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week turned us all into amateur sleuths. But police finally apprehended 26-year-old Luigi Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday after a customer recognized him. They found in his possession a 3D-printed gun and a short, handwritten manifesto that indicated “ill will toward corporate America,” according to police. As soon as Mangione’s name was released, seemingly everyone, myself included, dug into his online footprint: His Goodreads, his Instagram, his X accounts. The picture that emerged confounded the preexisting theories about Thompson’s killer and his motive: that the shooter was a left-wing vigilante, or an underdog victim of the healthcare-industrial complex. Reality, it seems, is not so clear-cut.
To start, he’s a rich kid whose wealthy family owns, among other things, an assisted living facility. He attended Gilman, a tony, all-boys private school in Baltimore—and, like his victim, Mangione was valedictorian of his class. Later, he attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he became a frat boy and earned two degrees in computer science.
The rich kid to left-wing extremist pipeline is well-established—the well-heeled radicals of the Weather Underground are a prominent historical example—but there’s no evidence to suggest that Mangione was either a campus radical or a basement-dwelling loner.
A former University of Pennsylvania student, who worked with Mangione in 2018 when both were teaching assistants for an introductory-level computer science class, told The Free Press that he was shocked by Mangione’s arrest. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the student said he never heard Mangione talk about politics, and described him as “a very popular guy.”
“He was pretty normal,” the gunman’s former colleague said. “Very friendly, a nice guy who got along with everybody, and a good TA.”
“Normal” also describes Mangione’s social media presence. On X he reposted figures like health and wellness podcaster Andrew Huberman and tech writer Tim Urban; the most left-wing figure he seems to have followed on X is probably Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Instagram pictures show the photogenic accused assassin shirtless and jacked, hiking and hanging out on the beach with friends. In other words, he’s a normie. Or at least that’s how he comes across online.
His Goodreads account runs the gamut from standard college freshman reading list fare (Huxley’s Brave New World, for example) to pop psychology, self-help, and books on chronic back pain (more on that in a second). The only suspicious read is Industrial Society and Its Future, otherwise known as the Unabomber Manifesto, to which Luigi gave four stars. Much has been made of this—although let’s be honest, if he were truly inspired by Ted Kaczynski, wouldn’t he have given the book five stars?
In a weird coincidence, our editorial assistant Josh Code worked with Mangione as a counselor at a summer camp for gifted students in 2019. He described him to me as a good-looking guy with whom he had only positive interactions. “He was more hassle-free and conscientious than some of the other leaders,” said Josh.
So far as red flags go, the most significant seems to be Mangione’s missing year. He apparently had back surgery in 2023, after which he appears to have changed. (On his now-suspended Twitter account, there was an X-ray of a back—presumably his—with four screws in it. According to The Baltimore Banner, it became a “time of turbulence, isolation, and pain, both physical and psychological.” Since that summer, friends say that Luigi dropped off the map, refusing to reply to messages. He bailed on a friend’s wedding, and he went to Japan sometime in February of this year, where he had dinner with Obara Jun, a top Japanese professional poker player. In the weeks before the shooting, his mother reported him missing in San Francisco. Given that Mangione’s last address was in Hawaii, police told The San Francisco Standard it wasn’t clear if Luigi had been in the city or if his mother had any reason to believe he might be.
These facts have led only to more speculation: Did his back surgery turn Mangione against the healthcare industry and insurance companies? Did he experience some kind of psychological breakdown sometime after his surgery?
Tuesday brought two more clues. As he was led to his extradition hearing yesterday, Mangione yelled to reporters: “This is completely unjust and an insult to the intelligence of the American people. This is lived experience.”
And then, a reporter published on Substack what he claims to be the suspect’s manifesto. It is short and to the point: After noting that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system but ranks roughly 42nd in life expectancy, he writes: “The reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit.” He concluded, “Evidently I am the first to face it with such brutal honesty.”
He never mentions his back pain but focuses on the more universal problem of the American healthcare system. In its own weird way, his little manifesto only reinforced the image of the alleged shooter as rich, intelligent, well-educated, and well-mannered.
Later on Tuesday, Mangione’s lawyer said he planned to plead not guilty, “at least to the charges in Pennsylvania,” which include forgery and weapons offenses.
None of this has hurt Mangione’s status as a hero for a disturbingly large number of people. In the immediate aftermath of Brian Thompson’s murder, the then-unnamed killer was celebrated online, as Kat Rosenfield reported last week. Now that his identity has been revealed, this dark schadenfreude has entered a new phase. People can no longer imagine that the shooter is a working-class hero avenging a sick child, or a communist revolutionary. And so the hero worship has taken a hornier tone. The accused shooter might not be the leftist people wanted, but he’s toned, tanned, and ready to kill a shared enemy—a swarthy, photogenic Chad willing to do the sort of grisly things blue-haired leftists can only post about.
This category—up to and including the blue hair—includes Julia Alekseyeva, a professor at Mangione’s alma mater. She posted a TikTok saying she’s “never been prouder to be a professor at the University of Pennsylvania,” as “Do You Hear the People Sing?,” the revolutionary anthem from the musical Les Misérables, played in the background.
Just one of the very weird responses to the weirdly normal-seeming man in custody suspected of murdering a CEO.
Hegseth’s Heroes
Last week, Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to be secretary of defense, appeared to be in trouble. Republican senators were voicing their doubts amid a flurry of accusations over his treatment of women and his alleged mismanagement of two veterans’ charities. Trump reportedly spoke to Florida governor Ron DeSantis about replacing Hegseth. But the veteran and Fox & Friends host dug in. Trump reiterated his support, and this week Hegseth went back to the Hill to press his case.
The charm offensive appears to be working.
Senator Lindsey Graham said yesterday that Hegseth is “much better off” in his nomination fight. And Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, who had previously sounded unconvinced of Hegseth’s fitness for office, said she has had “encouraging conversations” with Hegseth as she “support[s] Pete through this process.”
Central to Hegseth’s pitch to run the Pentagon is a promise to be a secretary of defense for “warfighters.” An affinity with “warfighters” has been part of Hegseth’s public persona for a while, notes former Marine Elliot Ackerman in his op-ed for The Free Press today. It was the basis for Hegseth’s push to pardon several soldiers convicted of war crimes during Trump’s first term. And Elliot thinks this rhetoric is a cynical ploy designed to appeal to people who have not themselves served in the military—and one that suggests Hegseth is more interested in fighting an internal cultural war than concentrating on the serious threats America faces.
Message received from Aventura Resident Jan Schneider
Merry Christmas & Happy, Healthy & Safe 2025
For our Jewish friends, Happy Hanukkah. The 8-Candle Menorah is lit beginning 12-25-2024 at sundown and ending at nightfall on January 2nd, 2025!