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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Fourteen North Korean nationals have been indicted in a scheme using information technology workers with false identities to contract with U.S. companies — workers who then funneled their wages to North Korea for development of ballistic missiles and other weapons, the head of the FBI office in St. Louis said Thursday. The scheme involving thousands of IT workers generated more than $88 million for the North Korean government, Ashley T. Johnson, special agent in charge of the St. Louis FBI office, said at a news conference. In addition to their wages, the workers stole sensitive information from companies or threatened to leak information in exchange for extortion payments, Johnson said. Victims included defrauded companies and people whose identities were stolen from across the U.S., including Missouri, Johnson said. The indictments were filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. All 14 people face wire fraud, money laundering, identity theft and other charges. Most of those accused are believed to be in North Korea. Johnson acknowledged that bringing them to justice will be difficult. To help, the U.S. Department of State is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to any of the suspects. Federal authorities said the scheme worked like this: North Korea dispatched thousands of IT workers to get hired and work remotely or as freelancers for U.S. companies. The IT workers involved in the scheme sometimes used stolen identities. In other instances, they paid Americans to use their home Wi-Fi connections, or to pose in on-camera job interviews as the IT workers. Johnson said the FBI is going after those “domestic enablers,” too. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Johnson said. “If your company has hired fully remote IT workers, more likely than not, you have hired or at least interviewed a North Korean national working on behalf of the North Korean government,” Johnson said. The Justice Department in recent years has sought to expose and disrupt a broad variety of criminal schemes aimed at bolstering the North Korean regime, including its nuclear weapons program. In 2021, the Justice Department charged three North Korean computer programmers and members of the government’s military intelligence agency in a broad range of global hacks that officials say were carried out at the behest of the regime. Law enforcement officials said at the time that the prosecution highlighted the profit-driven motive behind North Korea’s criminal hacking, a contrast from other adversarial nations like Russia, China and Iran that are generally more interested in espionage, intellectual property theft or even disrupting democracy. In May 2022, the State Department, Department of the Treasury, and the FBI issued an advisory warning of attempts by North Koreans “to obtain employment while posing as non-North Korean nationals.” The advisory noted that in recent years, the regime of Kim Jong Un “has placed increased focus on education and training” in IT-related subjects. In October 2023 , the FBI in St. Louis announced the seizure of $1.5 million and 17 domain names as part of the investigation. The indictments announced Tuesday were the first stemming from the investigation. Johnson urged companies to thoroughly vet IT workers hired to work remotely. “One of the ways to help minimize your risk is to insist current and future IT workers appear on camera as often as possible if they are fully remote,” she said. Officials didn’t name the companies that unknowingly hired North Korean workers.646jili01 。

’Unsinkable Mrs. Brown’ was Hannibal nativeNone

Calgary, Alberta, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has published the , an annual publication showing how water is allocated and used by the energy industry. “Industry’s improvements in water use reflect our shared commitment to responsible and efficient resource development,” said Laurie Pushor, President and CEO of the AER. “Water is one of our most valuable resources, and while innovation and technological advancements to reduce its use continue to be a priority, this report highlights the significant progress the industry has made over time.” The report shows that the energy sector used about 22% of its 2023 water allocation. Of the water used for oil, gas, and bitumen extraction, 82% was recycled water. Of the remaining water used, 17% was nonsaline (i.e., fresh water) and 1% alternative water. The report covers energy sector water use for four extraction types — oil sands mining, in situ operations, enhanced oil recovery, and hydraulic fracturing and now includes 11 years of data across these types. Expanding the data analysis helps Albertans understand long-term industry water use trends in the province and helps energy companies understand their water use and plan for the future. The best metric to understand industry water performance is water use intensity. Water use intensity is the amount of nonsaline water required to produce one barrel of oil equivalent. The lower the water use intensity, the better the performance. Since 2013, the energy industry has decreased nonsaline water use intensity by 19%. The report falls under the Alberta Energy Regulator’s which strives to hold companies accountable for their decisions and actions, improve their performance, and share more information with Albertans. The AER ensures the safe, efficient, orderly, and environmentally responsible development of energy and mineral resources in Alberta through our regulatory activities. For more information, visit . Email: | Media line: 1-855-474-6356 | | |2024 in pop culture: In a bruising year, we sought out fantasy, escapism — and cute little animals

Please join the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development for a conversation with Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma to discuss the work that the Biden Administration has done to further Ukraine’s economic recovery and reconstruction and how the United States can continue to support Ukraine’s modernization going forward. Through the CSIS Ukraine Economic Reconstruction Commission and other related workstreams, CSIS has established itself as a leader in planning for Ukrainian reconstruction, and a place for problem-solving and practical thinking about the economic future of Ukraine. In support of this commitment, in September 2023, CSIS hosted the first edition of the “ Doing Business in Ukraine ” conference, which sought to encourage government and private sector investment in Ukraine. As her first public engagement as U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery, Secretary Penny Pritzker’s keynote address spoke to the important role that the United States plays in supporting Ukraine’s economic recovery, and the immense opportunities the country has to further develop their technology, green energy, agriculture, and metal and mining industries. Just over one year later, this event will be an opportunity to outline how the United States has supported Ukraine’s economic transformation, to better understand the financing and implementation challenges that face Ukraine, and assess how the U.S. government and U.S. private sector can continue to help Kyiv chart a future course integrated into the EU and global markets. This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.The BC SPCA Kamloops animal centre has recovered several adult cats and kittens from a property, and is getting ready to receive between 15 and 25 more cats from the same property over the next few weeks. The animals were prioritized for recovery, with a female cat, her four kittens, and five other adults in the first intake. Sadly, two of the adult cats needed to be euthanized, while the kittens tested positive for coccidia and one of the adult cats tested positive for giardia. All the cats immediately went into quarantine and were treated. “This happens all too often when a kind person feeds a stray cat,” says Daria Evans, manager of the BC SPCA’s Kamloops animal centre. “In this case the finders began feeding stray cats in their community during the pandemic, and in no time at all the number of cats in their home more than doubled. “They became overwhelmed and reached out to us, and we are currently in the process of bringing all the cats into our care.” Evans adds that it’s likely that all of the cats in the home will require treatment, so the Kamloops centre is preparing for that. Coccidia and giardia are parasitic infections of the intestinal tract and are typically treated with oral medications and intravenous fluids if required. Although quite common and very treatable, they are both contagious. Once the cats clear quarantine, they will be placed with a BC SPCA foster carer or — if they are ready — made available for adoption. “Our goal is to bring all these babies into our care and treat them as soon as possible,” says Evans. “The kittens are very playful and sweet. They were a little grumpy when we gave them their coccidia baths, but that is to be expected. They now seem to be much happier and content.” The adult cats appear to be a mixture of indoor and outdoor animals. Staff at the centre have been pleasantly surprised at how comfortable the cats are around people, even though some may not have had as much human socialization as others. “They are very affectionate and love it when staff comes around to feed and care for them," says Evans. She notes that this case is a reminder that people should reach out if there are stray cats in their area, and the earlier the better. “It is amazing how quickly a cat population can explode.” The cats and kittens currently in care will be available for adoption later in December. You can help them — and other animals in need at the BC SPCA — by making a donation at .LAS VEGAS — If Texas coach Steve Sarkisian holds aloft the College Football Playoff trophy next month, that will be bad news for BetMGM Sportsbook. It would be similarly disappointing if any of the coaches at Boise State, Indiana or Arizona State end up celebrating a title with confetti falling all around them inside Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Wait, what? Texas has attracted a lot of money all season to go all the way, but those other schools provide the hope of a big payoff. The fifth-seeded Longhorns are the co-favorite at BetMGM with No. 1 and unbeaten Oregon at 7-2 odds; the other three are least 40-1, while Georgia is right behind Oregon and Texas as the next favorite. "These teams get hot and people just want to have a flyer on them," BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. "They don't want to be standing there and not have a ticket on some of these long-shot teams." People are also reading... Expanding the playoff field from four to 12 teams this year meant more betting in general on college football and more varieties of wagering on the postseason. There were meaningful games played in the final month by not only Arizona State, Boise State and Indiana, but also SMU, Army and UNLV — a number of teams not always in the national title conversation. "It's one of the highest handles we've ever had on our national-championship market," Magee said. "We're in more states, for one, but the activity and the betting patterns we're seeing, it definitely feels a lot more than it has in years past." Riding with the Mustangs Magee said BetMGM has received action on both sides of the first-round game between 11th-seeded SMU and sixth-seeded Penn State, but the Mustangs have drawn notable action at DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook. Money on SMU dropped Penn State from a 9-point favorite at DraftKings to 8 1/2. "Any time they've played a real good team, they've had trouble," Johnny Avello, DraftKings race and sports operations director, said of the Nittany Lions. "SMU shows that they're pretty good on both sides of the football and pretty resilient as a team. Always in the game. Always finds ways to fight back." Joey Feazel, who oversees football trading for Caesars, said much of the early betting in general was on underdogs. "Usually, you see the dog money for these teams come late, especially on the sharps' (professional bettors) side," Feazel said. Little love for the Broncos Boise State, which as the third seed has a first-round bye, will be the underdog in its quarterfinal matchup with Penn State or SMU. The Broncos got into the field as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion, but Avello said that doesn't mean they are one of the nation's top 12 teams (they are ranked No. 8 by AP and No. 9 by CFP). Avello said BYU, Colorado and Miami — none of which made the playoff — all would be favored over them. "There are a lot of teams that aren't in the playoffs that would be favored," Avello said. "That's just not the way these playoffs work." Feazel said Boise State not being able to play at home on its blue carpet will be a notable disadvantage. Boise State's quarterfinal game will be at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. "It will be all neutral," Feazel said. "It's a big step up in class for Boise." How's the weather up there? Instead of all the games being played in climate-controlled domes or warm-weather locales — as has been in the case in past postseasons — three of the four first-round matchups will take place in the Northeast and Midwest. While that might not make a difference when Notre Dame hosts in-state foe Indiana, Ohio State will be at home against Tennessee and SMU visits Penn State. BetMGM favors all four home teams by more than a touchdown. "You have to take the weather into account for some of these games," Magee said. "It's going to be really cool to see a team like Tennessee that will have to go up to Columbus, where it can get really cold. SMU has to go from Dallas to Happy Valley. That's definitely going to be one of the coldest games a lot of those kids have played in their lives." Hypothetical matchup SMU was the last team in the field, getting the benefit of the doubt over Alabama. The Mustangs had one fewer defeat than the three-loss Crimson Tide, who did not appear in the SEC title game. SMU lost on a 56-yard field goal to Clemson in the ACC championship. The sportsbook operators said the Tide would be favored by 5-10 points if they met SMU on a neutral field. Be the first to know

Major stock indexes on Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish Friday, capping a rare bumpy week for the market. The S&P 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%, ending just below the record high it set on Wednesday. There were more than twice as many decliners than gainers on the New York Stock Exchange. Gains in technology stocks helped temper losses in communication services, financials and other sectors of the market. Broadcom surged 24.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company's big gain helped cushion the market's broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Some tech stocks were a drag on the market. Nvidia fell 2.2%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Google parent Alphabet slid 1.1%. Among the market's other decliners were Airbnb, which fell 4.7% for the biggest loss in the S&P 500, and Charles Schwab, which closed 4% lower. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 17% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. All told, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 points to close at 6,051.09. The Dow dropped 86.06 points to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq rose 23.88 points to 19,926.72. Wall Street's rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve's last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year . The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank's 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed's policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower.

Expanded CFP field draws more bets and on more teams