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Pioneering hacker Kevin Mitnick, FBI-wanted felon turned security guru, dead at 59

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:12 GMT

Kevin Mitnick, whose pioneering antics tricking employees in the 1980s and 1990s into helping him steal software and services from big phone and tech companies made him the most celebrated U.S. hacker, has died at age 59.Mitnick died Sunday in Las Vegas after a 14-month battle with pancreatic cancer, said Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of the security training firm KnowBe4, where Mitnick was chief hacking officer. His colorful career — from student tinkerer to FBI-hunted fugitive, imprisoned felon and finally respected cybersecurity professional, public speaker and author tapped for advice by U.S. lawmakers and global corporations — mirrors the evolution of society’s grasp of the nuances of computer hacking. Through Mitnick’s professional trajectory, and what many consider the misplaced prosecutorial zeal that put him behind bars for nearly five years until 2000, the public has learned how to better distinguish serious computer crime from the mischievious troublemaking of youths he...

1st Black woman named to full-time role as police chief of embattled force in Louisville, Kentucky

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:12 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The first Black woman has been named to lead the embattled Louisville Police Department in a full-time role, tasked with guiding a force under a federal consent decree and years of scrutiny since the police shooting of Breonna Taylor in 2020.Louisville interim police chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel is formally taking the job of new chief. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced Thursday that she was chosen after a nationwide search. The city has gone through several chiefs and interim leaders since the death of Taylor, a Black woman shot dead in a police raid gone awry.Gwinn-Villaroel came to Louisville from the Atlanta Police Department in 2021 alongside former Chief Erika Shields, who hired her as a deputy chief. Greenberg, who was elected mayor last year, had said in December that Gwinn-Villaroel would become interim chief after Shields stepped down in January.“This is a challenging job,” Greenberg said at a news conference Thursday. “And over the last f...

Zoe Saldaña put self-doubt aside to star in new Taylor Sheridan series ‘Special Ops: Lioness’

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:12 GMT

Zoe Saldaña has starred in three successful film franchises — “ Avatar ”, “ Guardians of the Galaxy ” and “ Star Trek ” — yet when Taylor Sheridan approached her to lead his new TV series, “Special Ops: Lioness,” she said no.“I have ADD and I’m dyslexic, so learning a lot of dialogue was always very daunting,” said Saldaña in an interview prior to the start of the actors strike. “I never thought that I would ever get to be a part of (projects) where the dialog and the writing is most important to the whole story. .. I tend to run away from that. I have a hard time focusing, which is why the action genre was always appealing to me.”She says Sheridan called her and was very complimentary, adding that he was writing a character with her in mind. As exciting as the project seemed, she passed.“I read the pilot, I loved it so much that I freaked out and I walked away from it.”A year later she was in Italy filming the limited-series “From Scratch” and found herself once a...

Turkish president doesn’t rule out Cyprus peace talks restart, but sticks to two-state stance

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:12 GMT

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday didn’t rule out reviving deadlocked negotiations to resolve Cyprus’ nearly 50-year ethnic division, but again rejected any deal that wouldn’t offer Turkish Cypriots a state of their own.That position stands against a United Nations-sanctioned framework envisioning a federated island nation.Speaking at celebrations in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north on the 49th anniversary of a Turkish invasion that split the island along ethnic lines, Erdogan again poured cold water on Greek Cypriot hopes of forming a federation composed of Greek and Turkish speaking zones as has been the aim of talks for decades.“Everyone needs to understand now that a federal solution is not possible,” Erdogan said. He said that Turkey does not oppose fresh talks, but that negotiations cannot restart without recognizing the “sovereign equality and equal international status” of the Turkish Cypriots.Prompted by a coup in Cyprus aimed at u...

Citing mass of records, Nate Paul trial postponed 1 year

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Citing mountains of documents to process, a federal judge and attorneys in the case of indicted real estate developer Nate Paul have agreed to push a trial date one year, to July 29, 2024, to provide sufficient time to prepare and analyze records, according to a hearing Thursday at Austin’s federal district courthouse.Paul, a 36-year-old linked to accusations against impeached Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, was charged in June with 8 counts of making false statements and reports to lenders. He is accused of exaggerating his assets, undervaluing his liabilities and providing false records to obtain more than $172 million in loans for his businesses in 2017 and 2018.Paul did not attend the hearing, but his attorney E.G. Morris was present, and his attorney David Gerger participated telephonically. EXPLORE: Who is Nate Paul — the Austin real estate investor charged with 8 federal counts Paul pleaded not guilty to all counts in mid-June, and his trial was original...

Vikings rookie Jordan Addison cited for driving 140 mph in St. Paul

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:12 GMT

Vikings rookie receiver Jordan Addison was cited for speeding and reckless driving on Thursday morning. He was traveling 140 mph at the time of the traffic stop in a speed zone with a limit of 55 mph.The incident occurred shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday when a Minnesota State Patrol trooper observed Addison speeding in his Lamborghini Urus while driving eastbound on I-94 near Dale Street in St. Paul.When reached by the Pioneer Press, the Vikings issued the following statement: “We are aware of last night’s traffic incident involving Jordan Addison and are gathering additional information.”This traffic stop comes with rookies set to report to Vikings training camp on Sunday. There’s no doubt Addison will be asked about the citation when reporters descend upon TCO Performance Center in Eagan next week.After being selected by the Vikings with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Addison is expected to be a big part of the offense this season. He stood ou...

Troy men arrested for possessing illegal firearms

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:12 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Two individuals were arrested following a traffic stop on Saturday. Police say the two occupants of the vehicle both had handguns in their possession. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Police pulled over the vehicle for speeding. During the initial investigation, police determined the driver had a suspended license. The driver was processed and released with citations for speeding and driving on a suspended license.Police interviewed the two other occupants. It was determined they both had handguns concealed in their clothing. Justin M. Franklin, 44, of Troy, and Eric T. Daniels, 41, of Troy, were charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. They were processed and held for arraignment in Troy City Court.

Bond denied for Jennings woman charged in child drug exposure death

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:12 GMT

CLAYTON, Mo. - A St. Louis County judge denied bond for a woman charged with child endangerment after a toddler she was babysitting died in March 2023 of a drug overdose.At Thursday's hearing, defense attorney Bobby Bailey said his client, Mary Curtis, is six months pregnant and should be released on a personal recognizance bond until trial. Bailey said the St. Louis County Jail cannot provide adequate care for a pregnant woman, and that both the jail and county could be facing lawsuits if anything were to happen to the unborn child.Bailey said Curtis is an addict and more of a danger to herself than the community, and that, if released, she would stay with relatives until her trial. Thieves target car washes, business owners band together to fight back The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Curtis with one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child – death of a child. A 17-month-old child died March 20 while in Curtis' custody.Police claim C...

Independence man charged in Kansas City Ford plant swatting case

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:12 GMT

CLAYCOMO, Mo. - The Clay County prosecutor charged an Independence man in a swatting call that caused hundreds of employees to evacuate the Ford Assembly Plant in Claycomo on Tuesday evening.Zachariah A. Peterson, 19, is charged with a class D felony of making a terrorist threat.Investigators said Peterson is from Independence and was arrested at his home. He is currently in the Clay County jail."The probable statement indicates that the defendant made the call for the purpose of causing an evacuation," Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said. One killed, one injured in two-vehicle crash at K-7, K-10 in Lenexa "He made a call to the plant stating he was armed with an AK-47 and a pound of C4 explosives strapped to his chest. He did that for the purpose of causing an evacuation so an acquaintance of his would not have to go to work."Thompson said Peterson faces up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, if convicted. Numerous agenci...

Mailbag: Pac-12 presidential tumult (and what it means), imagining the ADs in charge, current TV dollars, the survival line and more

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:12 GMT

The Hotline mailbag publishes each week. Send questions to [email protected] and include ‘mailbag’ in the subject line. Or hit me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline.Some questions have been edited for clarity and brevity.How will the resignation of Stanford’s president affect Pac-12 leadership? Who are the possible candidates to take over, and do any of them care about sports? — @UACatManDoIt’s far too early for the Hotline to speculate on potential replacements for Marc Tessier-Lavigne and his successor’s  impact on Stanford athletics, but the bar is fairly low: Any new university leader who knows that footballs are inflated, not stuffed, would be a victory for the Cardinal.The impact on the Pac-12 is easier to assess, and limited.First, a few words on the logistics.Tessier-Lavigne’s resignation, which followed allegations of academic misconduct, is effective at the end of August. He remains a member of the Pac-12 Board of Directors until that point ...