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Feds Arrest Cartel Leader 'El Mayo' In Stunning Fashion

Your unbiased daily news brief

Author

James Kratch
July 29, 2024

Good morning and happy Monday; we hope you had a great weekend. The annual Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower will begin its peak starting tonight. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

  • Pennsylvania: Shooting victims home

  • Maduri: Claims victory

  • Arizona: Double endorsement

  • Apple: Labor deal

  • Deadpool & Wolverine: R-rated history

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Big sting

The story behind the shocking arrest of a Mexican drug lord may be even wilder than the collar itself.

  • What we know: Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, the co-founder of the infamous Sinoloa cartel, was captured by federal agents on Thursday at a small New Mexico airport just outside of El Paso. The 76-year-old kingpin had evaded law enforcement for decades. The son of the other co-founder, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, was also arrested.

  • Plot thickens: Initial reports indicated Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez were tricked into boarding a plane they believed was headed to a destination inside Mexico. But Garcia's attorney claims Guzman had Zambada kidnapped and forced onto the plane.

  • Double cross? Mexican officials, who admitted they were in the dark about the operation, theorized the men had cut deals with the Department of Justice before entering the U.S. The claims by Zambada's attorney have sparked speculation Guzman, who also faces serious drug charges, may have cooperated with DOJ as part of the sting. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador demanded more U.S. transparency on what happened; Guzman is due to appear Tuesday in a Chicago federal court.

  • Big picture: The arrests are a significant victory in the war against the illicit fentanyl trade fueling the U.S. opioid epidemic -- a battle for which Mexican government assistance has waned in recent years. But they will likely spark a violent scramble in Mexico to fill the power vacuum caused by Zambada's arrest.

2) Powder keg

A deadly weekend rocket attack has renewed fears of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah.

  • What happened: At least 12 people, including many children, were killed Saturday in a missile strike on a soccer pitch in the Golan Heights. It was the deadliest event in Israeli-controlled territory since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Israel and the U.S. say Hezbollah was responsible; the Iranian-backed militia denied the claim.

  • Key context: Hezbollah, which operates out of neighboring Lebanon, and Israel have been exchanging fire since the start of the Gaza war. There have been fears of military miscalculations leading to an expanded Middle East war for months. Hezbollah is considered much stronger than Hamas and it is largely intertwined with Lebanon's formal government.

  • Cautious optimism: Furious diplomatic efforts by the U.S. and other nations had some impact last night. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged retaliation, reports from inside Israel and Lebanon indicated the Israeli response (and subsequent Hezbollah reaction) is expected to be limited and unlikely to prompt further escalation.

3) Double digits

There are now 99 days to go before Election Day.

  • War chest: Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign said she raised $200M in the first week since she took the baton from President Joe Biden and became the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee. Two-thirds of the gifts were attributedto first-time donors; the Harris Campaign also said it has enlisted over 170K volunteers so far.

  • New controversy: Former President Donald Trump was criticized for telling an evangelical Christian conference they would never have to vote again if he is re-elected. Democrats accused the former president of suggesting he would subvert future elections while Republicans dismissed the comments as a joke and standard campaign rhetoric.

  • Debate update: ABC News said it is "full steam ahead" with plans for a Sept. 10 debate between Harris and Trump. The former president has seemingly wavered in his commitment to the event since Biden exited the race, but his campaign said he intends to debate Harris, who has committed to the debate. She has accused Trump of backpedaling.

  • New polls: Harris and Trump are tied in Fox News’ latest head-to-head surveys for Michigan and Pennsylvania while Trump has a one-point lead in Wisconsin. When the surveys were expanded to include independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Wisconsin is tied, while Harris leads in Pennsylvania and Trump in Michigan, both by two points.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

  • Both wounded rallygoers are now home from the hospital following the assassination attempt on former President Trump. Texas Rep. Michael McCaul said the gunman planned to detonate explosives at the event as a diversion to escape (More)

  • California's Park Fire is already the seventh-largest in state history. The wildfire started last Wednesday and an arson suspect has been arrested; it had consumed over 350K acres as of yesterday (More)

  • Ohio will permit "religious expression days" in public schools. The new law requires schools to adopt policies to accommodate students' religious beliefs, including up to three excused absences for observance (More)

World News

  • Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in the country’s presidential election. The opposition coalition is expected to contest the results after polls consistently showed Edmundo Gonzalez leading the race; Maduro’s Socialist Party has faced past accusations of election fraud (More)

  • North Korea accepted over 4M vaccines from UNICEF and other international groups. It is the first time Pyongyang has taken medical aid since the start of the pandemic, renewing hope the country may reopen to international assistance (More)

  • Mali's Tuareg rebels claimed they killed and injured dozens of government soldiers in a two-day shootout. Fighters representing the ethnic group also said they killed Russian-backed Wagner mercenaries and seized armored vehicles; government officials denied the claims (More)

Campaign News

  • Former President Trump has made a double endorsement in a high-profile Arizona primary race. He pledged support for Blake Masters for the Republican nomination in the 8th Congressional District yesterday while reiterating support for Abe Hamadeh, who he endorsed earlier this year (More)

  • Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford asked the state's Supreme Court to uphold indictments against six GOP officials. A lower court judge ruled the "fake elector" charges regarding the 2020 election should be dismissed because of an improper venue for filing (More)

  • Former Vice President Al Gore endorsed Vice President Harris, praising her support for climate change initiatives. Gore is the last VP to be the presidential nominee for either major party; Harris has received an endorsement from almost all top Democrats now (More)

Business & Markets

  • Major indexes closed higher, and with a flourish, on Friday. The Dow Jones jumped over 650 points (Dow +1.64%, S&P 500 +1.11%, Nasdaq +1.03%).

  • Apple has agreed to its first U.S. labor deal. The technology giant has reached a tentative contract with workers at the Apple Store in Towson, Maryland; the employees originally unionized in June 2022 (More)

  • Mitsubishi is expected to form a strategic partnership with Honda and Nissan, creating a tie-up of Japanese automakers with combined sales of over 8M vehicles. The companies plan to standardize in-vehicle software; Nissan owns 34% of Mitsubishi (More)

Entertainment & Sports

  • Deadpool & Wolverine had the biggest opening weekend ever for an R-rated film. The Marvel movie made over $200M domestically and over $438M overall worldwide; it is the biggest opening for any film since 2022 (More)

  • Olympic officials apologized for a controversial scene at last Friday's opening ceremony, but defended its intention. A sequence where drag queens evoked Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper caused an uproar; South Korea's athletes were also introduced as North Korean during the event (More)

  • Canada's women's soccer team was docked six Olympic competition points after a staff member spied on New Zealand's practice. Head Coach Beverly Priestman will serve a one-year ban; the Canadians have allegedly tried to monitor opposing teams for years (More)

Quick Hitters

  • Feel Good: Airline safety jackets must be retired every 8-10 years, even though most are (thankfully) never used. United Airlines has teamed up with a German upcycling company to keep the old ones out of landfills, creating bags and other goods instead.

  • Old School: CDs are a relatively obsolete method for listening to music. Except in Japan, where people still play them like they did 20 years ago.

  • Take Note: No one wants to see their dog in pain. But if you give them something to make them more comfortable, you must be careful.

  • Be Safe: Wildfires are blazing all over North America this summer. Here are some preventative steps to protect your house if disaster strikes close to home.

  • Life Hack: It does not take much to dazzle guests behind the bar the next time you have company. This rundown will teach you how to make every essential cocktail before your next party (or when you want to unwind).

Ghost kitchens popped up everywhere during the pandemic. They have disappeared almost as swiftly.

Looking Ahead …

Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in unexpected fashion. The Iron Man star will play Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday after Iron Man died in the last edition of the franchise; the surprise casting decision was announced at Comic Con in San Diego over the weekend.

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