U.S. - Houston Stringer

27Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Seventh Circuit dismisses appeal of Illinois man sentenced to life for kidnapping and forced labor

CHICAGO, IL – The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal of Domingo Francisco‑Juan, who was sentenced to life in prison for his role in kidnapping and forcing a Guatemalan minor into labor in central Illinois. According to court records, Francisco‑Juan and others conspired beginning in 2015 to bring the victim to the United States under false promises of education. Instead, the victim was forced to work, threatened, and sexually abused for more than five years. Francisco‑Juan had also re‑entered the country illegally after eight prior deportations. He pleaded guilty in two consolidated cases to kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, forced labor, conspiracy to commit forced labor, and illegal re‑entry. The district court sentenced him to life in prison, along...

Court upholds ruling against Delta workers who sued Lands’ End over alleged toxic uniforms

27Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Court upholds ruling against Delta workers who sued Lands’ End over alleged toxic uniforms

CHICAGO, IL – The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s decision rejecting claims from hundreds of Delta Air Lines employees who alleged that uniforms supplied by Lands’ End caused health problems and property damage. Two groups of plaintiffs brought suit after wearing the new uniforms, with one group seeking damages for medical issues such as rashes, breathing problems, and fatigue, and another seeking compensation for property damage and breach of warranty. The court held that the plaintiffs failed to prove the uniforms were defective or that the garments caused their alleged health problems. Expert witnesses offered by the plaintiffs were excluded due to unreliable data and flawed methodology, particularly their use of biased questionnaires and unsupported ...

DOJ to monitor polling sites in six U.S. jurisdictions for November 2025 general election

27Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

DOJ to monitor polling sites in six U.S. jurisdictions for November 2025 general election

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced plans to monitor polling locations across six jurisdictions for the upcoming November 4, 2025, general election to ensure transparency, ballot access, and compliance with federal voting laws. File Photo (2024) Under the direction of Attorney General Pamela Bondi, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will deploy personnel to monitor elections in Passaic County, New Jersey; Kern, Riverside, Fresno, Orange, and Los Angeles counties in California. According to the DOJ, the monitoring initiative aims to safeguard federal protections under the Voting Rights Act, Civil Rights Acts, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and other statutes. “Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process, and this De...

Global network used cryptocurrency to funnel funds to ISIS, U.S. and Canadian defendants convicted

27Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Canada, Europe, Middle East, U.S.

Global network used cryptocurrency to funnel funds to ISIS, U.S. and Canadian defendants convicted

BROOKLYN, NY – A multinational conspiracy involving U.S. and Canadian nationals has resulted in multiple convictions for funding the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) using cryptocurrency and online fundraising platforms. Photo Courtesy of DOJ On October 25, 2025, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Abdullah At Taqi, 26, of Queens, New York, of all charges including conspiracy and attempt to provide material support to ISIS, and conspiracy to launder money. Co-defendant Mohamad David Hashimi pleaded guilty to the same charges earlier this month. Two other individuals, Seema Rahman and Khalilullah Yousuf, also participated in the funding operation, with Yousuf prosecuted in Canada. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the defendants used Bitcoin, PayPal, and GoFundM...

Tenth Circuit denies asylum petition of Mexican national who claimed fear of persecution as child of former police officer

24Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Tenth Circuit denies asylum petition of Mexican national who claimed fear of persecution as child of former police officer

DENVER, CO – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied the petition for review filed by Jorge Luis Cortez-Cabrera, a Mexican national seeking protection from removal to Mexico. Cortez-Cabrera claimed he would face persecution and torture because he is the son of a former police officer. The three-judge panel, composed of Circuit Judges Harris Hartz, Allison Eid, and Joel Carson, upheld the Board of Immigration Appeals’ decision affirming an immigration judge’s denial of withholding of removal and relief under the Convention Against Torture. The court found that Cortez-Cabrera failed to demonstrate a sufficient connection between his alleged mistreatment and his claimed social group of “children of former Mexican police officers.” The panel agreed with lower findings ...

Governor Abbott appoints former Texas Solicitor General who challenged Obamacare to Supreme Court of Texas

24Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Governor Abbott appoints former Texas Solicitor General who challenged Obamacare to Supreme Court of Texas

AUSTIN, TX - Governor Greg Abbott announced the appointment of Kyle Hawkins as Justice, Place 7, on the Supreme Court of Texas for a term set to expire December 31, 2026. File Photo (September 2025) Governor Abbott described Hawkins as “a proven defender of both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions,” citing his record of public service and extensive appellate experience. As Texas Solicitor General, Hawkins litigated key constitutional cases at both the state and federal levels, including Texas’s challenge to the federal Affordable Care Act and defense of the state’s election integrity laws. Hawkins currently serves as a partner at Lehotsky Keller Cohn LLP and brings more than 16 years of experience in constitutional and commercial litigation. He previously served as Counselor to the ...

Texas doctor surrenders medical license after state lawsuit over prescribing gender transition drugs to minors

24Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Texas doctor surrenders medical license after state lawsuit over prescribing gender transition drugs to minors

TEXAS - A Dallas-area physician, Dr. May Lau, has surrendered her Texas medical license following a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Ken Paxton accusing her of prescribing gender transition drugs to minors in violation of state law. File Photo (September 2025) According to the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Dr. Lau entered into a Rule 11 agreement that initially required her to cease practicing medicine while the case was pending. Her subsequent surrender of her license permanently bars her from practicing medicine in Texas. Attorney General Paxton stated that the surrender “is a major victory for our state,” adding that his office will continue pursuing the case alleging Lau violated state law by prescribing cross-sex hormones to minors.

‘The New Edition Way Tour’ to conclude at Toyota Center in Houston

24Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

‘The New Edition Way Tour’ to conclude at Toyota Center in Houston

HOUSTON, TX, October 24, 2025 – The Black Promoters Collective announced The New Edition Way Tour, a nationwide concert event featuring New Edition, Boyz II Men, and Toni Braxton, set to end its 30-city run at the Toyota Center in Houston on April 4, 2026. NEW EDITION, BOYZ II MEN & TONI BRAXTON JOIN FORCES FOR “THE NEW EDITION WAY TOUR” (Photo Courtesy of BPC) The tour begins January 29, 2026, at the Oakland Arena in California and will travel through major cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, and Boston before its grand finale in Houston. The production will offer fans a 360-degree concert experience celebrating music, legacy, and connection. Tickets go on sale to the public October 31 at 10 a.m. local time through Ticketmaster and participating venue b...

Guatemalan national extradited to U.S. in deadly 2021 tractor-trailer smuggling case that killed more than 50 migrants

24Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Central America, Mexico, U.S.

Guatemalan national extradited to U.S. in deadly 2021 tractor-trailer smuggling case that killed more than 50 migrants

LAREDO, TX – A 41-year-old Guatemalan national has been extradited to the United States to face charges connected to a 2021 tractor-trailer crash that killed more than 50 people and injured over 100 others, many of them Guatemalan nationals and unaccompanied children. According to the Department of Justice, Daniel Zavala Ramos, also known as Dany ZR, was arrested in Boquerón, Guatemala, on Aug. 7, 2025, following a U.S. extradition request. He was surrendered to U.S. authorities on Oct. 21 and is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in Laredo. Zavala Ramos is among six individuals charged in connection with the Dec. 9, 2021, crash, including Tomas Quino Canil, 37; Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino, 25; Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala, 43; Alberto Marcario Ch...

Pakistani national sentenced to 40 years after smuggling operation that led to deaths of two Navy SEALs

24Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Middle East, U.S.

Pakistani national sentenced to 40 years after smuggling operation that led to deaths of two Navy SEALs

ALEXANDRIA, VA – A Pakistani national has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his role in an Iranian weapons smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of two U.S. Navy SEALs. On June 5, 2025, a federal jury convicted Muhammad Pahlawan of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, aiding Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program, and transporting explosives to the Houthi rebel forces in Yemen. He was also convicted of threatening his crew during the mission. According to court records, on Jan. 11, 2024, U.S. Navy forces operating from the USS Lewis B. Puller, including Navy SEALs and Coast Guard personnel, intercepted Pahlawan’s unflagged dhow off the coast of Somalia. The boarding team discovered Iranian-made ballistic missile components, anti-ship ...