ICE Helps Round Up Sex Workers in Florida

Posted on by Lone Candle

“A recent “human trafficking enforcement operation” in Polk County, Florida, led to 244 arrests—albeit none for human trafficking. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Polk County is far from alone in rounding up sex workers and their customers under the auspices of stopping human trafficking. And as is so frequently the case, the federal government had a hand in this operation, which authorities dubbed Fool Around and Find Out.”

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“In addition to targeting adults for trying to consensually engage other adults in private sexual activity, immigration enforcement seems to have been a goal. A press release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) notes that 36 of those arrested “are here illegally.””

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“NFL Player Arrested, but No Human Traffickers”

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“Toward the bottom of the press release, a quote from Sheriff Judd notes that “in addition to these 244 arrests, we also arrested 11 child predators who solicited who they thought were children online.” Judd seemingly wants to give the impression that Operation Fool Around and Find Out did more than just arrest people for wanting to engage in consensual adult activity.
But those 11 arrests were part of a separate operation, with its own name: Operation Child Protector VI. They appear to have nothing to do with the other 244 arrests.”

https://reason.com/2025/05/21/ice-helps-round-up-sex-workers-in-florida/

A Federal Judge Says New Mexico Cops Reasonably Killed an Innocent Man at the Wrong House

Posted on by Lone Candle

A story of police incompetence resulting in an innocent man killed.

“At that point, according to the complaint, the officers “finally announced themselves, and Kimberly Dotson told them that someone had shot her husband and requested their help.” She “did not realize even at that moment that the three police officers had killed her husband,” which she did not learn “until she was finally told eight hours later at the police station where she was detained.”

After the shooting, the lawsuit says, “the officers involved did not disclose to investigators that they were at the wrong address, which was the error leading to the tragic result and without which it would not have occurred.” The mistake “was discovered by other officers who arrived at the scene.””

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“In Garcia’s view, the late-night visit at the wrong house that resulted in Dotson’s death did not amount to such recklessness. He is not alone in concluding that police cannot reasonably be expected to make sure they are in the right place when they approach or even break into someone’s home.”

https://reason.com/2025/05/21/a-federal-judge-says-new-mexico-cops-reasonably-killed-an-innocent-man-at-the-wrong-house/

How to Fight Fascism in America — with Timothy Snyder | Prof G Conversations

Posted on by Lone Candle

Historically, business leaders were key to strengthening facism. Companies focus more on how they can use a leader to make money, rather than on what that leader and their cooperation is doing to democracy, society, and people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NIwH4nKaDg

What Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Is Really Doing (Part 2) | The Ezra Klein Show

Posted on by Lone Candle

Rather than honestly and straight-forwardly cutting Medicaid, the Republican bill adds thick layers of paperwork and bureaucratic hassles onto a bureaucracy that they purposely underfund and understaff to effectively cut Medicaid, taking away health insurance for many low income people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIB-8dvkL8I