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Please be aware... ALL Photos are purely for entertainment. I am no expert. Titles are from recognition - what I was told - or a quick search. Polite comments or corrections are welcome.

ShutterNut... posted a photo:

Please be aware... ALL Photos are purely for entertainment. I am no expert. Titles are from recognition - what I was told - or a quick search. Polite comments or corrections are welcome.

Esteban had never heard of the prison gang Los Paisas until he was held at the Adelanto immigrant detention center in California. As soon as he passed through the bars of his housing unit, other detainees made it clear he had to choose: join them or join another group made up of Russians, Indians, Chinese, and Armenians. He understood that doing neither would leave him defenseless, so he accepted. There was no initiation ritual and he was not asked to swear allegiance. The rules were simple: protect your own from violent people, settle internal disputes, and keep a measure of order in a place where authority often seemed insufficient. Over the months, deportations and transfers took away people he knew. They were replaced by newcomers, some of whom did not understand the dynamics of detention. He had to teach them. Before he knew it, Esteban was among the most long-standing members and, without seeking the role, he became one of the leaders of the gang.

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Please be aware... ALL Photos are purely for entertainment. I am no expert. Titles are from recognition - what I was told - or a quick search. Polite comments or corrections are welcome.

This story is part of a series by Public Health Watch and MyRGV.com. Puente News Collaborative is a partner in this collaboration.

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Help for Parkinson’s patients in the Rio Grande Valley

Seek appropriate care. Dr. CJ Martínez-Menéndez, a neurologist at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, emphasizes that Parkinson’s treatment is a team effort. Finding a neurologist is the first step; ask for a referral to a movement disorders specialist, physical therapists and occupational therapists, and possibly a psychiatrist or psychologist for emotional support.

Join a support group. Two hospital systems — South Texas Health System and DHR Health System — hold monthly meetings. Another group meets at Siesta Retirement Village in Weslaco, Texas. Myla Garza, a Parkinson’s patient, encourages people not to be “afraid” of the diagnosis. “There are many things that can improve your quality of life,” she says.

Explore online resources. The Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Parkinson’s Foundation offer free, reliable information to help patients and families understand and cope with the disease. The Parkinson’s Foundation also operates a toll-free helpline (1-800-473-4636) available in English and Spanish.

Participate in Parkinson’s research projects. Contact brain@utrgv.edu for information about Dr. Kelsey Baker’s study at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. You can also email genetics@parkinson.org or call the Parkinson’s Foundation helpline (1-800-473-4636) to enroll in the foundation’s national genetic study, which offers free genetic testing to all participants.

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Please be aware... ALL Photos are purely for entertainment. I am no expert. Titles are from recognition - what I was told - or a quick search. Polite comments or corrections are welcome.

Texas trial, which lasted a week, drew national attention due to race, as Anthony is Black and Austin Metcalf was white

Following a trial that lasted just one week from jury selection to verdict, a Collin county, Texas, jury found Karmelo Anthony, now 19, guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf last year.

The closely watched trial drew national attention, with viral social media posts that highlighted the racial composition of the case: Anthony is Black; Austin was white. Attorneys selected 12 jurors and six alternates for the trial; none of the jurors was Black.

Donald Trump has added another victory in Texas, underscoring MAGA’s firm grip on the Republican Party in this key state. His Senate pick, the controversial attorney general Ken Paxton, defeated veteran Republican senator John Cornyn by a wide margin. With the result, Paxton denies Cornyn the chance to seek a fifth term in Washington in the November midterm elections.

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Lidia and her family have become increasingly isolated at home as more neighbors are detained by local police or immigration agents. She used to walk for an hour every afternoon, going peacefully to the doctor, to do the shopping, or to take her mother-in-law to church. Not anymore. She doesn’t trust the police either: if she were in a car accident, she’d rather arrive home safely in the damaged vehicle. She lives in Colony Ridge, an immigrant neighborhood 40 minutes from Houston, which for years has been targeted by conservative politicians — including Texas Governor Greg Abbott — who consider it a magnet for undocumented immigration.

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Yet another camera I once owned but moved on to a new home when I sold off my old camera collection

ShutterNut... posted a photo:

Please be aware... ALL Photos are purely for entertainment. I am no expert. Titles are from recognition - what I was told - or a quick search. Polite comments or corrections are welcome.

The redrawing of electoral districts, or gerrymandering, in the United States is reaching unprecedented levels. After the Supreme Court’s late-April ruling changed electoral rules and curtailed minority rights, Republicans have stepped up efforts to dismantle majority-Black districts, especially in the South, though the strategy extends to states beyond that region.

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