Guantanamo Case Nearing a Decision on the Lasting Effects of Torture
By the time the prisoner accused of plotting the U.S.S.Cole bombing boasted about his role in the attack during interrogations at Guantanamo Bay, his memories and account were unreliable because of years of isolation and torture by the C.I.A., a former military interrogator testified Friday.Prosecutors say the statements that Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi prisoner, gave during interrogations in 2007 are crucial evidence against him.
The Violent History of Waco, the Infamous Site of Trump's Next Rally
On Saturday, despite a possible indictment looming, former President Donald Trump is holding a rally in Waco, Texas.The Trump 2024 presidential campaign told TIME they chose the city because of its central location and Texas' role in the primary, but Waco has an infamous, violent history: it was the site of a deadly standoff between an anti-government cult and federal law enforcement thirty years ago.
Editorial: Too much is at stake in Trump case for Judge Cannon to preside. She should recuse.
The last time U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled on a case involving Donald Trump and his alleged hoarding of classified documents, the dressing-down from appellate judges above her was stern and blunt.Last year, Cannon, a Trump appointee, approved Trump's demand for an outside arbiter to examine documents that federal agents had seized from the former president's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
At least 3 dead, more wounded in New Mexico shooting, police say
FARMINGTON, N.M. - At least three people were dead and multiple others wounded Monday after a shooting in Farmington, police said, and schools citywide were put on lockdown."There are multiple civilian victims," Farmington police reported via Facebook, adding that one suspect "was confronted and killed on scene."
Federal jury finds reputed Wicked Town gang leader, top associate guilty of racketeering and murder
A federal jury on Tuesday found the reputed leader of the Wicked Town gang faction and one of his top lieutenants guilty of racketeering conspiracy involving a string of murders, shootings robberies, and narcotics trafficking stretching back two decades.After a seven-week trial, the jury of six men and six women deliberated for about 18 hours over three days before finding Donald Lee, 41, and Torance Benson, 31, guilty on the most serious charge against them, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Mother of 6-Year-Old Who Shot Teacher Pleads Guilty to Firearms Violations
The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his first-grade teacher in a Virginia classroom pleaded guilty on Monday to federal criminal charges for using marijuana while owning a firearm, and making false statements about drug use when she bought the gun.The mother, Deja Taylor, was previously indicted by a grand jury in Virginia on state criminal charges of neglect and endangerment, in connection with her son's access to the handgun that he used in the shooting.
Former Stoneham police officer and brother charged for bribery scheme
Two brothers, one a former Stoneham Police officer and the other an owner of an electrical contracting company, are facing criminal charges for allegedly running a bribery and kickback scheme that brought them millions of dollars in contracts.Joseph Ponzo, 49, of Stoneham, and Christopher Ponzo, 48, of North Reading were first charged in April 2022.
China has closed unofficial police stations' in Britain, UK minister says
The UK security minister, Tom Tugendhat, has said China has closed its reported police service stations at sites across Britain, and that an investigation did not reveal any illegal activity by the Chinese state at these sites.Britain has previously said reports of undeclared police stations in the country were extremely concerning and that any intimidation on British soil of foreign nationals by China or other states was unacceptable.
A top member of San Jose's police union imported and distributed opioids, prosecutors say
(Keith Srakocic / Associated Press)
The executive director of the San Jose police union imported opioids from overseas in a scheme to distribute the drugs in the U.S., federal prosecutors say.Joanne Marian Segovia was charged Tuesday with attempting to import a controlled substance in a scheme that took place from 2015 to 2023.
A landlord who was arrested in a murder-for-hire plot is now accused of trying to set fire to his building
A real estate developer charged in a murder-for-hire plot is facing new criminal charges in federal court, where prosecutors allege the businessman also hired someone to set fire to one of his properties in an attempt to kick out his tenants.In a federal indictment, prosecutors paint a vicious picture of Arthur Aslanian, who prosecutors allege resorted to arson and hit men to settle business disputes and avoid paying millions of dollars in debt.
Federal and state investigators probe Santos' role in luxury yacht sale
Federal and state investigators are probing Republican Rep. George Santos' role in the sale of a $19 million yacht involving two of his wealthy donors, according to a law enforcement official.The law enforcement interest in the sale, first reported by The New York Times, underscores the far reaches of the investigations into the embattled congressman's finances.
U.S. Tech Espionage Team Unveils First Cases Involving China and Russia
The Biden administration announced arrests and criminal charges on Tuesday in five cases involving sanctions evasion and technology espionage efforts linked to Russia, China and Iran.Two Russian nationals were taken into custody last week under accusations of sending aircraft parts to Russia in violation of sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.
"Classified Evening Briefing:" Mishandled and Stolen Documents Update - emptywheel
There has been a bunch of news in the various investigations into various constitutional officers who took documents home.Here's my updated handy table.Biden On February 1, the FBI did a consensual search of President Biden's Rehoboth home.No additional documents with classified marks were found, though the FBI did take some notes from Biden's time as Vice President.
Michigan man charged with illegal firearms possession after allegedly threatening governor and Biden
A Michigan man has been charged with unlawfully owning several firearms after federal agents uncovered online death threats he allegedly made against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and President Joe Biden.Randall Robert Berka II faces one charge of possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.He has not yet entered a formal plea, and a lawyer is not yet listed on his court docket.
Justice Department seizes $3.4 billion in stolen bitcoin
The Justice Department's recovery of nearly $3.4 billion in stolen bitcoin is one of its largest-ever seizure of cryptocurrency.(Tom Brenner for The Washington Post)The Justice Department recovered nearly $3.4 billion worth of bitcoin that a Georgia real estate developer stole a decade ago from the dark web marketplace Silk Road, the department announced Monday.
Trump's "Receptionist of the US" Deletes Her Trip to Russia - emptywheel
When Chamberlain Harris's name first started getting bandied about as the woman in whose possession additional documents with classified markings were found last year at Mar-a-Lago, her LinkedIn bio described how, in addition to a trip to Spain in summer 2018, she also made a trip to St. Petersburg in Summer 2019, immediately before she took an internship at the White House.
Following DOJ Subpoena, Trump Told Mar-a-Lago Worker to Hide Docs Elsewhere
An employee at former President Donald Trump's Palm Beach, Florida, estate has informed federal agents that Trump ordered people to relocate White House documents he was improperly storing in a storage locker at Mar-a-Lago after a subpoena order was issued for the retrieval of the documents earlier this year.
Federal agents spy possible tax charges against Hunter Biden: report
After a multiyear probe, federal agents believe they have assembled a sufficient case for tax crime charges to be filed against Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Biden: Classified documents at Mar-a-Lago raise concerns
President Joe Biden says the discovery of top-secret documents at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate raised concerns that sensitive data was compromised and called it "irresponsible."
Lawyer Told Archives Last Year That Trump Had No Classified Material
A lawyer representing the former president told the National Archives that boxes taken from the White House contained material like newspaper clippings.
Trump Hires Former Florida Solicitor General as Lawyer in Documents Case
Former President Donald J. Trump has hired a high-profile lawyer to help him with the aftermath of the F.B.I. search of his club and home in Florida and the criminal investigation into his handling of sensitive government documents.
Former Dodgers Outfielder Yasiel Puig To Plead Guilty To Federal Charge For Lying About Illegal Gambling Operation
Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig has agreed to plead guilty to one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement officials regarding bets he placed on sporting events with an illegal gambling operation, according to court documents.The crime carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Former Trump Adviser Was Not Agent for Emirates, Lawyer Tells Jury
A lawyer for Thomas J. Barrack Jr., an informal adviser to former president Donald J. Trump, told jurors Wednesday that accusations that his client was an illegal foreign agent were "nothing short of ridiculous" - and that prosecutors had inflated "inconsequential acts" into a supposed plot in which Mr. Barrack agreed to betray his country.
Man charged in Bulger slaying to stay locked up until trial
Local OCALA, Fla. (AP) - A man charged in the prison killing of notorious Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger will remain behind bars while he awaits trial, a federal judge ruled Monday.
Trump Lawyer Expressed Worry Over False Claims of Election Fraud
WASHINGTON A conservative lawyer who was an architect of a plan to keep former President Donald J. Trump in office warned in late December 2020 that if Mr. Trump falsely swore to the courts that he had specific evidence of voter fraud in Georgia, both the president and his lawyers could face prosecution.
In 2021 Video, Trump Asks, Is This a Good Jewish Character Right Here?'
Former President Donald J. Trump inquired whether a documentary filmmaker recording an interview with him last year was a good Jewish character, described Persians as very good salesmen and complained that Israeli Jews favored him more than Jews in the United States, a new clip released by the filmmaker shows.
FBI seized 'top secret' documents from Trump's home
The FBI recovered documents that were labelled "top secret" from former president Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to court papers released on Friday after a federal judge unsealed the warrant that authorised the unprecedented search this week.
State Sen. Emil Jones III to be arraigned Friday on bribery charges
Illinois state Sen. Emil Jones III is scheduled to be arraigned Friday on federal charges alleging he took bribes from a red-light camera company executive in exchange for killing legislation that went against the company's interests.
FBI, Homeland Security warn about threats to law enforcement after Trump search
A Federal Bureau of Investigation police officer walks with his working dog outside Federal Bureau of Investigation building headquarters in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022.
State Sen. Emil Jones III charged with bribery in red-light camera case
Illinois State Sen. Emil Jones III has been hit with federal bribery charges alleging he took money from a red-light camera company to kill legislation requiring traffic studies for automated camera systems, then lied to federal agents about it.
Heather Mack's daughter will temporarily live with foster mom from Indonesia in Forest Park
A Cook County judge on Friday ruled that the 7-year-old daughter of Heather Mack will temporarily live in suburban Cook County with her foster mother from Indonesia, who cared for her while Mack was serving a prison sentence for helping kill her mother and then stuffing the body in a suitcase on the island of Bali.
Lawmakers Demand Social Media Firms Address Threats to Law Enforcement
The Democrats who lead two House panels also expressed concern about "reckless statements" from Republicans after a surge in online threats following the F.B.I. search of Mar-a-Lago.
An armed man tried to breach security at an FBI office in Cincinnati
The entrance to the FBI headquarters in Cincinnati is shown on Thursday.
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The FBI on Wednesday also warned its agents to avoid protesters and ensure their security key cards are "not visible outside FBI space," citing an increase in social media threats to bureau personnel and facilities.
ComEd to give back $38 million in wake of Madigan scandal, but critic says it falls short
Commonwealth Edison customers are in line for a roughly $38 million refund - or about, on average, a little less than $5 per residential customer - to address what the utility giant acknowledged was its "unacceptable conduct" in the bribery-related scandal that has swept across Illinois and helped end Michael Madigan's historic run as the Illinois House speaker.
COPA recommends firing of Sergeant Jones who worked with convicted ex-cop Watts in new report
Police oversight investigators recommended last year that a Chicago police officer who worked under former Sgt. Ronald Watts - who went to prison for corruption - should be fired for falsifying reports while working for the disgraced ex-sergeant, according to a report released Thursday by a civil rights law firm.
"All Texts Demanded!" Right Wingers No Longer Worried about "Wiped" Phones, John Eastman Edition... - emptywheel
As noted in the last thread, more than twelve hours later on the same day that federal agents conducted a search on Jeffrey Clark's home in Virginia, FBI agents seized John Eastman's phone as he was leaving a restaurant in Santa Fe.
Pennsylvania Man Charged With Threatening F.B.I. After Mar-a-Lago Search
Federal prosecutors charged a Pennsylvania man on Monday with posting multiple violent threats against the F.B.I. online in the days that followed the bureau's search of former President Donald J. Trump's private club and residence in Florida.
Pennsylvania Man Charged With Threatening F.B.I. After Mar-a-Lago Search
Federal prosecutors charged a Pennsylvania man on Monday with posting multiple violent threats against the F.B.I. online in the days that followed the bureau's search of former President Donald J. Trump's private club and residence in Florida.
An associate of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny is sentenced to prison for extremism
Lilia Chanysheva gestures as she stands in a cage during a hearing in a courtroom of the Kirovskiy District Court in Ufa, Russia, June 14."I am a politician, a woman who is being persecuted by men who are her opponents," she said in her final statement to the court earlier this month.AP Photo MOSCOW A Russian court sentenced a leading associate of opposition leader Alexei Navalny to 7 1/2 years in prison on extremism-related charges on Wednesday the latest in a series of lengthy prison terms issued to political opponents of the Kremlin amid the war in Ukraine.
Sister raising L.A. swindlers' abandoned kids must forfeit $100,000 in bail, judge rules
(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
When a couple of convicted L.A. swindlers abandoned their three children and fled with the family dog to Montenegro in 2021, the distraught teenagers' aunt, Gohar Abelian, took the kids into her home.It was the second time she'd come to the rescue since the children's parents, Richard Ayvazyzn and Abelian's sister Marietta Terabelian, were arrested in 2020 for running an $18-million pandemic relief scam: To keep the couple out of jail, Abelian had spent more than $100,000 on bail bonds.
Man facing federal charges in fake green card scam, accused of impersonating ICE agents
(Nick Ut / Associated Press)
A San Ysidro man accused of issuing multiple fraudulent green cards by impersonating various federal agents, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, is now facing multiple federal charges in the scheme, according to the Central District of California's U.S. Attorney's Office.
With end of Title 42, the Covid-era policy that allowed for the swift expulsion of migrants arriving in the United States, federal border agents were set to return on Friday to the prepandemic rules for enforcing immigration law, known as Title 8.This measure covers a broad range of immigration law, including on asylum, refugees and visas.
Havana (CNN)Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban boy whose custody battle stoked Cold War-era tensions, has been nominated to serve in the island's National Assembly, the communist-party daily Granma said Monday.The newspaper referred to Gonzalez, now 29, as "representing the most worthy of the Cuban youth."
All flights grounded at airport near Penn State University over suspicious device, 100 passengers bused to campus
All flights were grounded at University Park Airport in Pennsylvania Friday as authorities investigated a suspicious device in a checked bag, forcing about 100 passengers to be bused out of the area and the airport to close until Saturday, officials said.The airport in State College, located less than five miles from the Penn State University campus, was closed to air traffic and passengers while an explosives device team and local police examined the contents of the bag, which was checked on a flight en route to Chicago, Penn State University Police and Public Safety said in a statement.
Suspect in New Year's Eve machete attack in New York pleads not guilty
The man who allegedly attacked New York police officers with a machete on New Year's Eve pleaded not guilty to state charges in court Wednesday.Trevor Bickford, 19, appeared in a Manhattan courtroom wearing a tan uniform with his wrists and ankles shackled.He spoke only to enter his plea.Bickford was indicted January 6 on 18 counts, nine of which included charges of first-degree attempted murder, assault, aggravated assault on a police officer, attempted aggravated assault on a police officer and attempted assault in furtherance of an act or as a crime of terrorism, according to the indictment.
Police Charge Man in Theft of Rare Monkeys From Dallas Zoo
DALLAS The Dallas police said on Friday that they had arrested a 24-year-old man in connection with the theft of two emperor tamarin monkeys from the Dallas Zoo.The theft was one of a series of bizarre incursions that unnerved the zoo and attracted international attention.The police identified the man as Davion Irvin and said that he was spotted on Thursday near the animal exhibits at the Dallas aquarium, about three miles north of the zoo.
Person detained after jumping fence of Chicago FBI office and throwing rocks
A person accused of jumping the fence and throwing rocks at the FBI field office in Chicago has been taken to a hospital for evaluation, a spokesperson for the Homeland Security agency that protects federal buildings told CNN Thursday.
Former KNBC investigative news producer busted in child porn sting
A former investigative news producer at KNBC in Los Angeles was arrested on suspicion of allegedly distributing more than 100 child porn images and videos, according to the FBI.Phil Drechsler, 60, accessed and shared child pornography in a group chat with more than 20 other people on the secure messaging app Telegram, an FBI agent wrote in a criminal complaint against the ex-L.A. news producer.
Eastside Wilmas armed gang members with ghost guns in L.A. Harbor area, authorities say
Federal agents and Los Angeles police detectives uncovered a supply line of custom-made, untraceable ghost guns being built to arm gang members on the streets of Wilmington, authorities said Monday.LAPD Deputy Chief Gerald Woodyard said LAPD narcotics detectives working with the Long Beach-based Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents recovered 82 firearms, including 42 ghost guns used by the Eastside Wilmas gang, along with 19 pounds of methamphetamine, 5½ pounds of cocaine and 3 kilograms of fentanyl.
Caregiver accused in Manhattan Beach child sexual abuse case believed to be in Philippines
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released photos Wednesday of a man who fled the United States for the Philippines in 2015 after two children accused the caregiver of molesting them at their home in Manhattan Beach.Federal prosecutors are hoping the public will help them find Edgardo Feralin Dormido Jr., 48, who was charged with five counts related to the alleged child molestation in Los Angeles County Supreme Court in October 2015 - three months after two 9-year-old girls told their mother that Dormido had inappropriately touched them on numerous occasions over the course of more than a year, according to prosecutors.
Suspect had an 'extensive history and feud' with family gunned down in Goshen
One of the men accused of gunning down six members of a Central California family had been embroiled in an "extensive history and feud" with the family and once shot at one of them, according to police records obtained by The Times.Shortly before 10 p.m. on Aug. 6, 2014, Tulare County sheriff's deputies responded to a shooting at the Wooden Shoe RV Park in Goshen.
Escorts, kickbacks and a Tesla: New details in scandal and fraud at Tom Girardi's law firm
A filing in federal court in Maryland on Wednesday offered new details about how Tom Girardi's chief financial officer conducted what prosecutors have called a "side fraud" inside the massive corruption at the legal titan's Los Angeles-based firm.In an affidavit justifying the arrest of Christopher Kamon on a wire fraud charge, an FBI agent wrote that the former Girardi Keese CFO duped his boss out of millions of dollars by persuading Girardi's secretary that the firm's operating account was running low.
Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night's highlights that lets you sleep and lets us get paid to watch comedy.Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.Donald Trump held a rally in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, near the site where dozens of members of a religious cult died by fire as federal agents besieged their compound 30 years ago.
Arizona executions are on hold until a review ordered by the governor is completed
Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs speaks at her state of the state address in Phoenix on Jan. 9, 2023.Ross D. Franklin/AP PHOENIX Arizona's attorney general has put a hold on executions in the state until the completion of a review of death penalty protocols ordered by the new governor due to the state's history of mismanaging executions.
Supreme Court decision limits excessive force lawsuits against Border Patrol agents
NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks with SCOTUSblog contributing writer Howard Wasserman about a Supreme Court decision which weakens the ability to sue Border Patrol and federal agents over excessive force.
We are one day into the MLB Winter Meetings, and a ton has happened already.Justin Verlander will be heading to New York to become a Met, and Trea Turner is heading to Philadephia to join his buddy, Bryce Harper.Many talks are happening, and we aren't even close to the madness that will be upon us.While your Dodgers and president of baseball operations, Andrew Freidman, are cooking something up down in San Diego, a former dodger decided to take the trip down south to the Winter Meetings.
Good Afternoon, News: "Phase 2" of Charter Reform, Mayor Wheeler's Missing Texts, and the Trouble with Codifying Abortion Rights
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day-but your help is essential.If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us.Thanks for your support!GOOD AFTERNOON, PORTLAND!Hey, lookit this weather!
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba The United States has released the U.S. military's oldest prisoner of the war on terror, a 75-year-old businessman who was held for nearly two decades as a suspected sympathizer of Al Qaeda but was never charged with a crime.The man, Saifullah Paracha, a former legal resident of New York, was one of Guantanamo's most unusual and better known forever prisoners.
Official: 6 of 43 missing Mexican students given to army
A bicyclist pedals past a monument dedicated to the 2014 disappearances of 43 students from a Guerrero state radical teacher college, in Mexico City, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022.
Six of 43 missing Mexican students were kept alive in warehouse for days
Six of the 43 Mexican students forcibly disappeared in 2014 were allegedly kept alive in a warehouse for days, and then turned over to the commander of the local army base who ordered their killings, the Mexican government official leading the Truth Commission said Friday.
Feds oppose unsealing affidavit for Mar-a-Lago warrant
In the court filing, the government argues making the affidavit public would "cause significant and irreparable damage to this ongoing criminal investigation."
Feds oppose unsealing affidavit for Mar-a-Lago warrant
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department on Monday rebuffed efforts to make public the affidavit supporting the search warrant for former President Donald Trump's estate in Florida, saying the investigation "implicates highly classified material" and the document contains sensitive information about witnesses.
US Justice Department opposes unsealing document for Mar-a-Lago warrant
The US Justice Department has rebuffed efforts to make public the affidavit supporting the search warrant for former president Donald Trump's estate in Florida.
EFF and ACLU File Amicus Brief Objecting to Warrantless, Suspicionless Electronic Device Searches at the Border
In the past couple of decades, EFF has argued that when it comes to suspicionless and warrantless searches at the border, electronic devices like cell phones are not the same as a piece of luggage.
First Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Eight Months of Warrantless 24/7 Video Surveillance
A federal appellate court in Massachusetts has issued a ruling that effectively allows federal agents in Puerto Rico and most of New England to secretly watch and videorecord all activity in front of anyone's home 24 hours a day, for as long as they want-and all without a warrant.
Federal Agents Seized Phone of John Eastman, Key Figure in Jan. 6 Plan
Federal agents armed with a search warrant have seized the phone of John Eastman, a lawyer who advised former President Donald J. Trump on a key element of the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election, according to a court filing by Mr. Eastman on Monday.
Former Adelanto councilman found guilty of taking $10,000 bribe in undercover FBI operation
A former councilman from the city of Adelanto has been convicted of taking a $10,000 bribe to help a cannabis business open and hiring someone to burn down his restaurant for an insurance payout.
Mass. Jewish leaders, politicians, condemn new pro-Palestine site 'The Mapping Project'
A new website claiming to show the ties between various Massachusetts institutions and "support for the colonization of Palestine" has elicited strong condemnations from local politicians and Jewish leaders.
Proposal calls for ComEd to pay $38 million back to ratepayers for scandal tied to Michael Madigan indictment
Commonwealth Edison electricity customers would get more than $38 million in refunds tied to the federal bribery scandal that led to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's indictment, under a proposal being considered by state regulators.