Did You Hear?

Editor’s Note: From time to time, Randall Murphree will offer blogs with a collection of short items that may have missed the big headliners in mass media. This is the first in the series Did You Hear?

Did You Hear: Castro Dissed in Mexico

Over the weekend, communist Cuba celebrated its National Rebellion Day, one of its most revered holidays.

In fact, three days – July 25-27 – are declared a holiday. It salutes the memory of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and his lengthy war to convert Cuba into an oppressive and abominable hellhole of communism. The rebellion’s birth is traced to July 26, 1953.

Through the decades, Castro followers in Mexico have also celebrated the date, many gathering in Tabacalera Park in Mexico’s Cuauhtemoc District. There, in the park, sat imposing dual statues of Castro and Che Guevara, the Argentine revolutionary and Castro’s confidant in crime. 

Castro devotees flocked there to celebrate their hero and have photos taken by the blocks of stone. This year, however, something is missing. Last week, the statues were removed at the order of Cuauhtemoc Mayor Alessandra Jojo de la Vega. The mayor contended that the statues do not represent what Mexico stands for.

“To the closet communists, to the collectors of dictators, I bring you a unique opportunity,” she said. “Why don’t we officially auction the sculptures of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara? But this time, you have to pay for it. Not the people, not with taxes, not with our public spaces. With your money.”

en.siber.cuba.com, 7/19/25; whlist.net, 7/24/25 

Visa Agent Fired for Aiding Illegals

Arslan Akhtar, a former visa specialist with the U.S. State Department, was fired after he revealed in a hidden camera interview with O’Keefe Media Group (OMG) that he had counseled illegal immigrants. 

“I do say it to cab drivers that are from, like, Hispanic descent, I’m like, ‘don’t talk to the police,’” Akhtar admitted. He advised illegal immigrants to lie and “if you want a loophole, keep your mouth shut.”

OMG also reported that Akhtar “expressed hatred toward Americans, Jews, and other ethnic groups.” Following the OMG investigation, the State Department released a statement committing to launching a new process to vet potential employees. It is among other changes already implemented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

theepochtimes.com, 6/21/25

CNN to Pay Navy Vet $5M

Earlier this year, a Florida jury awarded U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young $5 million in his suit against media giant CNN. In late 2021, CNN reported that Young was engaged with “back market” activists who were rescuing endangered Afghans. Furthermore, CNN showed Young’s face and used the pejorative “black market” label.

In an April 2025 letter to watchdog group Media Research Center (MRC), Young thanked that top-tier conservative watchdog for its coverage of his trial in 2021.

Reflecting on the victory, Young wrote, “My legal team proved in court that it was not just a lie, but a malicious lie. … It was defamation.” He added that the jury determined CNN “knew it was a lie and ran it anyway."

MRC: The Watchdog, 4/25; cbs.com, 1/17/25

Conservative Seniors: ‘Stop Soros’

AMAC Action (Association of Mature American Citizens political action arm) is toppling radical George Soros from his pedestal of leftist impact on America.

In a recent letter, AMAC Action Chairwoman Rebecca Weber wrote that even “Soros’s native country of Hungary has passed legislation they call the "Stop Soros Law." It was a reaction to his crusade to aid illegal migrants in Hungary.

Weber wrote that Soros hijacked the U.S. justice system by sinking countless millions of dollars into “electing dozens and dozens of hand-picked radical left District Attorneys.” In addition, his push for decriminalization of drugs has led to the nation’s worst drug crisis in history. And Soros has cultivated a reciprocal relationship with woke media giants.

Weber offers AMAC as a solid alternative to the ultra liberal AARP (American Association of Retired Persons). She revealed that the AARP magazine once put Soros on its cover and called him one of “America’s Greatest innovators.”

Rebecca Weber Letter, 5/25