By Greg Otto December 13, 2024 Baron Martin, a 20-year-old resident of Tucson, Arizona, was arrested Wednesday on charges of producing child sexual abuse material and cyberstalking. His arrest is connected to his involvement in online terror networks, specifically 764 and CVLT, which are known for violent extremist activities. Martin, also known under the alias “Convict,” is charged with significant involvement in these networks since 2021. He allegedly boasted about being a leader within 764 and CVLT and provided guidance on victim extortion. The Department of Justice’s criminal complaint details his use of popular communication platforms to form and execute his plans, notably involving two minors in September 2022 to engage in self-harming acts. U.S. Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen has described the 764 network as a dangerous organization of violent extremists. The network is said to systematically target children, utilizing child sexual abuse material in an agenda aimed at societal collapse and governmental destabilization. Olsen reaffirmed the Justice Department’s commitment to combating such acts of terrorism and dismantling these networks. The unsealed complaint provides a grim overview of the 764 network’s operations. It describes the group’s targeting of underage populations to share extreme and violent media, desensitizing youth to violence and normalizing the dissemination of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The network is noted for its use of cybercriminal tactics and manipulation of societal norms to exploit minors, guided by a broader agenda of societal chaos. If convicted, Martin could face up to 30 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material, alongside a potential 10-year term for the cyberstalking offense. Both charges also include fines and the possibility of lifetime supervised release. CyberScoop reported earlier this month that groups like 764 and the global collective of loosely associated groups known as “ The Com ” are using tools and techniques normally reserved for financially motivated cybercrime tactics — such as SIM swapping, IP grabbing and social engineering — to commit violent crimes. The reports offer insight into the underbelly of the global network, showing how they are using traditional cybercriminal tools to identify, target, groom, extort, and cause physical and psychological harm to victims as young as 10. They were shared with police nationwide and in some cases, with foreign-allied governments. Gary Restaino, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, emphasized in a release the importance of vigilance among parents and children in online environments. He noted that Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative, aims to protect youth from individual and organized threats online.Richards' 17 help Chattanooga beat Bryant 84-76
None-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email CNN panelists weren't happy with the excuses made for ' loss by top campaign staffers this week. A who's who of the Harris campaign stopped by the podcast "Pod Save America" for an episode released on Tuesday that attempted to serve as a post-mortem of the election and an explanation of Harris' stunning loss. Commentator Bakari Sellers and national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny both came away from the talk feeling that Democratic Party strategists had no interest in taking the blame for their own decisions. "It was disappointing at best, hearing their lack of self-awareness, their lack of self-reflection," Sellers said, laying into the staffers for a lack of clear messaging and for covering up flagging numbers . "[They showed an] inability to figure out a way in which you could win this race. Simply providing messaging and saying that we’re up whereby you don’t believe that in your heart of hearts to be true." Zeleny was equally harsh in his critique of the campaign staffers' analysis. "You can’t explain your way out of this loss," he said, before laying into the campaign's lack of clear answers. "This did not answer a lot of the questions. They're right it was a short campaign, but was it a winnable one with Donald Trump as the opponent?" Related Picking through the debris of the 2024 election, Democrats are left soul searching The lack of soul-searching clearly rubbed CNN panelists the wrong way, as the Democratic Party's army of consultants appeared to be running away from their results before the ink dried on their checks. The Harris campaign raised more than a billion dollars and ended the campaign $20 million in debt. One critic called the Harris campaign's focus on paid media a "skim at every level” while speaking to Salon earlier this month. President-elect Donald Trump gloated over how effectively Democratic Party insiders bled the campaign coffers, offering to pay the Harris campaign's outstanding bills on social media. "Whatever we can do to help them during this difficult period, I would strongly recommend we, as a Party and for the sake of desperately needed UNITY, do,” Trump tweeted. “We have a lot of money left over in that our biggest asset in the campaign was 'Earned Media,' and that doesn’t cost very much. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Read more about Harris' campaign No, progressives should not embrace conspiracy theories — it won't win elections How Democratic consultants cashed in on Harris' losing campaign The path forward for progressives is a return to PR basics: Put personality before policy MORE FROM Alex Galbraith Advertisement:
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ALBANY ‒ Sometimes finding the perfect gift for an avid hunter or angler can be difficult. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division has a few suggestions that will allow hunters on any Christmas list to enjoy the outdoor activities they love, regardless of age and experience. The gift of a youth license, a lifetime license or an annual hunting or fishing are all great examples of how to give access to the great outdoors and provide support for Georgia wildlife and state-managed lands. While a lifetime license purchase includes a free durable license card, you can put any annual license on a beautiful “collector’s hard card” (a credit card-sized durable license card) giving you the perfect stocking stuffer or wrap-able gift. The Youth Sportsman’s License for $15 makes a great gift for resident youths under age 16 and offers a gift valued at $70. This license provides both hunting and fishing privileges, and is good through age 17, giving them a full year sportsman’s license once they reach age 16 (when they are required to have a license). With a lifetime license, the Georgia resident hunter or angler on your gift list will never need to purchase another state hunting or fishing license ... ever. From hunting trophy whitetails to casting for lunker largemouth, their cherished recreation in Georgia is covered. Depending upon their recreational activity, they may need additional no-cost licenses or a harvest record. Visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/LifetimeLicense for applications and more details on the privileges available with a lifetime license. Can’t purchase a lifetime license? How about giving an annual or two-year license to that hunter or angler? Even if they already have a current license, if you purchase a same-type license, it will “stack” onto their existing one. The Wildlife Resources Division uses hunting and fishing license sales to fulfill its wildlife mission. The sale of paid licenses is a key measure through which states receive federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration funding, meaning more license sales potentially means more conservation funding. Uses of this funding in Georgia vary from operating public fishing areas to managing the state’s 1 million-strong deer herd. There is now lots of great “Go Outdoors Georgia” merchandise available for your recreational enthusiast as well. From tumblers, to hats, to backpacks and coolers – add some items to your cart with your license purchase. Be sure to order early to get items in time for the holidays. More information on licenses is available at GeorgiaWildlife.com/licenses-permits-passes , and purchase a youth, annual or two-year license at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com as well as a catalog of available merchandise.Freehold Raceway, oldest track in U.S., takes final bets before closing
Woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of rape in 2006 publicly admits she liedGrowth of sports betting may be linked to financial woes, new studies find
NoneThe Liberal candidate in an upcoming federal byelection in B.C. is facing questions from a local Métis community organization about her claims to Indigenous heritage. Madison Fleischer, running in the riding of Cloverdale-Langley City, says she self-identifies as Métis and previously claimed to be Métis on some of her social media profiles. But the Waceya Métis Society — a chartered community of the Métis Nation B.C. located in the riding — said Fleischer was unable to provide any evidence to back up her claims when approached by the organization. "Waceya Métis Society wishes to distance itself from Madison's claims of Métis identity. We ask that Madison take the necessary steps to properly research and verify her Indigenous heritage before making any further public assertions," a statement from the organization said. Boissonnault out of cabinet after shifting claims about Indigenous heritage 45 First Nations denounce group claiming to represent B.C. Métis Boissonnault's former company barred from receiving federal contracts for 90 days When reached for comment, the Liberal Party sent CBC News a statement from Fleischer. CBC News was unable to reach Fleischer directly. "I self-identify as Métis based on what I know about my great grandmother's heritage, and I am currently collecting the necessary documentation to go through the application process to receive Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) citizenship. I have always been vocal about not yet holding MNBC citizenship, and I removed Métis from my social media bios to ensure there was no confusion in my identification," the statement said. Beyond her social media profiles, Fleischer was identified as a "non-status Métis with Ukrainian ancestry" in a media statement posted online when she received a community service award from a local organization . Fleischer also was named one of Surrey B.C.'s "Top 25 under 25" by the Surrey Board of Trade. The board identified Fleischer as having "mixed Indigenous and Ukrainian heritage" in its listing . The Liberal Party linked to both awards in Fleischer's online biography. But the party itself didn't identify Fleischer as Métis or Indigenous in the bio or in the press release that announced her as the candidate for the byelection. Candidate was 'dismissive,' organization says Callum Robinson, vice president of the Waceya Métis Society, said the organization reached out to Fleischer after a local news article about the byelection identified her as Métis. Robinson described Fleischer as "dismissive" when he met with her. "She was not open to questions. She was clearly not up to date with Métis protocol and culture," he told CBC News. Robinson said Fleischer accused him of "nitpicking" at one point during the meeting when he asked her about her family and which Métis community she is tied to. "I wasn't asking for a family tree ... just something that says, 'Hey, I'm starting my journey and I'm just doing my research, my due diligence,'" he told CBC News. When asked what sort of response he would like to hear from Fleischer and the Liberals, Robinson said the candidate should "tell the truth that she doesn't know [if] she has Métis ancestry." "This is just a bad PR move in general, having her still run. So I think truth would be a good start," he said. The concerns about Fleischer emerged after Alberta MP Randy Boissonnault resigned from the federal Liberal cabinet after facing criticism over shifting claims about his Indigenous ancestry .
Coming off what was likely a week's worth of intense practices, No. 10 Kansas returns home for a matchup with North Carolina State on Saturday afternoon in Lawrence, Kan. The Jayhawks (7-2) lost back-to-back games versus unranked opponents, the first time in school history that they have done that while ranked No. 1. Now they have to regroup to face the Wolfpack (7-3). Kansas lost its first two games of the season emphatically: 76-63 at Creighton on Dec. 4 and 76-67 at Missouri last Sunday. Coach Bill Self, who has only lost three straight games four times in his 21-year career at Kansas, was pretty succinct about his team's play following the loss to Missouri. "I think it was probably a combination of them being good and us not being good," he said. "I don't know that I could give them 100 percent credit, but that's what happens in sports. When the other team is doing things to hurt you, and you don't attack it well, they guard you the same way. "A lot of times you just roll it straight because of just not being as prepared or ready. I think it was a combination of both. I would err on the side of giving them more credit, because if I just say we sucked, that would take credit from them. We did suck, but it was in large part them." The Jayhawks still have a balanced and experienced attack, led by seniors Hunter Dickinson (15.0 points per game), Zeke Mayo (10.9), Dajuan Harris Jr. (10.7) and KJ Adams Jr. (9.8). Their biggest problem against Missouri was the 22 turnovers. "It's been a crap week for all of us," Self said on his weekly radio show Tuesday. "But hopefully we get an opportunity to bounce back. "I'm not going to make any excuses. If you don't perform the way we didn't perform, there certainly can be some valuable things to learn from that hopefully will give us a chance to win the war and not just the battle." NC State has won back-to-back games, including the ACC opener against Florida State on Dec. 7. In their last game, the Wolfpack handled Coppin State 66-56 on Tuesday. That's not to say NC State coach Kevin Keatts was impressed. "I thought we did a terrible job at the end of shot clocks when they were going to take a bunch of bad shots but we fouled them," Keatts said. "That being said, you can learn a lot from a win instead of a loss. "We compete hard every day, and our energy is always high. With this group, I'm trying to get everyone to be consistent." The Wolfpack has a trio of double-digit scorers, led by Marcus Hill (13.0 ppg). Jayden Taylor adds 12.5 and Dontrez Styles chips in 10.6. Ben Middlebrooks (9.2) and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (8.7) round out the top five. Huntley-Hatfield (5.6 rebounds per game) and Styles (4.6) also lead a balanced rebounding attack. The Jayhawks have won 12 straight games in the series with North Carolina State. --Field Level Media
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( MENAFN - IANS) Mumbai, Dec 9 (IANS) actress Fatima Sana Shaikh revealed that actor R. Madhavan really made her happy by feeding her“paani puris”. Fatima took to her Instagram stories, where she shared a glimpse of her and her team enjoying a satiating plate of pani puris. Thanking Madhavan for the yummy delight, which is a common street food in India, Fatima captioned the post:“Thanks @actormaddy paanu puri khila ke dil khush kar diya.” Madhavan and Fatima will reportedly be seen together in in an age-defying love story, directed by Vivek Soni. The rest of the details have been kept under wraps. It is believed to be a quirky story involving an elderly man and a younger woman falling in love with each other. In other news, Fatima shared a picture of herself to give her“social media attendance”, last week. She shared a picture of herself holding a DSLR camera in what seems to be like a mirror selfie. The actress is flaunting a no make-up look and her hair is done up with beach curls. “A photo just to give my social media attendance,” she shared as the caption. Additionally, she has 'Metro In Dino', directed by Anurag Basu, co-starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Sara Ali Khan. It is the spiritual sequel to Basu's previous critically acclaimed hit film Life in a... Metro, which was released in 2007. The film is an anthology of 4 different heartwarming stories of contemporary couples. The film draws its title from the popular song "In Dino" from Life in a... Metro. She also has 'Ul Jalool 'Ishq, featuring Naseeruddin Shah and Vijay Varma. Fatima will also appear alongside Akshay Kumar in the biopic of C. Shankaran Nair. Fatima Sana began her career as a child artist in films 'Chachi 420' and 'One 2 Ka 4'. She rose to fame with her performance in Nitesh Tiwari's biographical sports film 'Dangal', which also starred Aamir Khan and Sanya Malhotra. MENAFN08122024000231011071ID1108969391 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
The commodities sector traded softer during the first week of December—a month that traditionally sees activity slow to a halt ahead of the holiday season and year-end. During this period, traders and investors typically focus on defending hard-earned gains while minimising losses, potentially leaving markets directionless as they prepare for 2025—a year expected to bring both significant risks and opportunities. The Bloomberg Commodity Total Return Index, which tracks a basket of 24 major futures markets spanning energy, metals, and agricultural commodities, slipped by 0.7% during the week, reducing its year-to-date return to 3.6%. Gains across the industrial metal, grains and soft sectors being offset by a near 4% setback in energy, courtesy of a near 10% slump in natural gas and distillate (diesel) weakness. On an individual level the top performing commodities were cocoa, wheat, copper and silver, while the weakness as mentioned was being led by natural gas, diesel, platinum and gold. Weekly performance table The main event of the week in commodities was the OPEC+ meeting, and following two postponements, the group delayed further to mitigate the risk of price weakness amid the release of currently unwanted barrels. This decision was underpinned by concerns about robust production from non-OPEC+ producers next year, potentially leading to a major crude surplus and, from OPEC’s perspective, undesirable price weakness. In the short term, the combination of US tariff threats, elevated OPEC spare capacity and rising production elsewhere—not least in the US, where output has reached a record 13.5 million barrels per day—has reduced the likelihood of an upside price movement. Nonetheless, some upside risks remain. These include the Trump administration potentially adding fresh sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, as well as geopolitical risks stemming from the Russia–Ukraine war and the Middle East conflict. A proposal by Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent to increase US production by 3 million barrels of oil equivalent through 2028 will likely centre on increased natural gas and natural gas liquids production. With WTI trading below USD 70, however, incentives for further production increases remain constrained. Brent and WTI crude oil futures have traded sideways over the past two years as OPEC successfully managed to reduce volatility while supporting prices during a period of softening demand in China. Brent support, as indicated in the chart, is found near USD 70 per barrel, followed by USD 65 per barrel, while the downtrend from 2022 currently provides resistance near USD 80 per barrel. Brent Crude – Source: Saxo The industrial metals sector was heading for its third consecutive weekly gain as it continued to claw back losses resulting from proposed US tariffs on imports, particularly from China—a move that could disrupt global trade and reduce demand for industrial metals. Copper, which dropped over 5% last month due to additional pressure from concerns about a potential slowdown in the energy transition, witnessed its best week since September. It moved solidly higher and away from recently challenged key support levels. Prices were supported by a continued decline in exchange-monitored warehouse stocks to a May low, particularly in China, and by investor optimism about measures to bolster China’s flagging economy being approved at a key meeting in Beijing next week. Despite the mentioned challenges next year, the global shift toward electrification continues, particularly in China, where the EV and hybrid boom increasingly signals a sooner-than-expected slowdown in demand for traditional fuels. In the US, the surge in power demand from data centres and AI technologies is reshaping the energy landscape. After two decades of flat electricity demand, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects consistent annual increases through 2050, driven largely by these energy-intensive industries. This growth is expected to boost not only natural gas demand but also the need for industrial metals like copper, which is critical for conducting increased electrical loads. High Grade Copper – Source: Saxo High-grade copper, in an uptrend since the 2020 low, approached support last month near USD 4.00 per pound before rebounding on renewed demand from China and the energy transition. For now, and until China provides further support, the price is likely to remain capped below USD 4.35 per pound. Silver’s 55% exposure to industrial uses saw the grey metal enjoy the tailwind from firmer industrial metal prices, leading to an outperformance against rangebound gold—its precious metal peer—which suffered a small weekly loss but remains well supported into 2025. Expectations for persistent global uncertainties are driving demand for gold as a safe-haven asset, supported by lower interest rates and continued central bank demand. While we believe gold will resume its ascent next year toward a fresh record high of around USD 3,000 an ounce, silver appears poised for even better performance due to a sizeable market deficit in 2025, driven by continued demand growth in electronics, particularly photovoltaics. Spot Silver – Source: Saxo Following a relative deep October to November correction, silver buyers returned after support was re-established at USD 29.65, the 0.618 correction of the September to November rally and now a twice rejected level. For now resistance at USD 31.65 has yet to be challenged and broken in order to achieve an even greater comeback. Other commodities performing well included cocoa, which returned to trade USD 10,000 per tonne, having started the year around USD 4,000 per tonne amid the prospect of a multiyear structural supply-demand deficit due to much weaker production in Ivory Coast and Ghana—two producers responsible for more than half the world’s production. Analysts expect the 2024/25 season to yield another deficit at a time when global stocks are already depleted. Meanwhile, Arabica coffee futures resumed their run higher following a sharp correction after prices recently reached but failed to break above the 1977 high at USD 3.3750. Coffee prices remain supported by a tightening supply outlook in Brazil, the world’s top producer of Arabica, and Vietnam, the main producer of the Robusta bean. A recent decline in wheat futures in Chicago and Paris, driven by the prospect of ample supplies, was arrested as the dollar softened and poor winter wheat crop conditions in Russia, combined with excessive rains in Australia—two major suppliers of the grain—lifted hopes for US and European export demand. The agricultural sector has experienced a very mixed year, with strong gains in cocoa, coffee, and orange juice due to the concentration of production in regions negatively impacted by adverse weather, partly offset by losses across key crops amid ample supply following another bumper production year globally. Source: Saxo Bank
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