Valerie Gonzalez
@ValOnTheBorder
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@AP journalist covering immigration and border issues from the Rio Grande Valley • formerly @monitornews • vgonzalez @ap .org • DMs open
McAllen, TX
Joined February 2014
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Breaking update:
Mother of Panamanian girl who died in BP custody on Wednesday said they were detained over a week and that requests for an ambulance were denied repeatedly, including on the day her daughter, Anadith, died.
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Middle of the road:
The group of people carrying Trump flags approached
@BetoORourke
as he was leaving. It started with shouts but it ended with a fist-bump and a mutual understanding that both care for the country and love the democratic process.
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FBI still present at the home of Rep. Henry Cuellar’s in Laredo.
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As of today, I am no longer employed by KRGV-TV. About a month ago I was told they would not renew my contract. Instead of working hard at finding a new job, I just kept working hard — sometimes until 4 am.
Now, on my tenth anniversary working in broadcast news, I am unemployed.
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Sen. Ted Cruz sent two letters this week to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary urging them to convene hearings that require testimony from top government officials over the situation at the border, and asked to include the McAllen mayor.
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A bright spot after such great loss.
Venezuelans take turns holding their flag in downtown Brownsville.
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If you’re looking for someone who knows South Texas well, is bilingual, can shoot and edit video, travels to Mexico, understands federal policy, familiar with immigration, federal courts, border security and can tell you what makes a good Mexican elote — let me know.
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This video has been shared on social media showing COVID-19 patients in beds on hallways of this hospital converted into a COVID ward as Hanna’s rainwater kept rising in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.
(Video does not belong to me.)
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In spite of Gov. Abbott’s conditions for the debate that is keeping an audience out of the debate venue tonight, O’Rourke said he’ll be carrying a card he received from Uvalde families with him into the hall.
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“They killed my daughter, because she was nearly a day and a half without being able to breathe,” Mabel Alvarez Benedicks, Anadith’s mother, said Friday.
The 8 year-old had congenital heart disease and sickle cell anemia, conditions the mother communicated to officers, she said.
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In Eagle Pass this morning at the center of Bridge
#2
where trail riders from both sides of the border meet for their annual cabalgata to the rodeo in San Antonio.
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Update: ProPublica has taken me on as a freelancer for the next three weeks sparing me from considering offers like this:
Seriously, though. I’m humbled to be given a chance to work for a national audience pitching stories from the Valley. DMs are open, unless you’re this guy.⬇️
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The RGV Welcoming Committee released a statement in response to the tragedy in Brownsville today.
“We call on politicians and media to stop the vilification of immigrants. Above all, people like those harmed today are human beings with hopes and dreams.”
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The family is in McAllen without enough money to move their child’s body to NYC, their destination and where they plan to bury her.
They have an account for those who wish to donate:
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A doctor diagnosed the girl with influenza, according to the girl’s mom. Her symptoms of labored breathing, pain in her bones and weakness that kept her from walking were attributed to the flu.
The ambulance was called after the girl’s body went limp and she bled from her mouth.
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Updating story with what we know:
-Police say driver is being "uncooperative"
-Blood was drawn and sent to
@TxDPS
for tox test
-Victims' IDs are being confirmed through CBP
-Brownsville's only overnight shelter has been at capacity for last two months
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New: The Biden administration announced they waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction on Wednesday, marking the administration’s first use of a sweeping executive power employed often during the Trump presidency.
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Gradually, the Matamoros migrant camp is emptying out as more people make their way into the U.S. to continue pursuing their asylum claims no longer under MPP.
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After enduring nearly two years in unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the Matamoros camp under the Trump era MPP program, 27 people crossed into the U.S. to pursue their asylum claims and American dream.
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Life goes on at the Matamoros migrant camp. Tonight a rite of passage is celebrated — a quinceañera for an Honduran girl now coming into womanhood.
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Laredo Sector
#BorderPatrol
issues updated statement on fatal shooting incident that resulted in the death of an immigrant woman in Rio Bravo.
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On Monday I start my new job working for the Associated Press.
The best part: I get to stay here to cover immigration and border issues as I have for the last 6 years.
For me, the border is not a job. This is home and part of my identity.
I’m proud and grateful for this chance.
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This is what the Paso Del Norte Border Patrol station in El Paso looks like today. The queue of migrants who turned themselves in is stretched to the parking lot.
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Some people missed their relatives after being kept away from the US for 20 months.
Others missed Whataburger’s
#1
the most.
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A large group of migrants, including children, crossed into US after Mexican immigration used bulldozers and force to move them from encampment by the river that’s been established for over a year.
They’ve been stuck in river for about 12 hours and remain without food or water.
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Cameron County voting results are in with 100% precincts reporting.
Vicente Gonzalez (D) takes Dist. 34 seat with 50.1% of the votes (38,380). Rep. Mayra Flores claimed 46.6% (35,658).
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New phone, who dis?
Personal news: Today is my first day working in my new position as investigative reporter for the Monitor.
The job will roll in data and video, cover the Rio Grande Valley región and appear on
@monitornews
@valleystar
and
@BrownsvilleNews
.
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Update: Juan David Ortiz confessed to all four homicides. He is a nine-year veteran of Border Patrol, according to Webb County DA. Still waiting on statement from BP.
This would be the second homicide investigation in Webb involving a border patrol agent from the Laredo sector.
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Confirmed:
@BetoORourke
, former Democratic presidential candidate, will be coming to McAllen and other cities in Hidalgo County. He'll be engaging with voters, visiting polling sites and door-knocking in a last-minute effort to increase voter turnout. More to come.
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I’m going to get a bit tied up trying to revive my old car and picking up my things from the station today. Please don’t interpret my silence as disinterest in the encouragement everyone is offering. I deeply appreciate it. My heart feels a little fuller. ❤️
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A summary of last night:
-Brownsville actually saw a dip in the total crossings yesterday than the days leading up to end of Title 42
-Shelter space remained available in the McAllen respite center and Anzalduas site
-Encampment in Matamoros was calm
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Something new: Federal agents were also at the campaign HQ office this afternoon.
It wasn’t included in the FBI statement, but two of the vehicles seen there at 4:20 pm later showed up at the residence. An agent wearing an FBI jacket climbed out of one.
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McAllen, TEXAS — Low temperatures in South Texas increased demand on energy grid and panaderías statewide.
One of the few RGV bakeries opened during the MLK holiday closed its doors three hours early cuando se les acabo el pan.
AP didn’t pick up my update, but I wanted to share
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Just leaving Cuellar’s headquarters. Staff told us he is not coming tonight.
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I am grateful for the time I was allowed to work for the station. I moved here, because I fell in love with my news director, Jenny Martínez. Jenny knew how stubborn, independent and passionate I am. It makes me a good journalist but a challenge to manage. She retired last year.
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A chance encounter:
@BetoORourke
meets with
@RepLongoria
and
@JCisnerosTX
at a Palmview, TX polling site
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Saw this and wanted to clarify if these were arrests or apprehensions and BP referrals.
Who I asked & what they said:
Governor’s office: ask DPS
DPS: ask Texas Military
Texas Military: ask DPS
BP: we didn’t get any referrals
Starr Co. sheriff’s office: 🦗🦗🦗
The Texas National Guard apprehended more illegal immigrants last night in Roma, Texas.
As Biden FAILS to end this crisis, the
@TexasGuard
is working around the clock to keep our communities safe and secure the border.
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Agents are still in and around the home. Some more showed up a few moments ago.
Can’t see what’s happening inside but some agents came outside with a clipboard and camera to snap pics of the two trucks out front.
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Interesting choice in music for the sound check as media is escorted back in.
The lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody sound different given today‘s event: “Goodbye, everybody, I've got to go. Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.”
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In the middle of one May night, a group of immigrant teens, including a Guatemalan girl, were seen leaving a McAllen hotel and boarding a bus.
We followed it no knowing how far it’d go or how vast a network it belonged to.
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The elotero just gave me his number. Start saving the date, y’all.
*changes status to: In a Relationship*
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Today’s CBP statement confirms our reporting:
•family was in custody for over a week
•mother requested medical assistance three times, including day of death
Breaking update:
Mother of Panamanian girl who died in BP custody on Wednesday said they were detained over a week and that requests for an ambulance were denied repeatedly, including on the day her daughter, Anadith, died.
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Happening now: A protest led by the
@TXCivilRights
has drawn out some children (UACs) to their windows. The signs are showing a phone number, but according to a photographer with a better zoom than mind one of them wrote they don’t have access to phones.
New story: The U.S. has used three Hampton Inn hotels to detain immigrant children, some as young as 1, nearly 200 times before expelling them, raising questions about who is caring for the children and whether federal protections have been violated.
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Mood became tense after two people holding Trump flags approached O’Rourke asking about rioting in other cities. It spun into a conversation about immigration. The man said, “I live a mile away from the river.” “So do I,” responded O’Rourke.
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By around 7:30 p.m., a group of agents loaded large bags, plastic bins, and a computer into a federal vehicle. Others appeared to be logging the items.
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Icicles sprawling from grapefruit groves and fields dusted with ice shavings painted a grim picture for citrus and vegetable growers now expecting millions lost on frozen crops and 3,000-4,000 harvesting jobs gone in the midst of harvest season in the RGV.
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Not sure if anyone is home, but the dogs are watching.
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Three years packed into four boxes and 32 seconds.
I am overwhelmed with the encouragement and support offered by everyone these last 24 hours. To say ‘thank you’ falls short and fails to convey all the gratitude I feel for the text messages, DMs, RTs, and calls I’ve received.
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Up until Thursday, agents were encountering groups no larger than 50 people at a time. Last night’s numbers topped that three times over.
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BREAKING: Mexico is no longer accepting migrant families expelled through Title 42 from the U.S. as of late this week, according to a Mexican fed source.
Effects immediately felt in the Valley where as of today there are over 10,000 people detained.
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As one of the worst heat waves on record set in this summer, authorities and activists in South Texas found themselves embroiled in a mystery: barrels of life-saving water strategically placed for wayward migrants have vanished.
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Ahead of tonight one and only gubernatorial debate, families of children who died in the Uvalde school shooting joined Beto O’Rourke in Edinburg.
“Our babies’ lives are on that ballot,” Lexi’s mom said. Families are asking for the expansion of gun restrictions.
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Big bags were just loaded onto a government vehicle.
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This week my boss,
@michaelscottrod
, lost power and no one in the newsroom could reach him. Living close by, I went over to check in on him.
He was visibly exhausted and surprised to see me. But he still asked what I needed. Yes, what I needed.
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The city of Laredo is asking for a temporary halt on migrants transferred from the RGV to their community.
A rise in COVID-19 positivity rates among arriving migrants, the city’s weakened medical infrastructure and dwindling resources at NGOs were cited in the civil complaint.
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The chief of the Capitol Police and its top intelligence officer personally approved permits for six demonstrations to be held on Jan. 6, 2021, despite signs that one of the applications was filed for an organization that didn't exist…
SCOOP:
@BuzzFeedNews
& I obtained the six closely guarded protest permits Capitol Police approved for Jan 6, including one that was a proxy for Stop the Steal and linked to its organizer Ali Alexander.
Rare insight into the secretive police force's ops
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Hanna and COVID19 collide at this Mexican hospital in Reynosa, Tamaulipas (south of McAllen, TX). The state reports they pumped out the water that had flooded hallways and rooms last night.
En el Hospital Materno Infantil de Reynosa se implementó sistema de bombeo para el desagüe, luego de los daños ocasionados en el interior por las lluvias registradas anoche por huracán
#Hanna
.
@PCTamaulipas
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As I sat on a rock near the river in Matamoros a week ago, I found myself astounded at the story two men shared with me.
They were part of a group who faced constant challenges as they tried to make the long trek from Venezuela with a disabled child on their shoulders.
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Luis Alberto Lobo Sanchez carried his 9-year-old daughter, Dayana, most of the way from Honduras to Mexico. Dayana struggles with spina bifida, strabismus, convulsions, and urinary reflux, a condition requiring a catheter.
Both were expelled from U.S.
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Some news: The Texas Tribune will receive access to AP’s Texas news and its comprehensive immigration coverage from across the U.S. and beyond. The AP will now distribute the Tribune’s reporting on Texas to its members and customers.
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Just In: A BP agent in Brownsville stepped out of unit on Tuesday after bees flew inside. He went looking for the source and found a Guatemalan mother on the ground in fetal position covered in "thousands" of bees protecting her 8 year-old boy. Agent took them to the hospital.
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RGV Welcoming Committee holds a memorial outside the bus station in downtown Brownsville.
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Jessica Cisneros showed up just now. She says, “they were not expecting how close this came out.”
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Faith strips away slowly from migrant parents in Reynosa who see their child suffering nose bleeds from the unforgiving temperatures, collapse from heat exhaustion, become inexplicably sick from a possible COVID-19 contagion, or attempt to end their lives.
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Officers heard describing the aggressors’ gunfire as .50 caliber. This is outside Hotel Villarreal in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, MX.
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Local organizations in the Rio Grande Valley gathered in Brownsville this afternoon to protest Gov. Abbott’s migrant bill signing take place about a mile away.
One of them dressed as Santa and carried a sign announcing Abbott was on the naughty list.
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Personal news: I’ve been a fan of
@monitornews
since I started working at
@krgv
in 2017.
So it was an incredible honor when
@michaelscottrod
offered me the chance to work for the paper in 2020.
But today was my last day.
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Some personal news.
I was involved in an accident about two weeks ago that left me temporarily without a vehicle and in a lot of debt.
I’ve been working through this and it’ll be alright. But in case I turn down certain stories/mtgs, this will be a factor in those decisions.
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CBP response to TX inspections:
“The longer than avg. wait times – and the subsequent supply chain disruptions – are unrelated to CBP screening activities and are due to additional and unnecessary inspections being conducted by DPS...”
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Title 42 officially expired.
Brownsville port of entry is calm, but ready. Lanes still open to cross-border traffic and pedestrians are still walking back to Matamoros.
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Thanks so much for sharing. I’m looking for a new work home that allows me to continue covering important stories of people deeply affected by policies crafted hundreds of miles away. I’m not the best, but I never give it anything less than that.
Whatever station or network hires
@ValOnTheBorder
next will be getting one hell of a reporter. Her most recent story, following children held by ICE in motels, was chilling:
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A two-page journal entry was among socks, toothbrushes, medicine, and single shoes the remnants of a soon to be abandoned Migrant Protection Protocols camp, a park to be reclaimed by Matamoros.
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With under a month to go before her MPP court hearing, a 20 year old Guatemalan woman tries re-entering the U.S. in El Paso.
Her body was discovered in an irrigation canal on Monday.
Her court date was for August 18.
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This is my first print story. 😊
(I wrote it in English and it was translated to Spanish.)
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This morning Mexico’s president shared an update to the kidnapping of four Americans in Matamoros.
Two were found alive and ambulances were to be dispatched to help them, but two others were dead.
From the pronouns used, it appears the woman is among the survivors.
Video:
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Update: Child was crossed into U.S. as of a few moments ago, as per
@JodiGoodwin17
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Environmental advocates called the decision cynical and added the construction would negatively impact habitat of endangered plants and animals like the Ocelot.
Our reaction: "Every acre of habitat left in the Rio Grande Valley is irreplaceable. President Biden’s cynical decision to destroy a wildlife refuge and seal the beautiful Rio Grande behind a grotesque border wall must be stopped."
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For nearly two decades, a Valley CBP officer worked on immigration proceedings including deportations, until the government he worked for began investigating him.
The agent was made aware of a family secret revealing he was in the US illegally all along.
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This week was tumultuous for immigrants living in the Matamoros encampment.
People living there said some 25 tents were burned down by arsonists, though their identities remain unclear.
(Also, my first byline for the AP.)
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So far, the total cost is over $39M spent in bussing migrants with state funds, according to an estimate shared by TDEM in November that suggested each seat is $2,000.
Texas continues to provide relief to our overrun border towns by busing migrants to sanctuary cities.
Over 9,500 to DC
Over 7,000 to NYC
Over 2,000 to Chicago
Over 1,100 to Philadelphia
& 40 to Denver last week.
We will continue this effort until Biden secures the border.
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MPP Update: Attorneys Jodi Goodwin and Laura Peña say 27 people have crossed successfully into US. They’re still being verified by CBP.
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If you’re not here and are unfamiliar with the socioeconomic dynamics, history of medical services, widespread health risks, or budget shortfalls — you are in no position to form an educated opinion on how the pandemic truly looks like in the RGV.
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“Is that haunted,” a little kid asks on the Greyhound bus as it pulls into the city.
“No. This is Corpus,” the mom responds.
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Tortilla salesman just messaged me tonight. Truly believe this is what Drake meant by hotline bling.
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If your pizza come with birria, you’re probably in the 956. 🔥😙👌🏽
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An accurate dateline:
From a Brownsville McDonald’s parking lot with free WiFi —
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In tonight’s The Bachelorette, pandemic edition, I‘m choosing between these two eligible bachelors.
One promises to sweep me off my feet and the other a night full of serenades.
I think my mom decided this for me a long time ago when she instructed me, “ponte a barrer.” 🌹🧹
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I find it disturbing to see my mom resort to TikTok videos for medical advice, after my father's blood pressure continues to spike (three times in 24 hrs. with two ER visits) and the Laredo doctor won't pick up calls on the weekends.
We wonder why disinformation spreads.
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Tell me you’re a Laredoan without telling me you’re a Laredoan:
You always get caught in a goodbye cycle that lasts thirty minutes.
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Ready or not, I’m heading into the freezer, aka Minnesota.
It’ll be a balmy 18° F when I get there and -11 tomorrow night.
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An important story covered by the newest Texas Tribune reporter based in the RGV,
@Berenice__G
.
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