The Future Of MostlyPeaceful.live

Important update for the Substack

(Kenosha, Wisc. August 2020)

When I was planning to launch the Substack late last year, the world was very different. At the time, the southern border crisis was one of the top domestic issues I viewed as needed to be extensively covered ahead of the 2024 election. It still is.

But then October 7th happened.

I found out about Hamas’ attack in Israel earlier than most of the U.S. because I had taught a class for the Leadership Institute in central Florida and woke up at 2:30 A.M. to catch an early morning flight out of Jacksonville to head to D.C. for a friend’s wedding.

Watching the news unfold throughout the day, I then found out there was going to be an anti-Israel protest in New York City for the next day. I left the wedding reception early, offering my apologies to the bride and groom, and went to bed to catch my early train up to NYC.

Being at the first major pro-Palestine protest in Times Square made me realize that this was going to be the issue the far-left would attach themselves to in order to cause havoc in the country. The jokes of how election season would mean riot season would be back suddenly became a real possibility. I had been waiting since covering my last riot in Brooklyn Center, Minn. in April 2021 for another round in 2024 but the catalyst started sooner than I predicted.

While the country has not reached the same level of chaos of 2020, it has been building throughout the winter. That is why it is no surprise to see the explosion of protests and encampments now that it is consistently warmer in most of the United States.

Oh yeah, and the warmer weather means the souther border will see an increase of illegal crossings because that’s still a problem.

All of that to say is I have taken my independent venture as far as I can within the current operating environment. When I created the Substack in August 2023 I thought I would be good enough to travel at least twice a month.

Since the beginning of 2024, I have been on the road nearly every week. I suspect that tempo of travel will be the norm from now until at least the November election.

Being a contractor with TPUSA’s Frontlines allowed me to extend and expand my operations but there were still limitations with being a contractor. I do want to emphasize working with the Frontlines team was amazing because they have great staff. I’m happy with the collaborations I did with them.

That’s where Blaze Media comes in. They have been impressed with my reporting for some time and they have been wanting me to join them. At first, I was hesitant for a number of reasons but they explained the much-needed resources they will bring to the table to help me get out there to do what I do best, which is being on the frontlines within our chaotic republic and beyond.

So, starting now, I will be their national correspondent.

As per our agreement, I get to keep the Substack, but now there will no longer be a paywall. I will still be posting content on here. For paid subscribers, your payments are now on pause.

I can’t thank all of my subscribers enough for your support and words of encouragement since I launched this project while in Israel. Hearing feedback from people who have been following my work since the 2020 BLM riots has meant the world to me. The job is long hours, physically taxing, and means being away from home more often than I would like. But your gratitude is a reminder why I take this work so seriously. On-the-ground reporters are needed, especially now.

Assessing the current situation and seeing tensions rise, I felt joining Blaze Media was the best option to continue this mission. This is not goodbye. Should things change in the future once again, you’ll be the first to know.

There is much planned for this spring and summer. I hope you’ll continue to follow along.

From the field,

Julio