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☆ What officials are doing – and suggesting – to learn more about the possible drone sightings
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-17 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —As a flurry of possible drone sightings have triggered local politicians to press federal officials for more information, lawmakers have proposed a variety of different methods for dealing with drones. And the US government is sending drone detection and tracking systems to two military facilities in New Jersey, sources told CNN Monday. States deploy drone detection technologyA number of states where possible drones have been reported have announced that they’re deploying drone detection systems. New York and Connecticut have also announced they’re using drone detection systems. Law enforcement officials would need a warrant to interfere with the radio signals of a drone, according to Michelle L.D.

Persons: John Kirby, “, Kirby, ”, Donald Trump’s, Josh Shapiro, Chuck Schumer, he’s, ” Schumer, Vijay Kumar, Kumar, Matt McCrann, ” McCrann, Jonathan Rupprecht, Michelle L.D, Hanlon, Kathy Hochul, Mark Green of, Schumer, ” Rupprecht, Rupprecht Organizations: CNN, White, House, Arsenal, Naval Weapons Station, Federal Aviation Administration, of Homeland Security, University of Pennsylvania, Center for Air, Space, University of Mississippi School of Law, Electronic Communications, New York Gov, federal, UAS Authority Security, Republican Rep, FAA, Department of Homeland Security, USC Locations: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Bedminster, New York, Connecticut, Mark Green of Tennessee

Israeli and US officials often had some sense of the general area where Sinwar was hiding over the long months. The only way in is with an Israeli military escort, which means reporters are only allowed to see what Israel wants them to see. In the moments before his death — which Israeli officials have said was caused by a bullet to the head — Israeli troops flew a drone into the heavily damaged building where he had fled. A video from the drone, released by the Israeli military, offers a silent account of his final moments. To the end, US intelligence officials believed that Sinwar was unconcerned with his own mortality, and determined to continue the fight.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, United States —, Sinwar, Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Israel, Khan Younis, Khan Yunis, Said Khatib, Ibrahim Sinwar, Tal Al Sultan, Tal, — Organizations: CNN, United, Brigade, CIA, IDF, Israeli Defense Forces, Getty, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Washington ,, Israel, United States, Gaza, Doha, Lebanese, Iran, Khan, AFP, Rafah, Tal Al, Washington

☆ Muhyyee-Ud-din Abdul-Rahman: Philadelphia teen accused of making and testing bombs wanted to join terror group overseas, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

AP —A Philadelphia teenager who authorities say wanted to travel overseas and make bombs for terrorist organizations will be tried as an adult. Prosecutors say Abdul-Rahman conducted at least 12 tests on homemade bombs near his family’s home before he was arrested and was close to being able to detonate devices with a blast radius of several hundred yards. Law enforcement began investigating Abdul-Rahman after they received electronic communications between him and terrorist groups in Syria, prosecutors said. The communications indicated that Abdul-Rahman wanted to become a bombmaker for these groups, identified as Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad (KTJ) and Hay’at Tahrir al Sham (HTS). As the investigation into Abdul-Rahman continued, authorities learned he was buying military and tactical gear as well as materials that could be used in homemade bombs, prosecutors said.

Persons: din Abdul, Rahman, Abdul, Qawi Abdul, KTJ, Prosecutors Organizations: Muhyyee, Philadelphia, US State Department, Al Locations: Philadelphia, Syria

☆ SEC fines six major credit rating agencies over failure to keep electronic records
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-03 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The US Securities and Exchange Commission fined six major credit rating organizations a total of $49 million for their “significant failures” to keep electronic communications. Moody’s Investor Services and S&P Global Ratings agreed to pay the heftiest fines, a $20 million civil penalty each. Fitch Ratings agreed to pay $8 million, A.M. Best Rating Services agreed to pay $1 million, HR Ratings de México, S.A. de C.V. $250,000, and Demotech agreed to pay $100,000, respectively. That included an associate managing director making off-channel comments about credit rating clients. “Moody’s is fully committed to upholding our regulatory record-keeping obligations, and we are pleased to put this matter behind us,” a Moody’s spokesperson said in a statement.

Persons: Demotech, ”, Sanjay Wadhwa, A.M, Demotech “, Fitch, México, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, US Securities and Exchange, Moody’s Investor Services, Fitch, S.A, SEC, Services, P Global, CNN Locations: New York, SEC’s

Ceasar Bacarella v. Prime HydrationThe issue: In this case, Caesar Bacarella, the Florida-based owner of a line of sports supplements and apparel called Alpha Prime and protein brownies called Prime Bites, accuses Prime of trademark infringement. Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals v. Prime HydrationThe issue: In a trademark suit filed in June, Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, a Kentucky-based company, accused Prime Hydration of "unfair competition" and "infringement." What's next: Prime filed a motion to dismiss, which the judge granted on several technicalities. AdvertisementRefresco Beverages US v. Congo Brands and Prime HydrationThe issue: Refresco Beverages, a bottler for Prime, filed a lawsuit in Delaware against Prime Hydration and its parent company, Congo Brands. US Olympic & Paralympic Committee v. Prime HydrationThe issue: The Olympics committee alleges the company used various Olympic trademarks reserved for its beverage sponsor, Coca-Cola.

Persons: —, Logan, KSI, Refresco, Agrovana, Prime's, Paul, Howard Telford, Read, forbearance, What's, Castillo, Elizabeth Castillo, they're, dink, Ceasar, Caesar Bacarella, Kennedy, mislabeling, hasn't, Kevin Durant Organizations: Service, Business, Bloomberg, Agrovana, Alpha, Tech Pharmaceuticals, Nutrition, Energy, Centers for Disease Control, Refresco, Congo Brands, Google, Paralympic Locations: Massachusetts, NielsenIQ, Euromonitor, United States, California, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Delaware, Congo, Chancery, Philadelphia, Colorado

CNN —The biggest question now that the Supreme Court has decided Donald Trump is entitled to some immunity from prosecution: What happens next in special counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case against the former president? Those are likely to come in the days after the Supreme Court hands the opinion down formally to the federal courts in DC. The Supreme Court said that that Trump’s pressure campaign on Vice President Mike Pence to help him overturn the election is “presumptively” immune, and put the burden on the prosecutors to rebut the presumptive immunity. The Supreme Court’s ruling strongly suggests that those appeals would need to be resolved pre-trial, making it unlikely this case goes to a jury before Americans cast their ballots for president. Jack Smith’s options going forwardIt’s also possible that Smith’s office winnows down his case to bring it in line with the Supreme Court’s opinion.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith’s, Smith, Tanya Chutkan, Trump, Justice Department –, John Roberts ’, Mike Pence, Roberts, Sotomayor, It’s, – Organizations: CNN, US, Supreme, Trump, Justice Department, DC Circuit Locations: Washington ,

☆ Former journalist indicted for allegedly hacking and leaking embarrassing Fox News Tucker Carlson footage
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Timothy Burke, a former journalist, has been charged with 14 federal crimes over the alleged hack and leaking of a series of unflattering behind-the-scenes clips of Tucker Carlson, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday. In the grand jury indictment, Burke was charged with one count of conspiracy, six counts of accessing a protected computer without authorization, and seven counts of intercepting or disclosing wire, oral or electronic communications. In one unaired clip posted by Vice in 2022, Kanye West was seen making antisemitic remarks to Carlson. The following year, after Carlson was fired from Fox News, the progressive watchdog Media Matters posted embarrassing behind-the-scenes footage of Carlson making crude remarks while joking with staff and denigrating the Fox Nation streaming service. US conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson speaks at the Turning Point Action USA conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 15, 2023.

Persons: Timothy Burke, Tucker Carlson, Burke, Kanye West, Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Giorgio Viera, Mark Rasch, Rasch, Michael Maddux, Burke “, Tucker Carlson’s, West, ” Rasch, Maddux, ” Organizations: CNN, Tampa Bay Times, Department, Fox News, Media, Fox Nation, Getty, Fox, Justice Department, Kanye Locations: Tampa , Florida, West Palm Beach , Florida, New York City , New York, Florida

☆ Details of Sexual Assault Allegation Against Florida G.O.P. Chair Add to Party Turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | More About Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Details of a sexual assault allegation against the chairman of the Florida Republican Party in an affidavit from state authorities are fueling turmoil within the party. The affidavit recounts that a woman says that the chairman, Christian Ziegler, assaulted her in her apartment in October. It was filed in Florida court as part of a warrant application seeking access to electronic communications and recordings on Mr. Ziegler’s Google account. A spokeswoman for the Police Department in Sarasota, Fla., confirmed on Thursday that there was an “active investigation” involving Mr. Ziegler. No charges have been filed against him, and he has denied wrongdoing through his lawyer, Derek Byrd, who did not respond on Sunday for a request for comment.

Persons: Christian Ziegler, Ziegler, Derek Byrd, ”, Bridget Ziegler Organizations: Florida Republican Party, Google, Police Department, Sarasota County School Board, Liberty Locations: Florida, Sarasota , Fla

☆ People are grieving the 'death' of their AI companions after a chatbot app abruptly shut down
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

A 32-year-old food industry worker in eastern Texas who asked to be identified by her Reddit username, Hilary Coyote, first heard about AI chatbot companions in June. She turned to Reddit's community of Soulmate users for support, and was encouraged to go back to the app and Allur. (EvolveAI and SimplyAI's now-shuttered Soulmate app has no relation to "Soulmate AI: Your AI Companion," another app that appears in smartphone app stores and was developed by Turing App Lab.) Even if Ahoy Labs closed down, Faraday users' chatbots would not be affected. Read more: App, Lover, Muse: Inside a 47-year-old Minnesota man's three-year relationship with an AI chatbot.

Persons: Mike Hepp, Sam, Mike, wile, peppering, he'd, Soulmate, Replika, There's, Hilary Coyote, Allur, Hilary, she'd, Chris, chatbots, —, Julia, Soulmate's userbase, Jorge Ilas, SimplyAI's, She'd, Faraday, Hilary somberly, Sam —, Kindroid Organizations: YouTube, SimplyAI, Turing, Stanford Locations: Michigan, Soulmate, Replika, Florida, Chai, Texas, Bavaria, Germany, Reddit, Los Angeles, Minnesota

☆ Premarket stocks: How billion-dollar fines are reshaping digital communications in banking
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. HSBC is blocking staff from texting on their work phones, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN. What’s happening: Banks must follow strict compliance rules for how they use and store their employees’ texts and other business communications. “Banks use a wide range of approved channels to communicate in compliance with regulatory obligations,” a company spokesperson told CNN. Tesla reported adjusted earnings of $2.3 billion in the quarter, or 66 cents a share, down 37% from a year earlier and the smallest profits it reported in two years.

Persons: Banks, ”, ” Sanjay Wadhwa, Tesla, Chris Isidore, Refinitiv, Dan Ives, “ Price, Elon Musk, “, ’, Craig Jelinek, Ron Vachris, Jelinek Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, HSBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, “ HSBC, Carlyle Group, Blackstone, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wedbush Securities, Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart Locations: New York, London, Wells Fargo, WhatsApp, United States

REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. securities regulator on Friday said it had fined 12 companies, including brokers, investment advisers and credit rating firms, for record keeping failures. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said the companies, including Interactive Brokers Corp, Fifth Third Securities and Nuveen Securities, agreed to pay a total of $79 million and admitted they violated the record keeping rules. Credit rating agencies DBRS Inc. and Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC also agreed to pay civil penalties to settle SEC charges related to the record-keeping failures, the regulator added. Employees at both firms failed to preserve electronic communications, including off-channel messages on personal and work-issued devices, the SEC said. To settle the charges, DBRS agreed to pay $8 million in civil penalties and KBRA agreed to pay $4 million in civil penalties, the SEC said.

Persons: Jim Bourg, Kroll, DBRS, KBRA, Chris Prentice, Carolina, Barbara Lewis Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, REUTERS, Securities, Interactive Brokers Corp, Fifth Third Securities, Nuveen Securities, Reuters, Wall, DBRS Inc, Kroll Bond Rating Agency, Employees, Thomson Locations: Washington, U.S

Again, Republicans have not produced evidence that Joe Biden got paid in any of these arrangements. Jim Jordan falsely claims Hunter Biden said he was unqualified for Burisma boardRepublican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio repeated a false claim about Hunter Biden that CNN debunked when Jordan made the same claim last week. “We learned yesterday, in the search warrant…examining Hunter Biden electronic communications, they weren’t allowed to ask about Political Figure 1,” Jordan said. Facts First: Mace’s claim is false; we do not “already know” that Joe Biden took any bribe. Burchett on Hunter Biden’s taxesRep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican, falsely claimed that Hunter Biden never paid taxes on his foreign income.

Persons: Joe Biden –, Biden, James Comer, Joe Biden’s, Joe Biden, ” – Hunter, –, Hunter Biden –, Hunter Biden, Jim Jordan, Jordan, “ Hunter Biden’s, ” Jordan, wasn’t, “, Boies Schiller, ” Biden, ”, wasn’t Biden, Hunter, Trump’s, David Weiss, Weiss, Joe Biden weren’t, Hunter Biden Comer, Comer, Hunter Biden’s, Abbe Lowell, Lowell, ” Lowell, Ian Sams, ’, ” Comer, Nancy Mace, Jonathan Turley, Republican Sen, Chuck Grassley, Donald Trump, Burisma, Mykola Zlochevsky, Devon Archer, Archer, Zlochevsky’s, embellishing, Burchett, Tim Burchett, Hunter Biden “, doesn’t, “ Who’s, ” Burchett, Byron Donalds, James Biden, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Byron Donalds of, Donalds, wouldn’t, James Biden’s, ” Donalds, Pat Fallon, Dad, ‘, Fallon Organizations: CNN, Republican, Republicans, Post, Burisma Holdings, ABC News, Biden, ABC, Amtrak, UN, Food, Eastern, Justice, House Republicans, Justice Department, Department, Trump, GOP, United, Democratic, FBI, George Washington University, Biden ”, Tennessee Republican, IRS, Rep, Wednesday, New Yorker Republican, Yorker Locations: Washington, Ukraine, China, Romania, Ohio, Ukrainian, Beijing, United States, Wilmington , Delaware, South Carolina, Burisma, ”, Iowa, Tennessee, Alexandria, Cortez of New York, Byron Donalds of Florida, Texas

☆ I took a 2-day vow of silence and stopped using my phone—here's the No. 1 thing it taught me about happiness
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

My generation was raised on the idea that happiness is a choice, so I get mad at myself for feeling other emotions. That's why, when I heard about the University of Pennsylvania's "monk class" last spring, I wanted to test drive its curriculum. The formally titled "Living Deliberately" course requires students to "observe a code of silence" and "abstain from using all electronic communications" for a month, according to the university's website. So at the end of August, I took a 48-hour vow of silence and no technology, ranging from a Sunday afternoon to a Tuesday afternoon. And I learned something that upended my sense of happiness, and how to achieve it: Less is often more.

Persons: Monks, Justin McDaniel, McDaniel, It's, I'm, Gilmore Organizations: University of Pennsylvania's, Ivy League

☆ I lived like a monk for 48 hours, and it helped me break 3 of my worst habits—here's how
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

I tried living like a monk for 48 hours. It's unusual for me to go 48 seconds without talking or checking my phone, let alone two days. I was inspired by the University of Pennsylvania's "monk class," actually called "Living Deliberately." I wanted to achieve that level of awareness, but my livelihood depends on my voice and three-pound work laptop. A seven-day break from Twitter and TikTok reduced levels of depression and anxiety in a small randomized trial, U.K.-based University of Bath researchers found last year.

Persons: Justin McDaniel, Monks, Ann Patchett's, Tom Lake, I've, —, McDaniel Organizations: University of Pennsylvania's, Ivy League, Twitter, of Bath, University of Pennsylvania

Together, experts say, these efforts aim to enhance China’s military reach, which currently includes only one operational overseas naval base in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. “It’s a question of when – not if – China will secure its next overseas military outpost,” he said. This photo taken on August 1, 2017, shows Chinese People's Liberation Army personnel attending the opening ceremony of China's new military base in Djibouti. The Hambantota commercial port in Sri Lanka has long been considered a prime candidate for a Chinese naval base. However, China’s path to developing permanent overseas bases, if indeed that is its aim, is not straightforward.

Persons: FDD, Craig Singleton, “, –, ”, Tea Banh, FDD’s Singleton, Tang Chhin Sothy, Singleton, Xi Jinping, Stringer, ” AidData, Stephen J, Townsend, ” Townsend, Bata, Ali Bongo Ondimba, Ken Ishii, ’, ” Singleton, China’s, Aaron Favila, Isaac Kardon, Kardon, ” Kardon, BlackSky Singleton, Rob Wittman, Fu Tian, Seth Moulton, ” Moulton, Martin Meiners Organizations: South Korea CNN, People’s Liberation Army Navy, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Ream, Base, CNN, China’s Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ream Naval Base, ” Cambodian Defense, Cambodian, Getty, Fleet, Communist Party, US, Liberation Army personnel, William & Mary University, Sri Lankan Navy, US Africa Command, Gabonese, of, Xinhua, Naval Research Academy, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, East China Seas, China, Control, Organization, Force, Strategic, International Studies, Defense Department, Chinese Communist Party, ”, Virginia Republican, The Defense Department, Qingdao Port, People's Liberation Army Navy, China News Service, America, Pentagon, US Defense Department Locations: Seoul, South Korea, China, Beijing, Washington, Cambodia, Argentina, Cuba, Djibouti, of Africa, Africa, West Asia, Gulf, Thailand, United States, Preah Sihanouk, AFP, Horn of Africa, “, South, Taiwan, Virginia, —, Sri Lanka, Bata , Equatorial Guinea, Gwadar, Pakistan, Kribi, Cameroon, Ream, Vanuatu, Nacala, Mozambique, Nouakchott, Mauritania, Colombo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, West Africa, South China, East Asia, East, Asia, Washington In Washington, Nanchang, Qingdao, Shandong province, Massachusetts

☆ The US Army is rushing to rearm its electronic warriors after watching Russia and Ukraine jam each other's drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Electronic warfare has played a prominent role during the war in Ukraine. This has put fresh impetus behind the US Army's electronic-warfare upgrades. Concern about electronic warfare, or EW, isn't new, nor is the US deficient in all EW aspects. For its part, Russia has been able to use electronic warfare to send Ukraine's GPS-guided JDAM glide bombs and HIMARS rockets off course. Most armies — or at least the high-tech ones — are vulnerable to electronic warfare, but the US military is especially vulnerable because its way of war is so dependent on electronic communications.

Persons: Douglas Bush, Simon Mictizic, Bush, Charles Brown Jr, Denis Abramov, Brown, Lockheed Martin, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Army, Army, Army's 1st Infantry Division, Staff, Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy, Russian Defense Ministry, Mil.ru, Domain Command, GPS, Support Force, US, Combat, Stryker, TLS, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, China, Forbes

☆ A hedge fund manager shares 2 ChatGPT prompts and the AI plugin he used to filter top stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

He fed the LLM data from a terminal and asked it to filter its findings through top academic literature and fund managers. Building on the knowledgeIn his earlier experiments, Patel and his team manually pasted increments of stock data into ChatGPT's text box. Using Julius AI, Patel was able to input data for over 6,800 stocks to see if the outcomes or accuracy would change. The metrics Patel chose to input were based on company fundamentals that he felt were important when picking stocks. Patel concluded that whether it's a human analyst or AI that's picking stocks, there are no guarantees in the stock market.

Persons: Alpesh Patel, it's, Patel, Julius AI, Julius, Price, ChatGPT's, Warren Buffett, Cisco Systems Inc Patel, Johnson, Eli Lilly, Rahul Sonwalkar, you've Organizations: NYSE, Nasdaq, US Securities and Exchange Commission, FTSE, New York Stock Exchange, Alpha, Broadcom, Cisco Systems Inc, Apple Inc UnitedHealth, Johnson, Johnson Exxon Mobil Corp Visa Inc Tesla, Walmart, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Procter, Gamble, Chevron Corp Mastercard, Depot Inc, Pfizer, AbbVie Inc Merck, Co Inc, Cola Co, Pepsico, Broadcom Inc Alibaba

☆ Regulators fine Wall Street firms $549 million for using WhatsApp and other channels to discuss business
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Wells Fargo and a slew of other Wall Street firms admitted Tuesday to using WhatsApp, Signal and other messaging platforms for “off-channel” communications in violation of federal recordkeeping requirements. The Securities and Exchange Commission said the Wall Street firms acknowledged wrongdoing and have agreed to pay penalties totaling $289 million. The SEC said the firms violated federal securities laws by failing to maintain or preserve the “substantial majority” of these communications. Another regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, also fined four of the same Wall Street firms for failing to maintain records and failing to supervise matters related to their businesses. The CFTC hit Bank of Montreal with a $35 million fine and a $75 million fine each for BNP Paribas, Societe Generale and Wells Fargo.

Persons: Wells, Houlihan Lokey, ” Sanjay Wadhwa Organizations: New, New York CNN, Securities, Exchange Commission, Wall Street, SEC, BNP, SG Americas, BMO Capital Markets, Mizuho Securities, SMBC Nikko Securities, Futures Trading Commission, CFTC, Bank of Montreal, BNP Paribas, Societe Generale Locations: New York, Wells Fargo, SMBC Nikko Securities America, WhatsApp

☆ New York woman sentenced in 'catfish' extortion bid of CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

At her sentencing Wednesday, Blackwood was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release for the attempted shakedown, which spanned six months in 2022. A New York woman was sentenced to time already served in jail for cyberstalking in a case where she was accused of " catfishing " a mystery high-profile CEO of a publicly traded corporation. Prosecutors in a court filing said Blackwood tried to extort the victim by threatening to "falsely tell the world" that the man "has sex with a minor." Blackwood also ramped up pressure on the victim in late April 2022 by "using Twitter to tweet veiled threats at the Victim," prosecutors wrote. "For many months, the defendant kept the Victim suffering from the constant fear that his life would be ruined.

Persons: Furman, Blackwood, Jess Furman, Sakoya Blackwood, —, Blackwood's, Michael Tremonte, Tremonte, Ms Organizations: US Marshals Service, Manhattan Federal, Manhattan U.S, Bronx, Prosecutors, Harvard, CNBC Locations: Manhattan, United States, Jamaica, New York, Brooklyn, cyberstalking

☆ Accused Russian intelligence officer pleads not guilty to US smuggling charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - An alleged Russian intelligence officer pleaded not guilty on Friday to U.S. charges of smuggling U.S.-origin electronics and ammunition to Russia to help its war against Ukraine. Vadim Konoschenok, who was extradited on Thursday from Estonia, entered the plea at a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn. U.S. Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes ordered Konoschenok detained pending trial, after prosecutors called him a flight risk. Konoschenok was initially charged last September, as U.S. authorities sought to ramp up enforcement of export controls and sanctions designed to hamper Moscow's war effort. Reporting by Luc Cohen; editing by John Stonestreet and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vadim Konoschenok, Judge Ramon Reyes, Konoschenok, Sabrina Shroff, Luc Cohen, John Stonestreet, Sandra Maler Organizations: YORK, Ukraine, U.S, Attorney, Thomson Locations: Russian, Russia, Estonia, Brooklyn . U.S, Brooklyn, U.S, Washington

☆ Prigozhin rushed his Wagner mutiny because he knew Putin was on to him, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin had to accelerate the timeline of his mutiny, the WSJ reported. Russia's intelligence unit, otherwise known as Federal Security Service (FSB), became aware of Prigozhin's mutiny plans around 48 hours before it took place, which could in part explain its failure, the report said. The feud escalated dramatically several weeks before the failed rebellion when Shoigu announced that Wagner soldiers would have to sign contracts with his ministry. Prigozhin had initially thought that Russian soldiers would turn on their commanders and join the mutiny, The Wall Street Journal said. Western intelligence agencies were also informed about Prigozhin's plans by looking at satellite imagery and electronic communications intercepts, the report said.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, —, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, General Valery Gerasimov, Shoigu, Viktor Zolotov, Putin, Zolotov Organizations: Service, Street, Federal Security Service, Defence, Street Journal, National Guard of Locations: Russian, Rostov, Voronezh, Moscow, Belarus, Ukraine, National Guard of Russia

☆ SEC fines JPMorgan subsidiary for deleting 47 million emails, some related to subpoenas
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Securities and Exchange Commission fined the broker-dealer subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase $4 million for accidentally deleting about 47 million emails from early 2018, according to an administrative order Thursday. Some of those deleted emails were sought by subpoenas in at least a dozen regulatory investigations, but could no longer be retrieved, the SEC order against J.P. Morgan Securities LLC noted. Many of the emails were "business records required to be retained pursuant" to federal securities law, the order said. The firm had submitted a settlement offer in anticipation of administrative proceedings related to the deletions, and the SEC accepted that offer. In its order Thursday, the SEC noted JPMorgan in 2016 began a project "to delete from its system older communications and documents no longer required to be retained."

Persons: Morgan Chase, J.P, Morgan Securities, Patricia Wexler Organizations: The Securities, Exchange Commission, JPMorgan Chase, SEC, J.P, Morgan Securities LLC, Chase, Morgan, JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Commission Locations: Park Avenue, Midtown, Manhattan , New York

☆ Republicans Attack Blinken for China Trip, Threatening Subpoena
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Karoun Demirjian | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Why It MattersThe clash reflects two divergent approaches to dealing with a rising China, and could influence forthcoming debates over military spending. Relations between the two countries experienced another setback earlier this year, when the Chinese spy balloon floated over the United States, hovering near sensitive military sites. Mr. Blinken canceled a planned trip to Beijing in the aftermath of the balloon incident. What’s NextMr. McCaul is trying to prove that State Department officials intentionally dragged their feet on punishing China by demanding to see the department’s so-called competitive actions calendars. The State Department was not expected to meet the 6 p.m. deadline Mr. McCaul set for producing the documents.

Persons: Biden, fecklessly, ”, Mike Gallagher, Robert Menendez, Nancy Pelosi’s, Blinken, What’s, McCaul Organizations: Republican, Robert Menendez of New, Foreign Relations, United, Beijing, Department, China, The State Department Locations: China, United States, Taiwan, Wisconsin, Robert Menendez of, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Beijing, Cuba

BEJUCAL, Cuba, June 14 (Reuters) - Just outside the sleepy Cuban village of Bejucal, a winding track, rutted with potholes and losing ground to the jungle, ends at a barbed wire fence. The question of Chinese spying from Cuba was renewed last week following a Wall Street Journal report. China, Washington’s top geopolitical rival, on Monday denied it was using Cuba as a spy base. [1/5] A truck passes by a sign at the entrance of Bejucal, Cuba, June 12, 2023. Onelvis Despaigne, 36, a farm worker who lives just outside the base, told Reuters on Monday he had not heard the recent foreign media reports on Chinese spying.

Persons: Biden, Bejucal, Arnaldo Perez, Dave Sherwood, Perez, motioning, Marco Rubio, Havana “, Fulton Armstrong, ”, Armstrong, Vladimir Putin, Onelvis Despaigne, Matt Spetalnick, Adam Jourdan, Don Durfee, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Federal Communications Commission, Communist Party, FCC, Security, Commission, ARCOS, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, Justice Department ., Guantanamo, Base, White House National Security Council, REUTERS, Cuban Missile, Soviet Union, U.S, Cuban, CIA, Thomson Locations: BEJUCAL, Cuba, Cuban, Bejucal, China, Beijing, States, Key West , Florida, U.S, United States, Justice Department . China, Havana, Soviet, Moscow, Marco Rubio of Florida, Caribbean, Taiwan Strait, South China, Russia, Ukraine, Lourdes, Washington

Washington CNN —China has been operating military and intelligence facilities in Cuba since at least 2019 and is continuing to expand its intelligence gathering capabilities around the world, a Biden administration official and two other sources told CNN Saturday. The administration official said China “conducted an upgrade of its intelligence collection facilities in Cuba in 2019” under the Trump administration and described the challenge as “inherited.”“This is well-documented in the intelligence record,” the official said. CUBA, HAVANA - AUGUST 02 : Aerial view of the city of Havana on August 02, 2017 in Havana, Cuba. Former US Ambassador to China Max Baucus said Saturday he was “surprised” the Biden administration initially denied reporting that China has operated intelligence and military facilities in Cuba and acknowledged China has long had a “presence” in Cuba. The Chinese military and intelligence sites monitor maritime traffic, the US Guantanamo naval base and communications, the source familiar with the intelligence said.

Persons: China “, Trump, “, ”, John Kirby, Frédéric Soltan, Frédéric, Bill Burns, Antony Blinken, Defense Lloyd Austin, China Max Baucus, Biden, Baucus, Obama Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, CNN, White House, Wall Street, National Security Council, South China, Getty, Corbis, CIA, Defense, Guantanamo Locations: China, Cuba, ”, South, CUBA, HAVANA, Havana, Havana , Cuba, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

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