January 1, Tech Mogul John McAfee Found Dead In Prison

Good morning Middle America,

Controversial anti-virus software magnate John McAfee was found dead in his prison cell near Barcelona, Spain on Wednesday afternoon. McAfee was awaiting extradition to the US after being charged with tax evasion last year. The Catalonia regional government Justice Department released a statement that said “everything indicates” that McAfee could have died by suicide.

The Biden administration announced a “zero-tolerance” policy for gun dealers who violate the law, as part of their efforts to combat a “staggering” surge in violent crime. The policy applies to federally licensed firearms dealers who willfully transfer a weapon to someone prohibited from owning one or ignore a tracing request from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Dealers will likely lose their license after the first offense.

The Supreme Court put limits on when police officers pursuing a fleeing suspect can enter a home without a warrant. The court ruled that when officers are pursuing someone for a misdemeanor, they cannot enter a home carte blanche without a warrant. “The flight of a suspected misdemeanant does not always justify a warrantless entry into a home. An officer must consider all the circumstances in a pursuit case to determine whether there is a law enforcement emergency,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in a majority opinion.

A member of the far-right group Oath Keepers pleaded guilty to storming the US Capitol building on January 6, making him the second member of the group to enter such a plea. Graydon Young pleaded guilty to conspiring with other Oath Keepers who came to Washington to protest the results of the presidential election. Young, 54, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years, but he is currently cooperating with investigators.

Progressive Democrats are criticizing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their lack of action on voting rights. As democrat-backed election legislation, the For the People Act, was blocked by Republicans on Tuesday, progressives questioned whether Biden is using all of his leverage to prioritize the issue. New York Democratic congressman Mondaire Jones tweeted, “Our democracy is in crisis and we need @POTUS to act like it.”

Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott announced that he was asked to step aside on Wednesday, amid a surge in illegal migration along the US-Mexico border. Scott shared this information on the same day Kamala Harris announced that she was making her first trip to the border, though it is unclear if the two are connected in any way. Republicans argue it’s the Biden administration’s policies that are at fault for the current surge– which is an opinion shared by both Guatemala and Mexico’s president.

Be well,

Fraser Dixon

Sources

• John McAfee found dead in Spanish prison hours after his extradition to the US was approved
• Biden administration announces ‘zero tolerance’ for gun dealers in push against violent crime
• High court limits when police can enter home without warrant
• Oath Keeper pleads guilty in Capitol riot case, will cooperate with investigators
• Progressives criticize Biden and Harris for not doing more to help voting rights
• Biden Border Patrol chief booted as VP Harris announces trip to border