Sydney Sweeney says the narrative of “women empowering other women” in Hollywood is a sham. “It’s very disheartening to see women tear other women down, especially when women who are successful in other avenues of their industry see younger talent working really hard—hoping to achieve whatever dreams that they may have—and then trying to bash and discredit any work that they’ve done,” she told Vanity Fair.
Sweeney was personally targeted by octogenarian Hollywood producer Carol Baum, who said of her, “Explain this girl to me. She’s not pretty, she can’t act. Why is she so hot?”
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“This entire industry, all people say is ‘Women empowering other women.’ None of it’s happening,” Sweeney said of the controversy. “All of it is fake and a front for all the other shit that they say behind everyone’s back.”
The 27-year-old suggested there is an issue with women feeling only one of them can be “at the top,” and so “all the others feel like they have to fight each other or take that one woman down instead of being like, ‘let’s all lift each other up.'”
“I’m still trying to figure it out. I’m just trying my best over here. Why am I getting attacked?” she asked.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced charges against a Chinese post-doctoral researcher for attempting to smuggle E. coli bacteria into the U.S.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: FBI Director Kash Patel, Chinese researcher Youhuang Xiang, and U.S. authorities from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Federal charges against Xiang were announced on Friday, December 19, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This is yet another example of a researcher from China – given the privilege to work at a U.S. university – who then allegedly chose to take part in a scheme to circumvent U.S. laws and receive biological materials hidden in a package originating from China.” — Kash Patel
🎯IMPACT: The arrest is just the latest to involve a foreignresearch visa holder attempting to illegally smuggle prohibited biological materials into the United States.
IN FULL
Federal charges were filed on Friday against a Chinese national in the United States on a J-1 academic research visa who was caught attempting to smuggle Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria cultures into the country. According to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel, the charges were brought against Youhuang Xiang after it was discovered that he intended to receive a package originating from China containing prohibited biological materials.
“Youhuang Xiang, a post-doctoral researcher and J-1 visa holder from China, was charged with smuggling Escherichia coli (E. coli) into the U.S. and making false statements about it,” Patel wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He continued: “This is yet another example of a researcher from China—given the privilege to work at a U.S. university—who then allegedly chose to take part in a scheme to circumvent U.S. laws and receive biological materials hidden in a package originating from China.”
“The FBI will not tolerate any attempt to exploit our nation’s institutions for illegal activity—as we have seen in this case and the three Chinese nationals charged in Michigan in November for allegedly smuggling biological materials into the U.S. on several occasions,” Patel added.
In addition, Director Patel reiterated that American research and academic institutions must remain vigilant against the abuse of visa programs and illegal activity by visa holders. There has been a concerning number of potential national security incidents in the U.S. in recent years involving foreign nationals conducting research in the country, including attempts to smuggle dangerous biological material and the theft of sensitive research and technology.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche admitted the Trump administration will miss its deadline to release all Epstein files, stating some documents would be delayed.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, President Donald J. Trump, and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The U.S. government’s Epstein files were slated to be released on Friday, December 19, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I expect that we’re going to release more documents over the next couple of weeks.” – Todd Blanche
🎯IMPACT: Critics have accused the DOJ of failing to meet legal transparency requirements, with some alleging a cover-up.
IN FULL
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is cautioning that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will likely—for the most part—miss its Friday deadline to release federal government files related to deceased convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite a lawsigned by President Donald J. Trump mandating their disclosure. According to Blanche, several hundred thousand documents will still be released on Friday, but additional materials will continually be released over the “next couple weeks.”
Blanche, speaking with media, explained that the delay was necessary to protect victims, adding that the DOJ was reviewing every document to ensure sensitive information remains confidential. “So today several hundred thousand and then over the next couple weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more,” he stated, emphasizing the department’s focus on safeguarding victim identities.
The law, signed by President Trump 30 days prior, requires the DOJ to release all unclassified records related to Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and the investigations into their criminal activities. Blanche’s announcement that some of the documents pertaining to Epstein will be delayed in their release is already drawing criticism and allegations that the agency is failing to comply with the law.
New York University (NYU) law professor Ryan Goodman accused the Trump administration of a “cover-up” in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He noted that the Epstein Files Transparency Act requires the DOJ to make all unclassified documents and other materials available in a publicly searchable and downloadable format.
Meanwhile, Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Robert Garcia (D-CA) accused President Trump and the DOJ of breaking the law and threatened to pursue legal action. “Donald Trump and the Department of Justice are now violating federal law as they continue covering up the facts and the evidence about Jeffrey Epstein’s decades-long, billion-dollar, international sex trafficking ring. For months, Pam Bondi has denied survivors the transparency and accountability they have demanded and deserve and has defied the Oversight Committee’s subpoena,” the Democrat lawmakers wrote in a joint statement.
They added: “Courts around the country have repeatedly intervened when this Administration has broken the law. We are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Fulton County admitted to counting approximately 315,000 early votes from the 2020 election without poll workers’ signatures.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: David Cross, a local election integrity activist, Ann Brumbaugh, attorney for the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections, and 2020 candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: December 2025, during a hearing before the Georgia State Election Board.
💬KEY QUOTE: “These are not clerical errors. They are catastrophic breaks in chain of custody and certification.” – David Cross
🎯IMPACT: The admission reinforces questions about election integrity in Fulton County and the legitimacy of the 2020 election.
IN FULL
Fulton County, Georgia, has admitted that roughly 315,000 early votes from the 2020 election were counted despite lacking required poll worker signatures on tabulation tapes, violating state law. The confirmation came at a December hearing of the Georgia State Election Board (SEB), related to a complaint brought by David Cross, an election integrity advocate in the area.
Cross submitted his complaint to the SEB back in March 2022, claiming Fulton County broke Georgia rules by tabulating votes without the mandated signatures on the tapes. Ann Brumbaugh, attorney for the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections, acknowledged the missing signatures, saying the county does “not dispute that the tapes were not signed.”
An investigation by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office verified that Fulton County did not follow proper procedures for signing the tabulation tapes. It also uncovered additional issues, including polling locations that did not verify their tapes.
In his presentation, Cross highlighted these problems, pointing to polling sites running at odd times and repeated scanner serial numbers. “These are not clerical errors. They are catastrophic breaks in chain of custody and certification,” he stressed.
Cross is calling on the SEB to sanction Fulton County and for the state to decertify the county’s 2020 early voting results. Notably, President Donald J. Trump “lost” Georgia to former President Joe Biden by only 11,779 votes.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former Attorney General Bill Barr revealed details about informing President Donald J. Trump of Jeffrey Epstein’s death in federal custody in 2019.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Bill Barr, President Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and federal investigators.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Epstein died in federal custody in 2019; Barr recounted the incident in a podcast released on Friday, December 19, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “You won’t believe this, but Epstein committed suicide,” Barr said of his conversation with Trump, who responded, “How in the hell did that happen?”
🎯IMPACT: Epstein’s death has fueled conspiracy theories and ongoing public scrutiny, while Barr dismissed claims of malice, citing incompetence as a more likely explanation.
IN FULL
Former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr shared new details regarding the moment he informed President Donald J. Trump of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s death in federal custody during a podcast appearance on Friday. Epstein was found dead in 2019, an event that has since been surrounded by public skepticism toward the official explanation of suicide.
“I called him as soon as I heard about it,” Barr said, recounting the moment. “I was sitting in my library at home and my chief of staff called and said, ‘Hey Bill, there’s been a real f**k up.’ He said, ‘It appears he committed suicide,’ and he was an important prisoner… Jesus Christ, what the hell’s going on here?” Barr says he immediately contacted President Trump to inform him of the incident.
According to Barr, Trump reacted with shock and outrage, saying, “How in the hell did that happen?” Barr added that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the inspector general, and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) were all tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death.
Barr also addressed the speculation and theories surrounding Epstein’s death, stating that a mentor once advised him, “Don’t ascribe malice where stupidity is a sufficient explanation.” He laughed off the idea of a sophisticated cover-up, suggesting incompetence was a more plausible explanation.
Barr also dismissed Democrat attempts to tie President Trump to Epstein’s crimes by forcing the release of government files on the convicted pedophile, noting, “Let’s get serious. This is not the thing that is going to show Trump did anything wrong.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Britain’s ruling Labour Party government has delayed the publication of official guidance requiring single-sex spaces for women, citing concerns over “trans-exclusive” implications.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Women and Equalities Secretary Bridget Phillipson, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), and campaigners on both sides of the debate.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The guidance has been delayed for over three months following a Supreme Court ruling defining women by biological sex.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Government lawyers, working under Bridget Philipson’s instruction are trying to rewrite the Supreme Court judgment that sex means biological sex.” – Shadow Equalities Minister Claire Coutinho
🎯IMPACT: The delay has sparked criticism from campaigners for women’s rights and safety.
IN FULL
Britain’s ruling Labour Party government has delayed publication of official guidance that would require businesses and public bodies to offer single-sex spaces to women, prolonging a contentious debate over how equality law applies to transgender people. Women and Equalities Secretary Bridget Phillipson has not signed off on the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) draft more than three months after receiving it, drawing criticism from campaigners who say the delay undermines women’s rights and safety. A government spokesman claimed the 300-page draft was legally complex and needed careful review before publication.
The guidance was produced in response to an April Supreme Court ruling that, for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, a “woman” is defined as someone born biologically female and excludes transgenders from that legal definition in contexts such as access to single-sex spaces. The decision, which clarified that terms like “woman” and “sex” refer to biological sex in equality law, has raised legal and policy questions for service providers and public bodies.
Shadow Equalities Minister Claire Coutinho accused Phillipson of trying “to rewrite the Supreme Court judgment” and failing to enforce the law protecting women’s rights. The Supreme Court decision has already reshaped policy in other areas of British public life. The Football Association confirmed that transgenders will no longer be allowed to compete in women’s soccer in England from June. Girlguiding UK, formerly the Girl Guides, has also announced that transgenders will no longer be permitted to join as new members, a move the organization said was a “difficult decision” following legal advice. Hundreds of woke volunteers have threatened to quit Girlguiding in protest at the policy change.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Two teenagers hired by the Sinaloa Cartel pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder in connection with assassination attempts in Chula Vista, California.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Andrew Nunez, Johncarlo Quintero, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Westside Wilmas gang, and an accomplice, Ricardo Sanchez.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The incidents occurred on March 26, 2024, in Chula Vista, California. The pair pleaded guilty on December 18, 2025, and sentencing is scheduled for March 2026.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The disgraceful tactic of cartels, street gangs, and the Mexican Mafia using underage children for murderous acts to evade enhanced punishments will not be tolerated.” – Mark Dargis, FBI Special Agent in Charge
🎯IMPACT: The case highlights a new avenue of concern in migrant perpetrated crime, with Mexican drug cartels employing teenagers to carry out violent murder plots.
IN FULL
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has revealed that Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel is using teenagers to carry out targeted assassinations in the United States. Andrew Nunez and Johncarlo Quintero, both 15-year-old members of the Mexican Mafia-affiliated Westside Wilmas gang, pleaded guilty on Thursday in federal court to murder and attempted murder charges in relation to an assassination plot ordered by the cartel.
Federal prosecutors detailed how the two teenagers—hailing from the greater Los Angeles area—were hired by the Mexican drug cartel to murder several targets in Chula Vista, California. The attacks resulted in one death and multiple injuries before the teenagers fled to Los Angeles.
The pair admitted to making two attempts in one day to eliminate a cartel target, first at a Chili’s restaurant and later at a luxury apartment complex where the target was allegedly residing. Court documents detail that on March 26, 2024, the teens drove from Los Angeles to Chula Vista to execute the hit. The first attempt at the restaurant parking lot failed after a gun jammed, and the teens then tried to strike the target with their vehicle. Later that evening, they returned to the target’s residence with an accomplice, Ricardo Sanchez, who was fatally shot by a family member defending the target.
According to the DOJ, the teens were promised $50,000 each for the assassination. Both admitted their goal was to gain status within the Westside Wilmas gang and exploit their status as minors to avoid harsher penalties. The family member who shot Sanchez was injured but survived.
Mark Dargis, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) San Diego Field Office, stated, “The disgraceful tactic of cartels, street gangs, and the Mexican Mafia using underage children for murderous acts to evade enhanced punishments will not be tolerated.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Toyota announced it will start importing three U.S.-made models to Japan next year.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Toyota, Japanese consumers, American manufacturers, and U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made on December 19, 2025, for action beginning next year in Japan.
💬KEY QUOTE: “They don’t take our cars, but we take MILLIONS of theirs!” – Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: Toyota says the move is aimed at improving Japan-U.S. trade relations and addressing trade imbalance concerns.
IN FULL
Japanese automobile giant Toyota announced it will import three of its U.S.-manufactured models to Japan starting next year. The move is largely seen as a response to U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s tariff policies and concerns he has raised about America’s trade imbalance with Japan, particularly regarding the automotive market.
In April, President Trump posted on Truth Social regarding the disparity between the U.S. and Japanese auto markets, writing: “They don’t take our cars, but we take MILLIONS of theirs!” The America First leader has frequently criticized the East Asian nation for using non-tariff trade barriers, such as regulatory measures and surtaxes, to protect its domestic auto industry from U.S. competition.
According to Toyota, the U.S.-made Camry sedan, Highlander SUV, and Tundra pickup truck will be made available to Japanese consumers. The company, in a statement, said the move is meant “to meet the diverse needs of a broad range of customers, while also helping to improve Japan-U.S. trade relations.”
Toyota enjoys a significant share of the U.S. automobile market, ranking as the second-top-selling automaker. However, American-made vehicles lack a similar presence in Japan, where General Motors (GM)—the U.S. auto industry leader—saw only a few hundred sales of models from its Chevrolet and Cadillac lines in the country last year.
The National Pulse reported in May that German auto industry giant Mercedes-Benz announced it will shift additional production to the United States, with the aim of localizing the assembly of a new “core segment” vehicle at its facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Like Toyota, Mercedes-Benz’s move is largely seen as a response to Trump’s tariffs.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani’s (D) newly-hired Director of Appointments, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, resigned after past anti-Semitic social media posts were uncovered.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Catherine Almonte Da Costa, Zohran Mamdani, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The resignation occurred on Thursday, December 18, 2025, in New York City.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Her social media footprint includes posts from more than a decade ago that echo classic antisemitic tropes and otherwise demean Jewish people.” – Anti-Defamation League
🎯IMPACT: Da Costa stepped down just one day after her appointment, with Mamdani accepting her resignation.
IN FULL
Catherine Almonte Da Costa, newly named as Director of Appointments in New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani‘s (D) socialist administration, resigned on Thursday following the resurfacing of anti-Semitic social media posts she made over a decade ago. Since winning the mayoral race in November, Mamdani has announced a number of concerning appointments, including Da Costa, convicted armed robber Mysonne Linen, and the political left’s favorite terrorism lawyer, Ramzi Kassem.
The resignation came after pressure from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which publicized social media posts by Da Costa that the organization says “echo classic antisemitic tropes and otherwise demean Jewish people.” In a January 2011 post highlighted by the ADL, Da Costa complained, “Money hungry Jews smh [shaking my head].” In another, she referred to a train route as “the Jew train.”
Previously, Da Costa served in various roles—including in the Office of Appointments—in former Mayor Bill de Blasio‘s government.
“As the mother of two Jewish children, I deeply regret and apologize for these tweets from well over a decade ago,” De Costa said in response to her resurfaced social media history. “These comments do not in any way, shape, or form reflect who I am or my views and beliefs today.” Meanwhile, her husband, Ricky Da Costa, also responded to the controversy, calling his wife’s past remarks “dumb,” but insisted her remorse “is deeply genuine.”
Zohran Mamdani, who had announced Da Costa’s appointment just one day prior, accepted her resignation while also stressing her “deep remorse” over the past anti-Semitic comments.
During the 2025 mayoral campaign, Mamdani was scrutinized over his ties to radical Islamists. In October, he shared a photo on social media in which he appeared alongside radical Islamist Imam Siraj Wahhaj, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. In the post, Mamdani praised Wahhaj as one of America’s foremost Muslim religious scholars and a local Brooklyn community leader.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ has appealed a court ruling that determined the Trump administration unlawfully terminated $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard University.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Trump administration, attorneys with the DOJ, Harvard University, and U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The appeal was filed on Thursday, December 18, 2019, and will be heard by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.
🎯IMPACT: With the appeal filed, the case will now move to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.
IN FULL
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed an appeal against a District Court ruling that found the Trump administration’s termination of $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard University to be unlawful. Submitted on Thursday, the appeal filing was made just before the 60-day deadline for the government to act.
In September, U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs—a Barack Obama appointee—ordered that the Trump administration must reverse over $2.2 billion in funding cuts to Harvard. The Boston-based Democrat judge’s ruling found the funding freeze was an act of retaliation against Harvard for rejecting changes the administration sought in the university’s governance and policies.
Notably, Burroughs has made rulings on several cases involving the Trump White House and Harvard, including the issuance of a temporary restraining order in May, which blocked the administration from revoking Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. This would have barred the university from enrolling foreign students. The judge’s latest determination followed a lawsuit filed by Harvard, which argued that the cuts violated its free speech rights under the First Amendment.
The Trump administration moved to cut over $2 billion in federal funding for Harvard University in April after the Ivy League institution rejected a set of government policy conditions aimed at addressing anti-Semitic incidents and pro-Hamas protests on its campus. At the time, the university declared President Donald J. Trump’s proposed policy changes “illegal,” with Harvard officials stating they would not comply with the White House directive.
With the appeal filed, the case will now move to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. Attorneys for the DOJ contend that federal grant funds are “not charitable gratuities,” but rather contractual financial support that the federal government can terminate if officials believe the recipient is in breach of the grant’s terms.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Wisconsin judge was found guilty of obstruction for aiding a Mexican illegal immigrant in evading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, ICE agents, and federal prosecutors.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: December 18, 2025, in a Milwaukee County courtroom.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This case is serious for all involved, it is ultimately about a single day, a single bad day, in a public courthouse.” – U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel
🎯IMPACT: The judge faces up to five years in prison on the felony obstruction conviction.
IN FULL
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan has been convicted of obstruction for aiding Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a violent and criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, in evading arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The federal jury found her guilty of the felony obstruction charge but acquitted her of a misdemeanor count of concealing an individual to prevent arrest. The obstruction charge carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.
The incident occurred on April 18, 2025, during a pretrial hearing in a domestic abuse case involving Flores-Ruiz. ICE agents, alerted to his court appearance, arrived to detain him. Prosecutors argued that Judge Dugan intervened to obstruct the arrest, directing the agents to the chief judge’s office and allowing Flores-Ruiz to escape through a private jury door. Surveillance footage and audio recordings played during the trial supported these allegations.
Judge Dugan and her Democrat allies attempted to portray the prosecution as being politically motivated. However, U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel dismissed these claims, emphasizing that the case was singularly about Dugan’s criminal actions. “Some have sought to make this about a larger political battle,” Schimel said, adding: “While this case is serious for all involved, it is ultimately about a single day, a single bad day, in a public courthouse.”
During the trial, defense attorneys contended that Dugan was following courthouse protocols requiring employees to report ICE agents to supervisors. They argued she did not intentionally obstruct the arrest. However, prosecutors presented evidence that she expedited Flores-Ruiz’s case and instructed him to leave through a restricted exit, saying she would “take the heat” for her actions.
Flores-Ruiz, previously deported in 2013 and accused of multiple assaults in March 2025, was ultimately apprehended by ICE agents outside the courthouse after a chase. The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Dugan in May, citing public interest concerns. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed in November that Flores-Ruiz had been deported again.
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