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The FBI Groomed a 16-Year-Old With “Brain Development Issues” to Become a Terrorist

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:41:54 GMT

Last week, the Department of Justice announced the arrest of a teenager in Massachusetts on allegations of providing financial support to the Islamic State group.A flurry of reports picked up on the arrest of Mateo Ventura, an 18-year-old resident of the sleepy town of Wakefield, echoing government claims that an international terrorist financier and ISIS supporter had just been busted in the United States. The Department of Justice’s own press release on the case likewise trumpeted Ventura’s arrest for “knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources that he intended to go to a foreign terrorist organization.”The only “terrorist” he is accused of ever being in contact with was an undercover FBI agent who befriended him online as a 16-year-old.The only problem with the case and how it has been described, however, is that according to the government’s own criminal complaint, Ventura had never actually funded any terrorist group. The only “terrorist” he is accused of ...

Confidence in science fell in 2022 while political divides persisted, poll shows

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:41:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Confidence in the scientific community declined among U.S. adults in 2022, a major survey shows, driven by a a partisan divide in views of both science and medicine that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, 39% of U.S. adults said they had “a great deal of confidence” in the scientific community, down from 48% in 2018 and 2021. That’s according to the General Social Survey, a long-running poll conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago that has monitored Americans’ opinions on key topics since 1972.An additional 48% of adults in the latest survey reported “only some” confidence, while 13% reported “hardly any,” according to an analysis of the survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.The survey showed low confidence levels among Republicans as partisan gaps that emerged during the pandemic era have stuck around, said Jennifer Benz, the center’s deputy director.“It doesn’t look all that dramatic when you just look...

FIFA says Vinícius Júnior will help tackle racism in revived task force

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:41:54 GMT

ZURICH (AP) — Brazil and Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior has agreed to join a new task force to tackle racism in soccer, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Thursday.Vinícius has been the subject of sustained racist abuse by fans in Spanish stadiums throughout the season, with little done by referees or soccer bodies to protect him.That must stop, Infantino said in an Instagram post after he met the player at a Brazil training camp in Spain.“There is no football if there is racism! So let’s stop the games,” Infantino wrote.“We will also strengthen the engagement with players on this crucial topic so I am glad Vinicius accepted to be part of a task force which will include other important players and will elaborate concrete and efficient measures to end racism in football once and for all.”FIFA created an anti-racism task force in 2013 after a notorious incident of abuse suffered in Italy by AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, who is Black.Boateng worked with the task force w...

Taylor Fritz starts grass-court season with win over Karatsev in Stuttgart

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:41:54 GMT

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Taylor Fritz held serve throughout as he started his grass-court season by beating Aslan Karatsev 7-6 (4), 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of the Stuttgart Open on Thursday.Fritz had to save set point at 5-4 down in the first set, which later went to a tiebreak where Fritz raced into a 5-2 lead before sealing the set. Fritz broke Karatsev for the first time at 3-2 in the second set to put himself on course for the win.Fritz, the highest-ranked American on the men’s tour at No. 8, said he was “really happy” with the win and pleased with his serving and returning on grass. Last year was Fritz’s most successful season on the surface, where he won Eastbourne for the second time and reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon.Fritz is seeded second and had a bye in the first round in Stuttgart. He goes on to meet Marton Fucsovics in the quarterfinals after the Hungarian won against Wu Yibing 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.Top-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on the experien...

Nearly half of Americans feel wealthy — but it doesn’t necessarily have to do with money

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:41:54 GMT

Feeling rich? According to a new survey, what it means to be “wealthy” varies significantly.When asked how much money it takes in order to be considered “wealthy,” respondents to financial services firm Charles Schwab’s Modern Wealth Survey said it takes an average net worth of $2.2 million.But nearly half of respondents (48%) said they already feel wealthy — and their average net worth is just $560,000.The “wealth paradox” comes as many respondents said they don’t associate wealth solely with monetary possessions.Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents (62%) said being able to enjoy healthy relationships with their loved ones better describes wealth than having a lot of money. Seven in 10 said wealth is more about not having to stress over money than having more of it, according to the survey.When asked to characterize what it means to be wealthy in their own words, survey respondents mentioned their wellbeing (40%) more often than money (3...

Nats’ manager Martinez uses photo evidence to demand baseline rule fix

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:41:54 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez is demanding that Major League Baseball change its basepath rule after catcher Keibert Ruiz’s ninth-inning throw hit runner Jake Meyers, resulting in a throwing error that gave the Houston Astros a 5-4 win Wednesday night.Martinez printed out a photo of Meyers running on the grass inside the first-base line after hitting a grounder and brought it to his postgame press conference.“There it is right there,” Martinez said. “Take a look at it. Is that on the line? I don’t think so. I’m over this play. Seriously. They need to fix the rule. If this is what the umpire sees that he’s running down the line, I’m tired of it. I’m tired of it. Fix it. We lost the game, and he had nothing to say about it because he can’t make the right call. Brutal.”Martinez was ejected from Game 6 of the 2019 World Series in Houston for arguing after the Nationals’ Trea Turner was called out on a similar play.MLB rules state that “when runnin...

Seguro por desempleo en Argentina: requisitos y cómo solicitarlo

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:41:54 GMT

(CNN Español) – – En Argentina, existe una prestación o seguro por desempleo para trabajadores en relación de dependencia que son despedidos “sin justa causa, por finalización de contrato o por causas externas, comprendidos en la Ley de Contrato de Trabajo N° 24.013”, según indica la Administración Nacional de Seguridad Social (Anses).¿Cuáles son los requisitos para cobrar el seguro por desempleo en Argentina?Anses indica que los requisitos para trabajadores permanentes son “tener al menos 6 meses de trabajo con aportes en los últimos 3 años anteriores al despido o finalización del contrato”. En el caso de aquellos trabajadores eventuales o de temporada, los requisitos son “haber trabajado menos de 12 meses en los últimos 3 años y más de 90 días en el último año, antes de la finalización del trabajo”.La documentación que Anses exige para la realización del trámite es la siguiente:DNI (original y copia).Documentación que compruebe el desempleo (original y copia), según el...

Did Nikola Jokic really lose his MVP trophy?

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:41:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — After winning their first NBA championship in franchise history, the Denver Nuggets and the Mile High City have been buzzing with excitement. However, Nikola Jokic has made national headlines for his humbleness, desire to return to Serbia and overall calmness. In a recent interview, he even admitted to misplacing his MVP trophy.Jokic sat down with ESPN's Malika Andrews on Wednesday to discuss the historic win. One part of the interview that stuck out was when Andrews asked Jokic why he didn't bring his Bill Russell trophy after being awarded MVP. Live updates: Nuggets championship parade day in Denver "I've got to tell you, I've done a couple of these finals MVP interviews, you're the first one to come in without the trophy. Where is it?" asked Andrews.Jokic responded, "I really don't know, I left it in the [equipment manager's] room and it's not there anymore. So, I don't know. But hopefully, it's going to arrive in my house."However, Andrews put all the Denver N...

Hot summer ahead: Weather predictions heat up for Colorado

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:41:54 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – An already sweltering summer forecast just got even steamier. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a new long-range weather outlook Thursday that favors above-average temperatures for basically the entire United States. Between July and September, all but a few states have between a 33% and 70% chance of a hotter-than-normal summer. The highest chance for heat is in Arizona — which is already hot on even a normal summer day. The average high in Phoenix in July is 106 degrees. El Niño could mean the hottest year on record, meteorologists warn The entire East Coast, from Maine down to Florida, the Gulf Coast, the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest is "likely" to see an above-normal summer, according to the forecast. NOAA gives about half of U.S. states a 50% to 60% chance of extra-hot weather over the next three months. Things are a bit better in California and the Midwest, but those regions are also still more likely to see a hot summer t...

Bear spotted at Tampa airport safely captured and relocated

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:41:54 GMT

A mischievous Florida black bear was safely captured thanks to the combined efforts of Tampa International Airport staff and law enforcement.The incident unfolded Wednesday morning when a TSA employee spotted the bear walking along the airport perimeter fence near Hillsborough Avenue Tuesday afternoon, TPA said in a news release. Promptly alerting the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, the employee set the wheels in motion for a coordinated response.The airport, working alongside the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, wasted no time in establishing a trap and perimeter around a dense area of vegetation at the north end of the campus to contain the bear. Throughout the night, members of TPA Operations, Airport Police, Wildlife Management, Traffic, Tampa Police, Tampa Fire Rescue, and the FWC maintained constant surveillance of the area. Using infrared helicopter cameras, Tampa Police confirmed that the bear had taken shelter within the perimeter overnight.On Wedn...