#Assassination in Mexico City

[historydailyfrancischappellblack]

RUSSIAN REVOLUTIONARY LEON TROTSKY IS MORTALLY WOUNDED IN MEXICO CITY ATTACK

On August 20, 1940, exiled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky is mortally injured by an ice-ax-wielding assassin at his home on the outskirts of Mexico City. The killer—Ramón Mercader—was a Spanish communist and an agent of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Trotsky died from his wounds the following day. After a failed attempt to have Trotsky murdered in March 1939, Stalin assigned the overall organization of implementing the task to the NKVD officer Pavel Sudoplatov, who, in turn, co-opted Nahum Eitingon. According to Sudoplatov's Special Tasks, the NKVD proceeded to set up three NKVD agent networks to carry out the murder; these three networks were designed to operate entirely autonomously from the NKVD's hitherto-established spy networks in the U.S. and Mexico.

On 24 May 1940, Trotsky survived a raid on his villa by armed assassins led by the NKVD agent Iosif Grigulevich and Mexican painter David Alfaro Siqueiros. Trotsky's 14-year-old grandson, Vsevolod Platonovich "Esteban" Volkov (7 March 1926 – 16 June 2023), was shot in the foot. A young assistant and bodyguard of Trotsky, Robert Sheldon Harte, disappeared with the attackers and was later found murdered; it is probable that he was an accomplice who granted them access to the villa. Trotsky's other guards fended off the attackers. Following the failed assassination attempt, Trotsky wrote an article titled "Stalin Seeks My Death" on 8 June 1940, in which he stated that another assassination attempt was certain.

On 20 August 1940, Trotsky was attacked in his study by Spanish-born NKVD agent Ramón Mercader, who used an ice axe as a weapon. The blow to his head was bungled and failed to kill Trotsky instantly. Witnesses stated that Trotsky spat on Mercader and began struggling fiercely with him, which resulted in Mercader's hand being broken. Hearing the commotion, Trotsky's bodyguards burst into the room and nearly beat Mercader to death, but Trotsky stopped them, laboriously stating that the assassin should be made to answer questions. Trotsky was then taken to a hospital and operated on, surviving for more than a day, but dying, at the age of 60, on 21 August 1940 from exsanguination and shock.

#DailyHistorywithFrancisChappellBlack

[nasirddin]

A demonstrator holds a sign that reads "Israel assassin" during the pro-Palestinian rally. [Pedro Pardo/AFP]

Clashes erupt at Mexico City protest against Israel’s war on Gaza

[misssparklingpaws]

Shadow in the Flame

Chapter 3: Rooftop Ghosts

It was past 2 a.m., and the Tower was asleep.

The rooftop of the Tower was quiet, lit only by the ambient glow of the city far below and the occasional flicker of a passing drone.

Bucky stood near the ledge, hands in his jacket pockets, staring out over Manhattan like he was still waiting for something to explode. Aria joined him wordlessly, a thermos of black coffee in one hand and a thermal blanket thrown lazily over her shoulders like a cape.

“You look like a caffeinated vampire,” Bucky muttered.

“You look like a retired assassin who’s bored with peace and pretending it’s brooding.”

He smirked. “Touché.”

They stood in silence for a moment, the kind only earned by people who’ve survived more than they talk about.

“You did good today,” he said eventually. “With Reynolds, I suspect He likes you,” Bucky said, watching her from the corner of his eye.

Aria didn’t flinch. “Robert’s unstable. He likes anything that doesn’t scream when he gets anxious.”

“No,” Bucky said quietly. “He likes you. Scars and all.”

“I’m not built for that,” she said. “For softness, I steeped because is my work"

“I know. You did it because failure’s inefficient and emotions make you itchy but... no one said you had to be soft. Just human.”

She turned to him finally, eyes sharp.

“Every time I get close to someone, they vanish. My excuse of a mom, Natasha, my dad… half the planet. I’m done risking that.”

Bucky nodded. “Then don’t get close. But don’t push away the ones who already see you.”

She glanced sideways at him. “Is this your weird version of a therapy session?”

“Just making sure you’re still a person under all that Stark-grade shielding.”

Aria took a sip of her coffee, then muttered, “I cracked a smile earlier.”

“Oh no,” he deadpanned. “The end times.”

“…He’s not bad,” she said, eyes on the skyline. “Robert.”

Bucky didn’t smile, but something in his face softened.

“He looks at you like you hung the stars,” he said. “Even when you’re busy punching his self-esteem in the throat.”

She exhaled. “Still unstable. I can’t coddle that.”

“No one’s asking you to." Bucky added “So where’ve you even been hiding the last couple years?”

“Mexico,” she replied after a beat. “Cancún, exactly.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Cancún? That’s... unexpected.”

“Hidden Stark base. Buried tech, solar everything. Dad built it after Sokovia just in case.” She took a sip of coffee. “I needed to disappear somewhere warm and... connect with half my heritage.”

He blinked. “Your mom was Mexican, right.”

“Yeah. A model. I only knew her through magazines, ads, covers, interviews. Never met her sober. She never cared. I was a headline she buried and a check she never cashed.”

Bucky didn’t say anything. Just listened.

“I thought if I stayed there long enough, surrounded myself with something that came from her side, I might... I don’t know. Feel closer. Make it mean something.”

“You find it?”

She shrugged. “Not really. I found some peace. Fed a lot of stray cats. Fixed drones. Got sunburned.”

He smirked. “That’s not nothing.”

“And I had tequila,” she added, lips twitching. “A lot of tequila.”

“There it is,” Bucky muttered. “The emotional processing I was waiting for.”

“Oh, and I messed around with some athletic beach boys,” she added smirking. “Mexican, Italian, German a Brazilian to, I think so. Great cardio.”

Bucky coughed mid-laugh, then shook his head. “You really are your father’s daughter.”

Aria smirked, pleased. “Genetics are a hell of a thing.”

----

The next morning the training floor was prepped. Gravity adjusted. Drones armed. Pain imminent.

The Thunderbolts filed in, groggy and half-dressed in armor.

Yelena rubbed sleep from her eyes. “Why are we awake at six in the morning? Are we being punished?”

Aria descended the stairs like a general surveying a battlefield, dressed in a crisp tactical tight suit and holding a datapad like it was a weapon and a big thermo.

Robert nervously adjusted his collar. “She looks like she hasn’t slept since 2019.”

"She looks like an evil haunted ballerina" Ava muttered.

“Alright degenerates and rejects of X-Men" Aria snapped, voice sharp as a whip crack. “Today’s objective: sweat, pain, and shame. And if you’re lucky, survival.”

Aria took a gulp of hot lava black coffee like it was plain water

“You failed yesterday. Congratulations. Today you get the full Stark experience.”

Walker muttered something under their breath.

Aria activated the simulation.

Holograms flared up faster, sharper, meaner than before. Triple the enemies. Zero mercy.

“This scenario is called ‘Good luck, losers.’ You have twelve minutes to survive. Points are deducted for crying.”

“Wait what?” said Red Guardian.

Aria ignored him.

“Yelena, if you roll your eyes at me again, I will recalibrate your wristbands to tase you every time you breathe wrong. Ghost, you’re set to ‘solid’ today. Let’s see if your punch lands harder than your social skills.”

Ghost blinked, stunned.

“Walker. Try originality today. I’ve seen enough Cap cosplay to last me a lifetime.”

Yelena choked on a laugh.

“And Red Guardian… move like you’ve seen a salad.”

“HEY!”

“And Reynolds" she paused, turning to where Robert was standing awkwardly near the sim gate, “ you’re the most powerful person here. That means no excuses. No meltdowns. No puppy eyes and try running in a straight line this time. You’re not a firefly on espresso.”

He smiled nervously. “That’s oddly specific" then nodded, slow but steady. “Yes, ma’am.”

Aria smirked. “Good boy.”

She strolled through the chaos like a general inspecting barely-trained recruits, barking commands like second nature.

“Belova, your form is sloppier than my coding at 2 AM. Tighten up.”

“Your 2 AM code built a satellite weapon,” Yelena muttered.

“And it didn’t fall out of orbit, so clearly, I’m still right.”

Red Guardian raised a hand mid-squat. “Can I get a bathroom break?”

“Sure. Right after the simulated nuke kills your simulated family. Move.”

Finally, she stopped in front of Robert, who was sweating through his shirt and had somehow tangled himself in resistance bands.

She crossed her arms.

“Tell me, Reynolds. Is this your tactical strategy death by yoga?”

“I panicked,” he wheezed. “The bands attacked first.”

She rolled her eyes, grabbed a towel, and tossed it at him.

“Clean yourself up you are a kinda a cosmic semi god, Reynolds. Get it together before I install a babysitter app on your suit.”

“Deal,” he grinned, breathless but beaming.

Bucky, watching from above, shook his head with a low whistle.

“I asked for a trainer,” he muttered. “I got a war crime with sarcasm.”

As the team stumbled into formation, something had shifted. They were tired, bruised, insulted but moving like a unit.

Half an hour later, they were all panting on the mat. Bruised. Sweaty. Half-dead.

Aria stood over them, perfectly composed, not even winded.

“That was marginally better,” she said. “If any of you had actual jobs, I might hire you to get me coffee. Maybe.”

She turned on her heel and walked out.

Yelena dropped back onto the floor. “I love her. I hate her. I want to be her.”

Robert, dazed: “She called me a cosmic babysitting hazard and I feel weirdly motivated.”

Red Guardian wheezed. “I think I peed.”

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello reported the arrest of a U.S. Navy SEAL alongside two Spanish citizens allegedly linked to intelligence agencies.

The foreign citizens are accused of plotting to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan officials.

At a press conference on Saturday at the ministry’s headquarters, in front of some of the 400 seized firearms linked to the reported plot, Cabello accused Wilbert Joseph Castañeda, an active duty U.S. sailor, of leading the effort on behalf of U.S. intelligence.

“Castañeda is the head of the operation, placed here by the CIA,” said Cabello.

Castañeda’s arrest was first reported earlier this month. At the time, White House Spokesperson John Kirby denied that the Navy serviceman was in Venezuela on official business and argued his travel was for personal reasons.

[d-criss-news]

Award-winning TV and theater star Darren Criss talks about his Broadway musical and travels

Darren Criss has already been chosen as the Teen Choice New Actor for his role in Glee . He also won the Golden Globe and Emmy for best actor in a drama, as well as the Critics' Choice Award for his role as Andrew Cunanan in "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" . And just a few weeks ago, he won two Tony Awards: as producer of the best musical of the Broadway season, Maybe Happy Ending , and as best actor in a musical. At just 38 years old, and with a career also in music, Darren Criss already has consistent and enviable recognition, which places him as one of the greatest of his generation. At IPW 2025 in Chicago, he was the master of ceremonies during the presentation of Broadway musicals at the traditional Broadway Inbound and New York City Tourism + Conventions luncheon. In addition to introducing his fellow Broadway stars from musicals such as Death Becomes Her and The Outsiders , he also sang one of the songs from Maybe Happy Ending. Afterwards, he walked around the fair, took photos and talked to PANROTAS and another media outlet from Mexico. He spoke about his achievements, his travels and what's coming up.

PANROTAS – In your presentation at the Broadway Inbound and New York City Tourism + Conventions luncheon at IPW, you said that the less we know about what happens in your musical, the better, because there are many surprises. How have people reacted to this award-winning musical? DARREN CRISS – Well, it’s true, the less you know, the better. I would say that we live in a time where everything, everywhere, is available at once. And it’s very rare in our lives, as we get older and more experienced, to experience something genuinely new. We’re burdened with so many expectations and experiences. So to have something that’s truly unique and new is a kind of miracle, and the show has a lot of that. It doesn’t happen all the time. It certainly doesn’t happen. So it certainly rewards anonymity and ignorance. PANROTAS – But could you define your show without giving away any spoilers? CRISS – If I had to present it in a concrete way, I would say it’s a classic Broadway show. It’s a great exploration of the human spirit and the human condition with wonderful music. And a beautiful set, a true Broadway show. Some great music and I hope it leaves you thinking about what you saw and feeling moved.

And what motivates you to do this story, not only as an actor, but also as a producer, having won two Tony Awards, for best musical and best actor? CRISS – My general calling as an artist is connection. And that’s my goal every day. It’s to try to minimize distance and to share as many ideas as possible. And this show is one of the most accessible pieces I’ve ever been a part of. And what I mean by that is, I’ve been a part of things that maybe resonated with a certain age group or experience or background. I’ve never been a part of something that could, without a shadow of a doubt, invite as many people as possible of all ages and experiences, people who know everything about theater, people who know nothing about theater, whether you hate it or love it. It’s been able to withstand every kind of advantage or obstacle. So I’m glad it was able to happen, but when I initially said yes, it was because I just thought it was something so special and original, which is very hard to do. How did you prepare for the show, which required a lot of physical fitness? CRISS – Well, I have a background in physical theater and physical theater traditions that come from a lot of inspirations around the world, like European theater, Commedia dell’arte, clowning and mime, and a lot of this physical storytelling that’s been around for hundreds of years. I would also mention a lot of East Asian theater, particularly Japan and Kabuki. And a lot of those physical traditions and the way you tell a story that goes beyond dialogue. You use your body and the mask, the mask being your face and the way you speak. You know, those are all tools to use. So I used a lot of those tricks that I had up my sleeve to create something that was kind of contemporary.

PANROTAS – We want to see the show because of the awards, the Tonys, because of the history, but also because of you. How long are you committed to the show? CRISS – For now, until August 31st. I hope this is the show that I’ll be a part of for the rest of my life. I’m looking forward to seeing the show open all over the world, in different languages ​​and times. That’s the goal. We’re just getting started. It’s funny, I’ve done over 250 shows, and yet we’re just getting started. The great thing about the Tony Awards is that they actually renew the contract for a lot of shows, and we’ve been very fortunate to have this new contract, so we can attract people from outside of our little New York. What were your biggest learnings or things you will take with you? CRISS – I don’t know, it’s hard to say because we’re still in it. I think it’s going to be a lifelong process. I’m still trying to process, on a personal level, what happened on Sunday at the awards. You don’t really have a lot of time to sit on that because you go straight back to work. I go straight back to my personal life, I go straight back to my professional life. You can’t just sit on the beach thinking about your life. You keep moving. So I got the flu and then I went to work and then I came here and did a show last night in New York, so it’s just bang bang bang bang bang. I really haven’t been able to think of anything because you just have to keep working, it’s not over. So I don’t know the answer. I mean, John Lennon said that life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. I don’t know what I’ll say definitively about what I’ve learned or what I’ve taken away with me, because it’s still happening and I’m still very close to the microscope. I’ll know soon enough. But all I know is that I’m constantly overwhelmed with gratitude and pleasure. It was a huge privilege, one of the greatest privileges of my life, to be part of this program. PANROTAS – Could you talk a little about traveling? You said you love to travel. You’re from San Francisco. Where do you like to travel to? Is there a dream destination you haven’t visited yet? CRISS – Oh my gosh, so many places. I mean, it’s a huge world. I’ve traveled a lot, more than, yeah, probably most people. I think of travel the same way I think of great movies or great books or great plays. You’ve heard about them, you’ve been told they’re great, and you don’t make any active effort to avoid them. It’s just that there’s only so much time in your day and in your life that you can make for those things. So, just like the great art of the world, the great cities of the world are works of art that should be appreciated and experienced by everyone. And so, there’s a lot for me. I would love to go to India, Iceland, Antarctica. There are some mountains I would love to climb, I would love to hike. There is so much on Earth, not just cities, that I would like to see. I would like to spend more time in South America. There are a lot of trains around the world that I love. I am a huge fan of trains, so there is no shortage of places I would love to go and things I would love to do.

PANROTAS – And which destination do you like to return to? CRISS – Well, if I can help it, I always try to go somewhere new if I have time. I try to… whenever I plan a trip, which is rare these days, but if I have to travel, I don’t go back to a place unless it’s with someone who’s never been there. And it’s also going to be in a city that neither of us have been to. I always want to move forward and I think when I’m older, I’ll pick my favorites and stick to them, but that’s one of the great things about being a musician and being on tour, is that you get to go back to a lot of your favorite places, so I certainly have my favorites, but yeah, there’s a lot to see that hasn’t been seen yet. PANROTAS – Tell us about some of your favorite places. CRISS – I won’t be the first person to say that Kyoto is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Everybody knows that. It’s like, it’s just true. I have a lot of favorites. Look, we’re in Chicago right now. I love Chicago so much. I had an amazing time in Chicago. It’s one of my favorite places to eat and drink. One of my favorite museums in the world is here in Chicago, the Art Institute. Mexico City is another amazing place. So, as an art fan, Chicago is a place that I always go back to. I used to make a point of coming here at least once a year, when it’s nice to go to some restaurants, see some friends. I’m not just saying that because we’re here, I would say it’s a city that I love to come back to. New Orleans is a city that touches me deeply. I have a lot of history there.

Are you an optimist, even with so much technology ahead of us? CRISS – Creative people, proactive people, they find a way. They find a way to connect. And I think there’s a resilience in the human spirit that’s inescapable. Classical music is still around. People are always worried about whether books will still be around, whether classical music will still be around? It’s still around. You know why? Because people find it and they think it’s really beautiful. They do that. And they perform it, they share it. And people get emotional. I think the fear is greater because there’s a more obvious perception of, “Wow, are we doing well?” “Isn’t this good for us?” But I think there’s an inevitability in the way we connect with each other. Theater has been around for thousands of years. Books have been around for thousands of years. I think the smart, proactive, educated, interested people will always be those people. And we're always going to have to try to take care of each other on some level. But I'm still hopeful. And I think there's a lot more good that can be done than there actually is. And especially as we move into a more AI-dominated cultural landscape. I hope, I don't know if it's going to happen, but I hope that the pendulum swings back toward live experiences because we crave something real. Everyone craves something real, no matter what. No matter what we've done, no matter what excuses we've made for not doing it together in person, we're still trying to synthesize what we're doing right now. So that's really cool, it keeps me optimistic. A lot of people see me happy. I hope they do too.

[chosaraki]

Flowers of Blood and Silence

—————————————————————————

Gitae Kim x R.femele. ( Strong, lethal, Sweet )

—————————————————————————

Y/N inspired by Yor Forger.

—————————————————————————

The sky of Seoul was covered by heavy clouds, as if the sky itself hesitated to breathe when it walked. Gitae Kim had returned from an operation in Mexico, and everyone knew that his arrival was not accidental. Whenever the King stepped on Korean soil again, something was about to change.

But that night, he didn't come back for war.

He came back for her.

On top of an exclusive skyscraper in Gangnam, a silent roof housed the woman that few dared to stare into the eyes: (Y/N), her bride - a silent, lethal and surprisingly sweet force. Her body was sculpted like that of a deadly athlete: marked curves, firm thighs, defined arms, delicate waist. Her every move was like that of a combat dancer - graceful, fluid and precise.

That night, she trained alone in the private dojo while the city turned on its lights. He wore light training clothes, his hair stuck in a practical way, but still enough to take anyone's breath away. The curved blade in his hand slid in the air, accompanied by pirouettes, jumps and impossible turns - a body flexible enough to bend at almost unreal angles, but always with fatal elegance.

When Gitae came in, she didn't make noise.

I just observed.

His eyes - predatory, cold - softened for a rare moment. (Y/N) noticed his presence only when he felt the pressure in the environment change. She stopped, slightly panting, and stared at him with that shy blush that only appeared when he was too close.

- You came back early... - he murmured, with a soft and embarrassed voice, holding the sheath of the sword as if it were easier than facing his feelings.

- I finished earlier than expected. There was someone I wanted to see. - His voice was deep, imposing, but there was a note of tenderness, almost imperceptible.

She looked away, as she always did, insecure with her own beauty. She could defeat a squad of assassins, but Gitae's smile disarmed her more than any blade.

- Are you... well?

- Better now.

He approached, a firm step, and landed his big and warm hand on her waist, pulling it with a silent control. Their bodies aligned perfectly. She trembled a little, her face reddened, but didn't move away. I could never refuse his touch.

- You've been training... a lot. - Gitae murmured, her gaze running through her body, stopping on the defined muscles of her legs, on her marked abdomen, on the neck that he knew so well.

- I have to live up to you... and the enemies.

- No one is up to you.

She laughed softly, embarrassed, and the sound was so delicate that it contrasted with all the ferocity she showed in the field. That's what Gitae loved the most: the contradiction. The woman who could kill in silence, but who redd with a compliment. The bride who prepared tea carefully, but who broke bones with her bare hands.

- I heard what happened to Jinrang . It was you, wasn't it?

- He needed to remember who's in charge here.

Gitae lifted her on her lap with ease, as if she were light as a feather. She swrithed a little, embarrassed by the gesture, but accepted. He took her to the bedroom, where the panoramic windows showed the city outside. There, he sat her on the padded parapet.

- I brought something for you.

He took out a little box of black velvet from inside his coat. When he opened it, there was a simple but elegant necklace - a silver blade hanging as a pendant.

- So that you remember... who you are. - he said, in a low voice.

- I'm your fiancée, Gitae. - she replied, still with pink cheeks. - That already reminds me of everything.

He leaned over and leaned his forehead against hers.

- And soon she will be my wife. Let's end this war. Assume everything. You with me.

- Until the end.

—————————————————————————

Strong, graceful, shy in loving matters and lethal when necessary. The story takes place in Seoul, after Gitae has already consolidated his domain as King.

—————————————————————————

[jeanne-crains]

Dee David, one of the victims in the Mickey Cohen ambush, primps in hospital while recovering slowly from gunshot wounds, July 22, 1949.

In the early hours of July 20, 1949 actress Dee David went to Sherry's, a café on Sunset Strip, where she met up with Frank Nicolli whom she reportedly had a romantic relationship with. Nicolli was a member of the Cohen crime family. Others at the café included Mickey Cohen, Neddie Herbert, a top lieutenant of Cohen's, and Harry Cooper, a Special Agent that had been assigned by the state attorney to guard Cohen. Four other members of various police agency's were also located around the café, assigned to guard Cohen after several failed assassination attempts had been made on him and Herbert.

At 4 am the party left the café with the police guards having left shortly earlier. As David, Cooper, Cohen, and Herbert stood on the sidewalk exchanging goodbyes gunfire opened up from the Bing Crosby building across the street. Cohen was hit in the shoulder, Cooper was hit twice in the abdomen, David was hit multiple times in the back (some reports say twice, others say three times, and still others say four times). Herbert was hit the worse leading investigators to theorize he was the target of the hit. He would succumb to his injuries about a week later while the other three recovered.

Less than 2 months later David would be mentioned in newspapers again when Frank Nicolli went missing while out on a $75,000 bail. David was reportedly the last person to see him and was able to tell police he had left her apartment to pick someone up at the airport. When her tip was not followed up on David went to the airport herself where she found Nicolli's abandoned car. Although Cohen believed Nicolli had been murdered the police did not and believed Cohen was hiding Nicolli and possibly planning to smuggle him into Mexico to avoid trial. However he was never found.

In February of the next year Cohen's house was bombed in another assassination attempt and Jack Dragna, who was questioned last July, was the prime suspect. Dragna had been the head of organized crime in LA until the late 1930s when Bugsy Siegel was sent to California by the East Coast mafia to set up operations. Once there Siegel teamed up with Cohen to gain majority control of LA's criminal syndications. After Siegel was assassinated in 1947, Cohen took over. Dragna wanted Cohen out of the way so he could regain full control.

At the time L.A. was trying to crack down on organized crime and clean out it's influence in the government. The knowledge that Special Agent Harry Cooper had been assigned as bodyguard to Cohen at tax payers expense enraged city councilmen. Dragna and Cohen were both ordered to appear before the Kefauver Committee. This resulting in Cohen being imprisoned for tax evasion in 1951 and Dragna receiving a deportation order to Sicily in 1953 (although he appealed this and passed away of natural causes in 1956 before the case was settled).

Cohen would survive another attempt on his life when serving a second prison term for tax evasion. After his release he became a businessman and celebrity and spent the later years of his life touring the country giving speeches and making television appearances before passing away of natural causes in 1976.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s Jimmy Fratianno, a member of the Dragna crime family, became an FBI informant in exchange for leniency. He confessed to the murder of Frank Nicolli in 1949 when Nicolli refused to betray Cohen and join the Dragna gang.

In May of 1950 David and Cooper, who first met on the night of the shooting, got married. However David would leave him a year later and file for divorce on the grounds of "extreme cruelty", which would be finalized in 1954.

David's acting career was not successful and she never surpassed bit parts (as a newspaper article cruelly focuses on immediately after the shooting). She still worked in the industry as a film technician and a script girl.

In 1956 David would make newspaper headlines again after being beaten by the Sica brothers, two gangsters and friends of Cohen. David claimed that they broke into her house while she was in a business meeting with Alfred Shomo and beat her and her guest while the brothers, who were also business partners with David, claimed they were invited to the house and turned violent after David pulled a gun on them. At the time David was working on Spring Byington's show December Bride. Byington appeared in court and testified on David's behalf while Cohen testified for the brothers. The brothers were found not guilty.

[brandonwritesgames]

Check out Dieselpunk 1921 Here!

The Republic of Mexico

The people of Mexico have long fought against the vile claws of Imperialism. The recent overthrow of the US and German backed dictatorship saw a rise in radical unity across Mexico, and the formation of a worker run Republic. While the structure mirrors what once was, the policies of unrestricted labour unionism, nationalizing essential industries, and preparing for another possible US invasion has rallied the spirit of Mexico. President Zapata, having faced an assassination attempt during a rally, has only used these attacks by American business interests to legitimize the radical positions of his government – and he has used the assassination attempt to further press the need to build the first true workers state.

The swells of revolutionary celebration have calmed slightly, giving way to the sobering realization of the magnitude of work ahead. Many in Mexico have begun forming new unions, not only to protect the rights of workers but also to build solidarity in community through food sharing and community education. Yet among all of this, there are still holdouts of the old regime, with flashes of violence still occurring near the American border and disruptions in supply lines between cities.

For professionals, work takes every form in Mexico; whether it be acquiring liquor to smuggle into the United States, to passing along logistics information between union organizations. The frequency of small US-backed anti-government holdouts have likewise created a cottage industry in train robbery and banditry, with US arms being used to rob Mexican citizens for the benefit of industrial barons.

[cartermagazine]

Today In History

On October 16, 1968, African American Olympic sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who engaged in a silent protest on the medal stand to bring light to the racial discrimination and violence against African Americans in the U.S., were met with hostility by white supporters and the media, and were eventually suspended for their protest.

The 1968 Olympics followed a summer of racial unrest and protest following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April.

Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlos placed first and third in the 200-meter dash at the Olympic Games in Mexico City. As the U.S. national anthem played during the medal ceremony, the two men bowed their heads and raised black gloved fists in a protest against racial discrimination in the U.S. Both men wore black socks with no shoes, and Mr. Smith also wore a black scarf around his neck. Mr. Smith raised his right fist to represent Black power, while Mr. Carlos raised his left fist to represent Black unity. Also, in support was the silver medalist Peter Norman from Australia who wore a badge that read: “Olympic Project for Human Rights” – an organization set up a year previously who oppose racism in sport.

The following day, the U.S. Olympic Committee threatened other athletes with stern disciplinary action if they engaged in demonstrations. Acting USOC Director Everett Barnes issued a formal statement to the Olympic International Committee, condemning Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlos, and claiming that the sprinters “made our country look like the devil.”

The USOC suspended Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlos from the U.S. Olympic team following a midnight meeting. In the early hours of the morning on October 18, the Committee ordered both men to vacate the Olympic village in Mexico within 48 hours.

Despite their medal-winning performances, the two athletes faced intense criticism in the media and received death threats upon returning home.

CARTER™️ Magazine

[loststarphounix]

I’m gonna call Villain!Manny Emmanuel cause evil manny or villain manny is a mouthful lol

But I love idea of Emmanuel being a very well known, yet at the same obscure threat - like yeah everyone in Miracle City and Mexico knows who he is, but he has decoy dummy in place that act as him, but once they’re arrested or assassinated, it turns out they were missing persons - cops, narcotics, traitors. All glamoured to appear like him until their hearts stop beating. Only his close circle knows exactly where he is and that circle isn’t that big.

He treats it like a game almost: he takes his role seriously, but obviously these small fries aren’t exactly worth his time. The people that need him are what matter and the people have spoken: he’s an murderous maniac, but he’s getting the job done. Streets are clean, no innocent deaths. Just drugs, money and the occasional blood scrapping off the sides of buildings. His kingdom is prosperous and he gets to play with the stupid hero’s that think they can do anything to stop him. Not to mention, that he has an amazingly wicked partner that indulges him in his every whim. Life is good.

On the other hand, Dark Dan is just going with the flow. 24/7 monitoring- that ghost has eyes always watching his fierce tiger. Such utter devotion annd loyalty is so hard to come by and Dan is nothing, if not opportunistic. He soaks anll that love like a sponge and he finds how much stronger he feels with it combined with his core emotion of revenge. It’s needy and he finds Emmanuel’s not so underworld empire an amusing time waster. Once he finally gets Amity Park under control and crushes the remaining ghost rebellion, he’ll make sure to savor dismantling it brick by brick, body by bloody body, until all that’s left is ash, dust and a slightly banged up Emmanuel groveling at his feet.

[whencyclopedia]

Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase was a land deal made in 1803, in which the United States purchased 828,000 square miles (2,144,510 km²) of land west of the Mississippi River from France for $15 million, or an average of three cents per acre. The purchase nearly doubled the territorial size of the United States and fostered the westward expansion of the young republic.

Background: The Louisiana Territory

The colony of Louisiana was founded on 9 April 1682, when French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle reached the mouth of the Mississippi River. La Salle erected a cross at the spot, and, in a ceremony performed before his own men and his Native American guides, he proceeded to claim the entire Mississippi Basin for France, naming it Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV of France (r. 1643-1715). Shortly thereafter, he returned to France, where he convinced the king to give him control of the new colony. La Salle then embarked on another expedition to fortify the mouth of the Mississippi by establishing another French colony around the Gulf of Mexico. This expedition, however, was beset by difficulties from the start. La Salle was unable to rediscover the mouth of the Mississippi and was ultimately assassinated by mutineers in 1687.

Over the next several decades, scattered settlements began popping up around the Mississippi River. New Orleans was founded in 1718, on the site where La Salle had made his proclamation 36 years earlier, and quickly turned into a rich port city. Timber, agricultural produce, and high-quality furs were shipped down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, where they would be sent on to Europe or New Spain. Despite the wealth generated from New Orleans, the Louisiana Territory as a whole was not highly valued by France. In 1710, Louisiana governor Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac reported that "the people are aheap of the dregs of Canada" and that the colony was "not worth a straw at the present time" (Smithsonian). Therefore, at the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763, France agreed to cede control of the entire Louisiana Territory to Spain. The exact boundaries of ‘Louisiana' were still murky, and the terms of the treaty granted Spain control of all lands west of the Mississippi River. At the same time, France ceded its northern colony of Canada to Britain, thereby unburdening itself of all continental colonies so that it could focus on its much more lucrative sugar colonies in the Caribbean.

Spain enjoyed a tenuous hold on the Louisiana Territory, which it viewed with disinterest, as little more than a buffer between British North America and Mexico. In 1783, the United States won its independence and gained control of the eastern banks of the Mississippi River. This led to rising tensions between the US and Spain, as each nation claimed the right to navigate the Mississippi, which had become a vital waterway for trade. This dispute was settled on 27 October 1795, with the signing of the Treaty of San Lorenzo, also known as Pinckney's Treaty. The agreement gave the Americans the right to navigate the entire Mississippi and allowed American merchants to store goods in New Orleans warehouses. While the treaty de-escalated tensions between the US and Spain, it increased American influence in the region at the expense of Spanish power, which had never been strong to begin with in the Louisiana Territory and was now on the decline.

La Salle Claims Louisiana for France, 1682

Jean-Adolphe Bocquin (Public Domain)

Then, on 1 October 1800, Louisiana changed hands once again. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) – who had risen to power in France a year earlier – made a secret deal with King Charles IV of Spain (r. 1788-1808) in the Treaty of San Ildefonso. In it, Spain agreed to cede the entire Louisiana Territory back to France, in exchange for control over the Kingdom of Etruria in Italy, which King Charles wanted to give to his daughter. Napoleon was pleased by the easy acquisition of the Louisiana Territory, seeing it as the first step in re-establishing France as an imperial power in North America. He envisaged Louisiana as a breadbasket of sorts, shipping food and supplies to France's Caribbean colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Saint-Domingue, all highly valuable for their production of sugar. A significant condition of the Treaty of Ildefonso was that France could not turn around and sell the Louisiana Territory to a third party, as Spain was worried about having a hostile power so close to Mexico. At the time, Napoleon intended to adhere to this condition, although his plans would soon be turned upside down.

Continue reading...

[evita-shelby]

because i saw picsart had this layout lol

The Daddies

Gabriel Romero Muñoz, an guitar playing smooth talking assassin who had a very passionate affair with the beautiful and lively, Isabel Riley, in Mexico City from January to March 1992 (fc: Antonio Banderas)

Patrick Kilmartin, an older Irish profesor she met and slept with while visiting Ireland on March 1992. An Irish mercenary who used to be very active with the IRA and retired as an Irish literature scholar in Connemera where Patrick Riley(Isabel’s father) is from. (fc: Pierce Brosnan)

Henry Smith/Absalom: Englishman with Romany ancestry who has a hobby of photography and Digital Nomad but is actually an MI5 agent who was tasked to spy on Riley International and slept with Isabel on the job in London, March 1992(fc: Eric Bana)

[gerec]

Do you have any fic recs where Charles or Erik is a spy? I’ve been loving spy fics set against a WWII backdrop but any type is welcome!

Hi Anon!

Here's a list I made previously for an Anon who asked for 'James Bond' type aus. I think you'll find a few spy aus there to enjoy!

Also, here are some WW1/WW2 and others that didn't make the previous list :D

Spy Games by manic_intent

Prompt: Burn Notice AU, with Erik Lehnsherr as the spy and Charles as the trigger-happy ex boyfriend. Erik is burned for unknown reasons in Mexico and wakes up in New York City. Somehow, he needs to raise $500,000, in order to find out -why-.

Hier steh ich an den Marken meiner Tage by MonstrousRegiment

Erik Lehnsherr is a spy in the SS, and his British liaison is strategist Charles Xavier. Their relationship from the moment they meet to a year after the end of the war.

“You’re the only person in the world who knows what I am.”

Duct Tape Makes You Smart by AlchemyAlice

For a prompt at 1stclass_kink : X-Men via Burn Notice. "My name is Charles Xavier. I used to be a spy..."

Erik Lehnsherr's Baby and Child Care: 1st Ed. by ourgirlfriday * (Erik is a retired spy)

When everyone told Erik that having children would change things, he agreed wholeheartedly. For one, they’d need to get more food from the grocery store, and recalibrate the booze to juice ratio currently used in the apartment. He and Charles would have to either eschew mid-afternoon couch sex or become much stealthier about said mid-afternoon couch sex. The office, currently overflowing with Charles’s genetics texts and Erik’s maps and dossiers, would have to be converted to a baby room. They’d need toys of some sort or another. And he’d most certainly no longer be able to leave spare grenades on the end tables.

a fish hook; an open eye by fabeld 

Charles Xavier’s wealth protects him from mandatory service in the British Armed Forces, but he refuses to sit idly by when his telepathy can be used to assist the Allied Powers. As a British spy, Charles gains the Nazi Party’s trust and is sent to Paris to complete one last mission. His plan is disrupted when he runs into someone he never thought he would see again.

Trading No Secrets by feathershollyandgolly

Charles Xavier is an MI6 Agent with the terrible habit of asking questions when he shouldn’t. Erik Lehnsherr is a freelance Nazi Hunter working under Mossad. With nothing in common, they are not partners and they certainly are not friends (at least, not yet).

Mr & Mr Eisenhardt by faerie_ground (I know they're technically assassins not spies but it's too good lol)

“Now,” Mr Howlett says, and clicks his irritatingly pink pen. “How happy are you with your marriage? On a scale of one to ten.”

“Eight,” Charles says.

“That’s a rubbish scale,” Erik says. “You can’t fucking measure happiness on a scale. How are we supposed to know how much happiness differs between each number? What, are we just supposed to guess? Also, does one mean most happy or least happy? Also-”

Charles closes his eyes and looks like he wants to suffocate himself using one of the cushions.

*

Charles Haller and Erik Eisenhardt meet at a bar, fall in love, and get married. Neither of them know that the other is an assassin working for a rival agency- but they're about to find out real soon.

[lookingforhappy]

the commission had Leon Trotsky - who was a important figure in the Russian revolutions, was second in command to Valdimir Lenin, and who opposed Stalin's politics - assassinated.

the file this is found in is addressed as one of Five's cases ↑

transcript:

MEMORANDUM ON INTENDED EVENTS RE: THE DEATH OF LEON TROTSKY August 21, 1940 Background: On 24 May 1940, Trotsky survived a raid on his villa by armed assassins led by the NKVD agent Iosif Grigulevich and Mexican painter David Alfaro Siqueiros. Trotsky's 14-year-old grandson, Vsevolod Platonovich "Esteban" Volkov (born 7 March 1926), was shot in the foot, and a young assistant and bodyguard of Trotsky, Robert Sheldon Harte, was abducted and later murdered. Trotsky's other guards fended off the attackers. Event to Occur: With the previous attack thwarted, the following is to take place, ensuring continuity. Trotsky has already created cover by claiming that Josef Stalin would seek additional assassination attempts. On 20 August 1940, Trotsky will be attacked in his study with an ice axe by one Mr. Mercader, whom he has not previously met. Our agent will assume the guise of Mr. Mercader. The blow to his head is to be bungled and fail to kill Trotsky instantly, but nonetheless prove fatal. A struggle will ensue and though the agent is to be captured, his extraction will occur at a future moment of Commission discretion, at which time a bosy double will be placed as perpetrator and will stand trial for the assault. His sacrifice for the Commission will be noted in the logs. Witnesses are to see the following and make their claims to the new media and local law enforcement: that Trotsky spat on Mercader and began struggling fiercelt with the assasilant, which results in Mercader's hand being broken. Hearing the commotion, Trotsky's bodyguards burst into the room and nearly killed you, but Trotsky will stop them, stating that the assassin should be made to answer questions. Trotsky will then be taken to a hospital, operated on, and survive for more than a day, dying at the age of 60 on 21 August 1940 from exsanguination and shocck. The agent will testify at trial and remain imprisoned until the moment of extraction and replacement by the secrificial unit. A history of Trotsky's exile: In February 1929, Trotsky was deported from the Soviet Union to his new exile in Turkey. During his first teo months in Turkey, Trotsky lived with his wife and eldest son at the Soviet Union Consulate in Constantinople and then at a nearby hotel in the city. In April 1929, Trotsky, his wife and son were moved to the island of Buyukada (aka Prinkipo) by the Turkish authorities. On Prinkipo, they were moved into a house called the Yanaros mansion, where Trotsky and his wife lived until July 1933. During his exile in Turkey, Trotsky was under the surveillance of the Turkish police forces of Mustafa Kemal Pasha. Trotsky was also at risk from the many former White Army officers who lived on Prinkipo, officers who had opposed the October Revolution and who had been defeated by Trotsky and the Red Army in the Russian Civil War. However, Totsky's European supporters volunteered to serve as bodyguards and assured his safety. Trotsky's house, the Yanaros mansion on the island of Buyukada in Turkey, as it

TROTSKY ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | Remarks MOSCOW, April | 2. | A deviation occured in the first agent's plot assassinate Leon Trotsky in May of 1940. | EF 5. | Progress in planning of the second plot, for August 20, 194, has progressed unhindered. | SB MEXICO CITY May | 7. | Leon Trotsky will be in his study on August 20, 1940, as expected, and will be welcoming his guest, one Mr. Mercader, whom he has never met previously. | - 9. | The tool to be used for this attack, an ice axe, will be placed in discrete location No. 224-MC-B12, Annex 16, per Commission protocol. | EF 20. | The Mission objective will be carried out, after which time the parameters of expected history will be reset to their correct trajectories. | TD Instructions regarding Intelligence Summaries are contained in Regula II and the Management Manual. Title pages will be prepared in manuscript.

To CASE MANAGER 0038 From FIELD AGENT 00293 Subject Trotsky assassination attempt Pneumatic Transit Code [multiple strongs of number as seen in the image above] My recommendation is to reconsider our current outlook concerning the viability of the subject's tool of action, the ice axe, in light of recent events. The project has stalled at numerous points over the past months and contines to progress at a menial pace. Should the current iteration of the device be completed as is it will fail to provide enough force to puncture the fuel tank given the density of the aluminum alloy used in the manufacturing of the encasement. I expect that the subject will proceed as required.

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

Mexico isn't a shithole. Don't get on my bad side.

It's basically run by drug cartels and the last mayoral election in Mexico City had like 27 candidates assassinated. It ain't Aruba.

[brandonwritesgames]

Check out Dieselpunk 1921 here!

Dieselpunk 1921 - The Republic of Mexico

The people of Mexico have long fought against the vile claws of Imperialism. The recent overthrow of the US and German backed dictatorship saw a rise in radical unity across Mexico, and the formation of a worker run Republic. While the structure mirrors what once was, the policies of unrestricted labour unionism, nationalizing essential industries, and preparing for another possible US invasion has rallied the spirit of Mexico. President Zapata, having faced an assassination attempt during a rally, has only used these attacks by American business interests to legitimize the radical positions of his government – and he has used the assassination attempt to further press the need to build the first true workers state.

The swells of revolutionary celebration have calmed slightly, giving way to the sobering realization of the magnitude of work ahead. Many in Mexico have begun forming new unions, not only to protect the rights of workers but also to build solidarity in community through food sharing and community education. Yet among all of this, there are still holdouts of the old regime, with flashes of violence still occurring near the American border and disruptions in supply lines between cities.

For professionals, work takes every form in Mexico; whether it be acquiring liquor to smuggle into the United States, to passing along logistics information between union organizations. The frequency of small US-backed anti-government holdouts have likewise created a cottage industry in train robbery and banditry, with US arms being used to rob Mexican citizens for the benefit of industrial barons.