SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Department of Homeland Security agent who the FBI says conspired with another agent to sell an illicit drug known as “bath salts” pleaded not guilty to a drug distribution conspiracy charge Friday in federal court. A grand jury in Salt Lake City brought the criminal charge against Special Agent David Cole of the Homeland Security Investigations unit earlier this week. The indictment alleges that Cole abused his position as a federal law enforcement agent to obtain and sell drugs for profit. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Cole took drugs that had been seized as evidence, telling colleagues he was using them for legitimate investigations, and instead sold them to a confidential informant who resold the drugs for profit on the streets of Utah, according to the indictment. The informant, who has a lengthy criminal history, had been recruited by federal agents to work for them upon his release from prison. But in addition to conducting controlled buys from suspected drug dealers as directed by investigators, the informant said he was compelled by Cole and another agent to also engage in illegal sales. The investigation began after the informant’s defense attorney contacted the U.S. Attorney in Utah in October to report that agents had required him to engage in potentially illegal acts dating from last spring to early December. Details of drug sales offered by the informant were confirmed through surveillance and other sources, the FBI said. Cole and the second agent — identified in court documents only as “Person A” — profited up to $300,000 from the illegal scheme, according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case. FBI spokesperson Sandra Barker said Friday that “Person A” had not been arrested or charged, but the investigation was ongoing. Cole, 50, of South Jordan, Utah, entered the courtroom Friday handcuffed and hunched over, wearing a white and gray, striped jumpsuit. U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Pead accepted Cole’s not guilty plea and scheduled a trial for the week of Feb. 24. Federal officials say Cole’s indictment sends a message that officers who break the law and undermine the public’s trust in law enforcement will be prosecuted. “A drug dealer who carries a badge is still a drug dealer — and one who has violated an oath to uphold the law and protect the public,” said Nicole Argentieri, head of the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “No one is above the law.” Special Agent Shohini Sinha, who leads the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office, said Cole’s alleged actions helped fuel an already devastating drug crisis . Ingestion of synthetic bath salts, also known as Alpha-PVP or cathinone, can lead to bizarre behavior such as paranoia and extreme strength, according to authorities who say it’s similar to methamphetamine, cocaine or ecstasy. They are unrelated to actual bathing products. Cole’s attorney, Alexander Ramos, has declined to directly address the criminal allegations but said his client has a strong reputation within the federal law enforcement community. Ramos did not immediately respond Friday to emails seeking comment on the not guilty plea. The Homeland Security Investigations department where Cole worked conducts federal criminal investigations into the illegal movement of people, goods, money, weapons, drugs and sensitive technology into, out of and across the U.S. Cole and the second agent had their credentials suspended but have not been fired, according to court documents.Sources close to the situation have indicated that the naturalization process is progressing smoothly and efficiently. The relevant authorities are reportedly conducting thorough evaluations and assessments to determine Oscar's eligibility and suitability for Chinese citizenship. While the final decision is still pending, the overall outlook appears optimistic and favorable for the talented midfielder.
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As the end of the year approaches, some small and medium-sized banks in China are defying the odds by raising deposit interest rates. In a market environment characterized by sluggish economic growth and tight liquidity conditions, these banks are taking a bold stance to attract more funds and strengthen their balance sheets.In a statement released to the press, NVIDIA's CEO emphasized the company's belief in the importance of collaboration and dialogue with regulatory agencies. "We understand the responsibility that comes with being a leader in the technology sector, and we are committed to working hand in hand with regulatory bodies to ensure that our operations are in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations," the CEO said.With a lineup that spans multiple genres and styles, this year's Spring Festival promises to be a cinematic feast for moviegoers. Whether you're a fan of action, fantasy, romance, or comedy, there's something for everyone to enjoy. So grab your popcorn, settle in, and get ready for a moviegoing experience like no other this Spring Festival season.
In the world of basketball, the Denver Nuggets recently made headlines with an impressive offensive display that saw them score a staggering 104 points in just 48 hours. While this may seem like a remarkable achievement on the surface, veteran player Huo Nan has raised concerns about the implications of such a high-scoring output.
Looking At Cisco Systems's Recent Unusual Options Activity
Title: A-Share Market Opens Higher and Approaches 3500 Points on the Back of Major Positive NewsLondon, Dec. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pixalate , the market-leading fraud protection, privacy, and compliance analytics platform for Connected TV (CTV) and mobile advertising, today released the November 2024 United States US Publisher Trust Index (PTI) for apps across the web, Apple App Store and the Google Play Store , and CTV apps across the Roku , Amazon Fire TV , Samsung Smart TV , and Apple TV app stores, bringing unprecedented transparency to the open programmatic advertising ecosystem. Pixalate uses its proprietary algorithms to measure quality metrics, including invalid traffic (IVT or ad fraud), Made For Advertising (MFA) risk, brand safety, ad density, viewability, reach, and more. The Publisher Trust Indexes spans rankings for 235+ countries across all four global regions: North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM, and provides breakdowns by 20+ different IAB taxonomy website categories. Pixalate’s methodology can be found at Publisher Trust Index: Methodology U.S. Website PTI Rankings (November 2024) spotify.com buzzfeed.com quora.com Download the full rankings here . U.S. Mobile PTI Rankings (November 2024) Apple App Store WeatherBug - Weather Forecast Word Cookies ® CBS Sports Fantasy Download the full rankings here . Google Play Store TextNow: Call + Text Unlimited Weather Radar Truecaller Download the full rankings here . U.S. Connected TV PTI Rankings (November 2024) Amazon Fire TV Free Movies Plus FilmRise British TV Download the full rankings here . Apple TV Hulu Frndly TV Download the full rankings here . Samsung Smart TV Western Mania Sling TV Download the full rankings here . Pixalate’s data science team analyzed over 30 billion global open programmatic ad impressions across 12.5 million websites, Google Play Store and Apple App Store mobile apps, and connected TV (CTV) apps across Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Apple TV app stores in November 2024 to compile the global Publisher Trust Indexes. Download the Report U.S. Publisher Trust Index About Pixalate Pixalate is a global platform specializing in privacy compliance, ad fraud prevention, and digital ad supply chain data intelligence. Founded in 2012, Pixalate is trusted by regulators, data researchers, advertisers, publishers, ad tech platforms, and financial analysts across the Connected TV (CTV), mobile app, and website ecosystems. Pixalate is accredited by the MRC for the detection and filtration of Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT). pixalate.com DISCLAIMER The Publisher Trust Index (PTI) reflects Pixalate’s opinions with respect to factors that Pixalate believes may be useful to the digital media industry. Our reports and indexes examine programmatic advertising activity on mobile apps and Connected TV (CTV) apps. Any insights shared are grounded in Pixalate’s proprietary technology and analytics, which Pixalate is continuously evaluating and updating. Any references to outside sources in the Indexes and herein should not be construed as endorsements. Pixalate’s opinions are just that, opinions, which means that they are neither facts nor guarantees. This report is not intended to impugn the standing or reputation of any person, entity or app. Per the MRC , “'Fraud' is not intended to represent fraud as defined in various laws, statutes and ordinances or as conventionally used in U.S. Court or other legal proceedings, but rather a custom definition strictly for advertising measurement purposes. Also per the MRC , “‘Invalid Traffic’ is defined generally as traffic that does not meet certain ad serving quality or completeness criteria, or otherwise does not represent legitimate ad traffic that should be included in measurement counts. Among the reasons why ad traffic may be deemed invalid is it is a result of non-human traffic (spiders, bots, etc.), or activity designed to produce fraudulent traffic.” .Treating Toothache: Prices Vary from 300 to 5000 in Different Institutions with Significant Differences in Treatment Plans Sparking Attention
Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office
Despite the lower price tag, the property is still considered one of the most prestigious in Hong Kong, featuring a grand entrance hall, multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, a home cinema, a swimming pool, and a private gym. The meticulously landscaped grounds offer a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life, making it a rare find in the competitive Hong Kong real estate market.Zhang Chaoyang's perspective challenges the notion that youth is always synonymous with vitality and innovation. He believes that age should not be a determining factor in one's employability, and that older workers have a lot to offer in terms of skills, expertise, and wisdom.George Perez turned a painful life as an ex-con into laughs as a comedy veteran
It’s just like Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield, really. We were all looking forward to seeing them arrive in Montreal... The excitement is there when we talk about the Canadiens’ prospects, because since his selection at No. 5 in the draft, positive comments have been coming from everywhere when he’s in the news. Tony DeAngelo on his SKA teammate Ivan Demidov: “He’s a world class talent.” – /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) During his appearance on the podcast, DeAngelo also stated that he sees Demidov becoming a 30-goal-per-season top-6 winger... In the worst-case scenario. If – – Demidov progresses as DeAngelo predicts, the Canadiens will have one of the best players in the National League on their hands. But that’s what makes the defender’s comments so interesting: he’s around Demidov every day or so, and he’s in the best possible situation to see him progress... And you can’t discount the fact that DeAngelo knows the National League. Obviously, as much as everyone wants DeAngelo to be right, chances are it won’t work out too. And I’m not saying that to denigrate Ivan Demidov’s talent: it can happen to any talented prospect who makes the jump to the NHL. There have been examples in the past, and it’s not to be dismissed. – Interesting. Defender Chris Jandric has been absolutely dominant in the ECHL since getting loaned by the Rocket. 11 points in 9 games, and he looks like Lane Hutson out there, skating circles around everyone. Second in the ECHL for points per game by a defender with at least 9 games played.... – Andrew Zadarnowski (@AZadarski) – Artem Zub is out with a long-term injury. Report: Sens aggressively pursuing defensemen after Zub injury – theScore NHL (@theScoreNHL) – The three NHL stars of the week. Zach Werenski has earned his place on the – RDS (@RDSca)
DJI Flip, an ultra-lightweight drone weighing only 249 grams, has recently made headlines after it was leaked by Amazon before its official release. The DJI Flip is a highly anticipated drone model that promises to revolutionize the way we capture aerial footage and push the boundaries of drone technology.Abortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It's now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans. > Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Here's a look at data on where things stand: Abortions are slightly more common now than before Dobbs Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how woman obtain abortions in the U.S. But one thing it hasn't done is put a dent in the number of abortions being obtained. There have been slightly more monthly abortions across the country recently than there were in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, even as the number in states with bans dropped to near zero. “Abortion bans don’t actually prevent abortions from happening,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health social scientist at the University of California San Francisco. But, she said, they do change care. For women in some states, there are major obstacles to getting abortions — and advocates say that low-income, minority and immigrant women are least likely to be able to get them when they want. For those living in states with bans, the ways to access abortion are through travel or abortion pills. Pills become a bigger part of equation — and the legal questions As the bans swept in, abortion pills became a bigger part of the equation. They were involved in about half the abortions before Dobbs. More recently, it’s been closer to two-thirds of them, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute. The uptick of that kind of abortion, usually involving a combination of two drugs, was underway before the ruling. But now, it's become more common for pill prescriptions to be made by telehealth. By the summer of 2024, about 1 in 10 abortions was via pills prescribed via telehealth to patients in states where abortion is banned. As a result, the pills are now at the center of battles over abortion access. This month, Texas sued a New York doctor for prescribing pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. There's also an effort by Idaho , Kansas and Missouri to roll back their federal approvals and treat them as “controlled dangerous substances,” and a push for the federal government to start enforcing a 19th-century federal law to ban mailing them. Travel for abortion has increased Clinics have closed or halted abortions in states with bans. But a network of efforts to get women seeking abortions to places where they're legal has strengthened and travel for abortion is now common. The Guttmacher Institute found that more than twice as many Texas residents obtained abortion in 2023 in New Mexico as New Mexico residents did. And as many Texans received them in Kansas as Kansans. Abortion funds, which benefitted from “rage giving” in 2022, have helped pay the costs for many abortion-seekers. But some funds have had to cap how much they can give. The abortion map has been in flux Since the downfall of Roe, the actions of lawmakers and courts have kept shifting where abortion is legal and under what conditions. Here's where it stands now: The ban that took effect in Florida this year has been a game-changer Florida , the nation’s third most-populous state, began enforcing a ban on abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy on May 1. That immediately changed the state from one that was a refuge for other Southerners seeking abortion to an exporter of people looking for them. There were about 30% fewer abortions there in May compared with the average for the first three months of the year. And in June, there were 35% fewer. While the ban is not unique, the impact is especially large. The average driving time from Florida to a facility in North Carolina where abortion is available for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is more than nine hours, according to data maintained by Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economics professor. Clinics have opened or expanded in some places The bans have meant clinics closed or stopped offering abortions in some states. But some states where abortion remains legal until viability – generally considered to be sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy, though there’s no fixed time for it – have seen clinics open and expand. Illinois , Kansas and New Mexico are among the states with new clinics. There were 799 publicly identifiable abortion providers in the U.S. in May 2022, the month before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. And by this November, it was 792, according to a tally by Myers, who is collecting data on abortion providers. But Myers says some hospitals that always provided some abortions have begun advertising it. So they’re now in the count of clinics – even though they might provide few of them. Lack of access to abortions during emergencies is threatening some patients' lives How hospitals handle pregnancy complications, especially those that threaten the lives of the women, has emerged as a major issue since Roe was overturned. President Joe Biden's administration says hospitals must offer abortions when they're needed to prevent organ loss, hemorrhage or deadly infections, even in states with bans. Texas is challenging the administration’s policy and the U.S. Supreme Court this year declined to take it up after the Biden administration sued Idaho. More than 100 pregnant women seeking help in emergency rooms and were turned away or left unstable since 2022, The Associated Press found in an analysis of federal hospital investigative records. Among the complaints were a woman who miscarried in the lobby restroom of Texas emergency room after staff refused to see her and a woman who gave birth in a car after a North Carolina hospital couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died. “It is increasingly less safe to be pregnant and seeking emergency care in an emergency department,” Dara Kass, an emergency medicine doctor and former U.S. Health and Human Services official told the AP earlier this year. Abortion rights are popular with voters Since Roe was overturned, there have been 18 reproductive rights-related statewide ballot questions. Abortion rights advocates have prevailed on 14 of them and lost on four. In the 2024 election, they amended the constitutions in five states to add the right to abortion. Such measures failed in three states: In Florida, where it required 60% support; in Nebraska , which had competing abortion ballot measures; and in South Dakota , where most national abortion rights groups did support the measure. AP VoteCast data found that more than three-fifths of voters in 2024 supported abortion being legal in all or most cases – a slight uptick from 2020. The support came even as voters supported Republicans to control the White House and both houses of Congress. ___ Associated Press writers Linley Sanders, Amanda Seitz and Laura Ungar contributed to this article.
NFL and NBA warn players after home break-ins: Organized groups are targeting pro athletes
TORONTO (AP) — The Utah Hockey Club said players were forced to walk to their game against the Maple Leafs after their bus got stuck in Toronto traffic Sunday night. The team posted a video on social media of team members walking to Scotiabank Arena, with player Maveric Lamoureux saying the bus was “not moving at all.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Trump announces Pam Bondi as next attorney general pick
In conclusion, the future of e-commerce lies in embracing advanced analytics as a strategic tool for growth and competitive advantage. By harnessing the power of big data analytics, businesses can unlock hidden opportunities, drive innovation, and propel their businesses forward in the digital age. As the e-commerce landscape continues to evolve and become increasingly competitive, those who leverage advanced analytics will be better positioned to thrive and flourish in the ever-changing market.UEFA Champions League Preview: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Inter Milan - Who is in Hotter Form?Maryland finds shooting touch, downs Maryland Eastern Shore