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U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon on Friday granted James Cromitie, 58, compassionate release from prison six months after she ordered the release of his three co-defendants, known as the Newburgh Four, for similar reasons. The four men from the small river city 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of New York City were convicted of terrorism charges in 2010. The New York-based judge ordered Cromitie’s sentence to be reduced to time served plus 90 days. Critics have accused federal agents of entrapping a group men who were down on their luck after doing prison time. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesIn a scathing ruling, McMahon wrote that the FBI invented the conspiracy and identified the targets.

Persons: Colleen McMahon, James Cromitie, Cromitie, Critics, McMahon, “, ’, Shaheed Hussain, ”, ” Hussain, Hussain, Nauman Hussain, Kerry Lawrence, “ I’m, ” Lawrence, McMahon didn’t Organizations: National Guard, Newburgh, Prosecutors, Air National Guard, Bronx ., FBI, U.S Locations: York, U.S, New York City, New York, Newburgh, Bronx, Albany , New York, Schoharie , New York

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s chief prosecutor on Wednesday announced a criminal investigation into organizers of this past weekend's primary election that was meant to let voters choose an opposition candidate to run against President Nicolás Maduro next year. Attorney General Tarek William Saab told reporters the probe would look at allegations including that the independent National Primary Commission that organized Sunday's balloting was illegally usurping the duties of a government entity. The latest partial results released by the commission showed at least 2.3 million people within Venezuela and more than 132,000 outside the country voted Sunday. Machado, a former lawmaker, already has declared herself the winner after results showed her far ahead of nine other candidates. The partial results showed that with about 92% of tally sheets counted, Machado had 2,253,825 votes, or 92.35% of the total.

Persons: — Venezuela’s, Nicolás Maduro, Tarek William Saab, María Corina Machado, Saab, buffoonery, ” Saab, “, Machado Organizations: Wednesday, Commission, Saab, Electoral Council Locations: CARACAS, Venezuela

☆ Elon Musk told biographer that Trump is 'the world champion of bullshit'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk told his biographer that he's "not Trump's fan." Musk, according to Walter Isaacson's new book, also called the former president "the world champion of bullshit." According to Isaacson, Musk approached Trump's election with cautious optimism that later vanished. "Trump might be one of the world's best bullshitters," Musk told Walter Isaacson, according to Isaacson's "Elon Musk." "I'm not Trump's fan," Musk told Isaacson.

Persons: Elon Musk, he's, Walter Isaacson's, Isaacson, Musk, Donald Trump, Trump, Walter Isaacson, Bullshitting, Barack Obama's, Musk's Organizations: Service, Trump, White, Paris Climate Accord, Twitter Locations: Wall, Silicon, Paris

☆ Russian fighter jets launched parachute flares and forced US drones to perform evasive maneuvers to avoid 'dangerously close' passes, interrupting military missions in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian fighter pilots have been antagonizing US drones over Syria for several days. Russians fired flares at drones and flew close enough to them to prompt evasive maneuvers. The "unprofessional behavior" continued Friday, according to a statement released by the US Air Forces Central. "Earlier today three MQ-9 drones were once again harassed by Russian fighter aircraft while flying over Syria. Previously, the Russian fighters had been seen dropping flares in front of the drones and flying dangerously close, prompting the drones to take evasive maneuvers to avoid collisions.

Persons: Alexus Grynkewich, Grynkewich, you've, General Organizations: Service, Russian, NATO, US, US Air Forces Central, Air Force, Department of Defense, Air Forces Central Locations: Syria, Wall, Silicon, Russian

☆ F-22 stealth fighter jets are back in the Middle East as a US commander warns of 'buffoonery' by Russian pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

US Air Force F-22 stealth fighter jets were redeployed to the Middle East in mid-JuneTheir redeployment comes amid repeated cases of aggressive flying by Russian air force pilots. Grynkewich spoke shortly after the US Air Force redeployed F-22s to the Middle East. The US planned to compensate by deploying A-10 attack planes, which are designed to strike ground targets, to the Middle East. A US Air Force A-10C refuels from a KC-135 over the Middle East in April. Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history.

Persons: —, Alexus Grynkewich, Äzzeddin Kasim, Grynkewich, you've, Devin Boyer, Ryan Bohl, RANE, Al, DELIL SOULEIMAN, There's, Bohl, Nicholas Heras, Christopher Ruano, Heras, Su, Paul Iddon Organizations: US Air Force, Russian, Service, Air Force's, US Air Forces Central Command, Wagner Group, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, Pacific, KC, Tech, East, Getty, New Lines Institute, UAE, Russia, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Syria, Russian, Ukraine, Idlib, East, Europe, North Africa, Al Tanf, AFP, United States, Moscow

☆ Silvio Berlusconi, a Showman Who Upended Italian Politics and Culture, Dies at 86
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Jason Horowitz | Rachel Donadio | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

He and his party, which built Italy’s center-right coalition when he entered politics in 1994, had become increasingly irrelevant. In 2018, the conservative leadership moved to Matteo Salvini, the hard-right leader of the nationalist League party (formerly the Northern League party). By 2020, the once marginal post-Fascist party Brothers of Italy had outperformed Mr. Berlusconi’s once powerful Forza Italia. But Mr. Berlusconi still dreamed big. In the most right-wing government since Mussolini, Mr. Berlusconi argued that he would keep a toe in the center.

Persons: Matteo Salvini, Berlusconi’s, ” Mr, Berlusconi, ”, Mario Draghi, “, ’ ” Cristian Romaniello, Mr, Draghi, Meloni, Mussolini Organizations: nationalist League party, Northern League, Brothers, Forza Italia, Salvini’s League, “ Fascists, Star, European Central Bank, Five Star Locations: Italy

☆ ‘American Pain’ Review: Entrepreneurs of an Epidemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

A Wild West story set in the Sunshine State, “American Pain” uses the outrages of Chris and Jeff George —identical twins and the most entrepreneurial of Florida’s “pill mill” operators of the late 2000s—to frame the most tragic aspects of the opioid epidemic. Mr. Foster has an advantage in the fact that the Georges were already convicted and that they and their cohort have served their sentences (with the exception of Jeff George, who is interviewed by phone from prison). No one involved in their South Florida Pain Clinic—or its alias, American Pain—has any reservations about revealing details of the audacious business model on which the Georges built their operation, which federal investigators say was allowed to thrive thanks to a network of complicit doctors, suppliers and manufacturers. Transcripts of FBI phone taps reveal a laissez-faire attitude toward the costs of opioid addiction. “People have always overdosed,” says one George twin; “you’d have to be an idiot to get hit by a train,” says another, after a carload of customers was crushed just after leaving the clinic.

☆ An advisor to the January 6 committee said Mark Meadows' texts provide 'irrefutable' proof of a comprehensive plot to overturn the 2020 election
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Denver Riggleman said texts from Mark Meadows showed a "roadmap" to overturning the election. Meadows was receiving texts about the alternate electors plot just days after the election. He said Meadows' texts showed a "roadmap" for how allies of former President Donald Trump were trying to overturn the election. Host Bill Whitaker asked Riggleman to confirm his belief that Meadows' texts "provide irrefutable, time-stamped proof of a comprehensive plot at all levels of government to overturn the election." Insider previously compiled a list of all the texts Meadows had received while the January 6 insurrection was unfolding.

☆ Alex Jones' billion-dollar judgement: The conspiracy theorist has turned career-ending setbacks into profit windfalls, but this could be too much to overcome
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Ashley Collman | Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

Robbie Parker was later falsely called a crisis actor, and the Parkers are among those who sued Alex Jones for defamation. Longtime informal adviser to Donald Trump, Roger Stone (right), and and Alex Jones (left) speak to reporters in December 2018. Picture showing a computer screen displaying the Twitter account of Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones taken on August 15, 2018 in Washington DC. "Alex Jones is likely to continue being Alex Jones, which means he's likely to try all kinds of shenanigans to avoid accountability," said Holt. "The money awarded in damages does not repair what Alex Jones has done to those parents' lives, but it could be a step towards dismantling the toxic empire that Alex Jones has built around his brand."

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