Free Republic

Border Patrol agents are warning that kids as young as 8 are being drugged and smuggled into the US by people traffickers posing as their parents or family members — and nobody knows how common the horrifying practice is. Authorities have rescued children caught up in two different instances of such smuggling in recent weeks — including one instance where the alleged traffickers had birth certificates for multiple kids who they weren’t related to, according to the Border Patrol. Border Patrol sources have told The Post they’ve observed increasing numbers of smugglers posing as family units in order to “recycle”...

What’s going on? The economy has slowed, fewer companies are hiring and businesses have less of a need for labor. Workers are now losing what was the most leverage they’d had in decades. Excluding the pandemic, the U.S. jobs market hasn’t seen such a seismic shift since the 2008-09 financial crisis, when conditions were even worse. “Full-time versus part-time employment is showing a big divergence, which tallies with the idea that the U.S. is adding largely lower-paid, part-time jobs and is losing full-time, well-paid jobs,” said James Knightley, chief international economist at ING.

Iraqi officials – some on the record, some not – stated this week that they are finalizing an effort to remove nearly all American troops from the country following the collapse of the Islamic State “caliphate.” The plan would allegedly remove nearly all American military personnel from the country by 2025, leaving some in the autonomous northern region governed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) for another year. Defense Minister Thabit al-Abbasi reportedly announced the plan in an interview with the Saudi network Al Arabiya this week; the Washington Post quoted an anonymous “Iraqi military official” on Thursday describing the...

Amid news of an armed Venezuelan gang taking over an apartment complex in Colorado, new reports claim the same thing is happening in Chicago. “A group of 32 armed Venezualans (sic) took over an apartment building in Chicago tonight,” the popular Libs of TikTok account on X shared, posting an audio recording of the emergency 911 dispatch call. “First they did this in Aurora, CO and now Chicago? Which city will be next?” the post asked. “This invasion happened on Kamala’s watch.” Police were reportedly sent to the 6100 block of South King Drive on Monday after the call that...

After not adding any new members for 13 years, the non-Western international group welcomed Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates last August. The floodgates have since been opened: In February, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor claimed that over 30 nations now want to join the international group. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been vocal about wanting to join the bloc, lobbying Russian, Chinese, and just this week, Indian officials about Malaysia’s application. Thailand also submitted a formal application to join the bloc last June, and officials hope that the Southeast Asian country will be...