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Israeli Spyware Firm NSO Demands “Urgent” Meeting With Blinken Amid Gaza War Lobbying Effort

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:34:44 GMT

On November 7, NSO Group, the Israeli spyware company infamous for its Pegasus phone-tapping technology, sent an urgent email and letter by UPS to request a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and officials at the U.S. State Department. “I am writing on behalf of NSO Group to urgently request an opportunity to engage with Secretary Blinken and the officials at the State Department regarding the importance of cyber intelligence technology in the wake of the grave security threats posed by the recent Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel and their aftermath,” wrote Timothy Dickinson, partner at the Los Angeles-based law firm Paul Hastings, headquartered in Los Angeles, on behalf of NSO. In the last two years NSO’s reputation has taken a beating amid revelations about its spyware’s role in human rights abuses. As controversy was erupting over its role in authoritarian governments’ spying, NSO Group was blacklisted by the U.S. Department of Commerce in Novemb...

New Yorkers Voted to Put Environmental Rights in Their Constitution — but the Attorney General Is Fighting Back

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:34:44 GMT

COHOES, N.Y. — In a small city in upstate New York, just a few miles from Albany, the Norlite hazardous waste incinerator sputters and groans. The sound punctures the eerie silence of a deserted public housing complex next door, separated from the plant by only a fence and some railroad tracks. No children play on the jungle gym here anymore, and no families bustle in and out of front doors. Last year, after mounting concern from the community over Norlite’s air emissions, the Cohoes Housing Authority began relocating all residents of the 70-unit Saratoga Sites complex. The city now plans to raze the homes. For more than 30 years, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, or DEC, has attempted to force Norlite to comply with state environmental laws, issuing the plant hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties. But even dozens of violations dating back to the 1990s have failed to stop Norlite from polluting. Last year, when New York Attorney General Letitia...

Spain’s acting prime minister signs new deals that secure him parliamentary support to be reelected

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:34:44 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s Socialist party on Friday wrapped up deals with a bunch of small parties to ensure acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has enough parliamentary support to be reelected, possibly next week.The accords follow weeks of intense negotiations and highlighted the Socialists’ ability to reach agreements with parties across the country despite having finished second place in July 23 elections with only 121 parliamentary seats in the 350-seat Parliament. Sánchez and the Socialists on Friday signed agreements with the Basque Nationalist Party and a Canary Island coalition that mean that Sánchez should be able to count on the support of 179 legislators, three more than the 176 majority required in Parliament to be chosen as the next prime minister. Sánchez has been in office since 2018.The president of the parliament is expected to set a date for an investiture debate and vote within the next few days.Probably the biggest and potentially most damaging deal was ...

The Great Grift: COVID-19 aid thieves bought fancy cars, a Pokemon card – even a private island

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:34:44 GMT

YANKEETOWN, Fla. (AP) — A freshwater spring bubbles amid the mangroves, cabbage palms and red cedars on Sweetheart Island, a two-acre uninhabited patch of paradise about a mile off the coast of this little Gulf Coast town.Pelicans divebomb nearby into the cool waters of Florida’s Withlacoochee Bay and the open view westward holds the promise of dazzling sunsets.It may have seemed like an ideal getaway for Florida businessman Patrick Parker Walsh. Instead, he’s serving five and half years in federal prison for stealing nearly $8 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds that he used, in part, to buy Sweetheart Island.While Walsh’s private island ranks among the more unusual purchases by pandemic fraudsters, his crime was not unique. He is one of thousands of thieves who perpetrated the greatest grift in U.S. history. They potentially plundered more than $280 billion in federal COVID-19 aid; another $123 billion was wasted or misspent.The loss represents close to 10% of the $4.3 ...

La familia de Luis Díaz está aliviada y agradecida por la liberación de su padre, le dice un primo a CNN

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:34:44 GMT

(CNN) — El primo de la estrella del Liverpool, Luis Díaz, dijo a CNN el viernes que su familia está aliviada y “realmente agradecida por todo el apoyo de toda la nación”, luego de la liberación del padre de Díaz por parte del Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) el jueves.Díaz padre fue secuestrado por guerrilleros del ELN el 28 de octubre en su ciudad natal de Barrancas, al noreste de Colombia, y fue entregado a una comisión mixta de personal de la ONU y sacerdotes católicos el jueves en la cercana ciudad de Valledupar. Unas horas más tarde fue recibido por sus familiares y amigos en su casa de Barrancas.El primo de Luis Díaz, José Brito Díaz, habló con CNN por teléfono desde Barrancas y dijo que era un momento de celebración para toda la familia y el pueblo en general.“Por supuesto, estamos muy agradecidos por todo el apoyo de toda la nación y de toda la gente de Barrancas. Damos gracias a Dios por venir a rescatarnos: en el momento más necesario, Dios respondió”, dijo Brit...

Cofundador de Apple regresa a EEUU tras sufrir derrame cerebral en México

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:34:44 GMT

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO – El cofundador de Apple, Steve Wozniak asegura que sufrió una apoplejía leve mientras asistía a un encuentro de empresarios en Ciudad de México.Wozniak envió un mensaje de texto a ABC News la noche del jueves en el que explicó que sintió mareos la mañana del miércoles y poco después sufrió de vértigo, antes de dirigirse a un hospital en donde se le practicó una resonancia magnética que reveló un “episodio cerebrovascular leve pero real”.Wozniak, de 73 años, tenía previsto intervenir el miércoles en un encuentro del World Business Forum (WOBI) que se realizó en la Ciudad de México entre el 7 y 8 de noviembre, al que acudieron cientos de líderes empresariales. Entre los oradores anunciados estaban Carly Fiorina, exconsejera delegada de Hewlett-Packard, y Muhammad Yunus, pionero de las microfinanzas galardonado con el Premio Nobel de la Paz. Hospitalizan en México a Steve Wozniak, cofundador de Apple Por qué se sobrecali...

Villarreal parts ways with 2nd coach of season after Pacheta exit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:34:44 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Villarreal parted ways with its second coach of the season by announcing the departure of José “Pacheta” Rojo on Friday.Villarreal only managed five wins in 12 games across all competitions since Pacheta took over. He replaced Quique Setién in September after the club lost three of its first four games to start the season.Villarreal is 13th in the 20-team Spanish league after winning three games. It finished fifth last season under Setién and reached the Champions League semifinals in 2022 under Unai Emery.It has underperformed this season despite having a talented attacking squad featuring striker Gerard Moreno, forward Yéremy Pino and midfielder Álex Baena — all occasional Spain players — along with Argentina right back Juan Foyth.The club said that sports director Miguel Ángel Tena would serve as caretaker coach for Sunday’s game at Atletico Madrid.Pacheta’s exit came a day after his team struggled to beat Maccabi Haifa 2-1 in the Europa League.After the game, Pache...

Ransomware attack on China’s biggest bank disrupts Treasury market trades

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:34:44 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. Treasury says it is aware of a cybersecurity attack at China’s biggest bank that reportedly disrupted trading in the U.S. Treasury market and is in contact with financial regulators. A Treasury spokesperson said Friday that the department is monitoring the situation.Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Financial Services handles trades and other services for financial institutions. A statement on its website seen Friday said the ransomware attack this week disrupted some of its systems but that it had disconnected parts of the affected systems to limit the impact from the attack. The company, which is based in New York, said it was investigating and had reported the problem to law enforcement.All Treasury trades executed Wednesday and repo financing trades on Thursday were cleared, it said. It said ICBC’s banking, email and other systems were not affected. A representative from the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association said it had no ...

¿Cuánto deberás pagar en impuestos en 2024? El IRS ajusta los rangos

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:34:44 GMT

El IRS anunció el jueves los nuevos rangos del impuesto federal sobre la renta y deducciones estándar para 2024, los cuales se ajustan junto con la tasa de inflación, lo que significa que la cantidad de impuestos que se paga por los ingresos cambia gradualmente.La agencia ha aumentado los umbrales de ingresos para cada rango, aplicándose al año fiscal 2024 para las declaraciones presentadas en 2025. Para 2024, la tasa máxima del 37 % se aplica a personas con ingresos imponibles superiores a $609,350 y parejas casadas que presentan una declaración conjunta y ganan $731,200.Según el sistema tributario de EEUU, hay siete escalas que oscilan entre el 12 % y el 37 %. IRS ofrece nueva opción para presentar tus impuestos si vives en estos estados CNBC: El IRS usa así la inteligencia artificial para recaudar más impuestos Esto significa que quienes tienen niveles de ingresos más bajos pagan tasas más bajas que quienes tienen ingresos más...

2 people wanted in triple shooting near 16th Street Mall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:34:44 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver police are looking for two people who were allegedly involved in a triple shooting near the 16th Street Mall. According to the Denver Police Department, the shooting happened on Oct. 15 at 1:52 a.m. in the Central Business District at 16th Street and Glenarm Place.Police said an altercation took place between a group and three males were shot. All three are expected to survive. Caught on camera: Driver plows through Denver construction site Now, police are looking to identify two people who are believed to have been involved. Denver police want to identify the people pictured. They are wanted in connection to a triple shooting on 16th Street and Glenarm Place. (Metro Denver Crime Stoppers)They were seen driving away in the vehicle pictured. Denver Police said two people allegedly involved in a triple shooting on 16th Street and Glenarm Place fled in this car. (Metro Denver Crime Stoppers) Anyone with information is asked to contact the Metro Denver Crime St...