Category: News
Francia investiga posible intento de ciberataque contra ferry
Por JOHN LEICESTER
PARÍS (AP) — La agencia de contraespionaje de Francia está investigando un supuesto complot de ciberataque dirigido a un ferry internacional de pasajeros, informaron las autoridades el miércoles.
Un miembro de la tripulación letón está bajo custodia enfrentando cargos de haber actuado para una potencia extranjera no identificada, revelaron funcionarios franceses. Pero el ministro del Interior, Laurent Nunez, pareció insinuar que se sospecha de Rusia, diciendo: “En este momento, la interferencia extranjera muy a menudo proviene del mismo país”.
Francia y otros aliados europeos de Ucrania alegan que Rusia está librando una “guerra híbrida” contra ellos, utilizando sabotajes, asesinatos, ciberataques, desinformación y otros actos hostiles difíciles de rastrear.
La inteligencia compartida por las autoridades italianas alertó a la Dirección General de Seguridad Interna, el servicio especial de contraespionaje y antiterrorismo de Francia, de que un software a veces utilizado por ciberdelincuentes podría haber infectado los sistemas informáticos a bordo de un ferry atracado en el puerto mediterráneo francés de Sète, indicó la fiscalía de París.
El llamado software RAT, que permite controlar sistemas informáticos de forma remota, podría haber sido utilizado para tomar el control de las computadoras del ferry, dijo la fiscalía. No nombró al ferry.
Nunez dijo a la emisora pública France Info que “individuos intentaron acceder al sistema de procesamiento de datos de un barco”. Lo describió como “un asunto muy serio”. Al ser preguntado si la intención sospechada era secuestrar la embarcación, dijo: “No lo sabemos”.
Añadió: “Los investigadores parecen estar siguiendo una pista de interferencia… interferencia extranjera”.
La policía arrestó el viernes a dos miembros de la tripulación del ferry, uno letón y otro búlgaro, que las autoridades italianas habían identificado como sospechosos, señaló la fiscalía. El búlgaro fue posteriormente liberado sin cargos tras ser interrogado.
El ciudadano letón está detenido bajo un cargo preliminar de conspiración criminal y dos cargos preliminares de delitos relacionados con piratería informática con el objetivo de servir a los intereses de una potencia extranjera no nombrada, sostuvo la fiscalía.
Se dijo que también se llevaron a cabo redadas de búsqueda en Letonia. La policía estatal letona dijo que no tenía comentarios.
El ferry está ahora de nuevo en operación después de haber sido retenido en el puerto para realizar controles de seguridad en su sistema informático, aseveró la fiscalía.
___________________________________
La corresponsal Emma Burrows en Londres contribuyó.
___________________________________
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Senior captain Ella Pawelczyk is the ‘heart and soul’ for Libertyville. Together, they prove their mettle.
For Libertyville senior guard Ella Pawelczyk, being a captain is not just having a title.
Pawelczyk, who was also a captain for the flag football team, considers the role to be an essential responsibility.
“I feel like I’m drawn to being a leader,” she said. “I enjoy being the person that people look up to, being that link between the team and the coaches, and being the person when people are stressed out or going through a rough patch that they can come to me for help.”
That makes the 5-foot-5 Pawelczyk, who is averaging 8.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.2 deflections, an invaluable player in her first season as a starter for the defending North Suburban Conference champion Wildcats (8-2, 4-0).
“Ella is the heart and soul of the team,” Libertyville coach Greg Pedersen said. “She really wants to win and cares about the team a lot. All the players new to the varsity are watching her and seeing what it takes to be a good teammate and a competitor.”
So Pawelczyk became even more important after three players suffered season-ending knee injuries. Despite those setbacks, the Wildcats continue to win heading into a showdown at conference co-leader Mundelein on Friday.
“The kids like and respect her,” Pedersen said. “She’s like having an extra coach on the team.”
Libertyville senior guard/forward Caitlyn Griffith can attest to that.
“Ella is a good leader because she’s able to make good decisions for our team on and off the floor, and she’s a good role model for our younger players,” Griffith said. “She always has insight and advice to give during halftime or timeouts, which really helps both our coaches and teammates.
“Ella is a supportive and encouraging captain who’s always there to cheer on her teammates when they make a good play or lift them up when they need it.”
Libertyville’s Ella Pawelczyk looks to pass after grabbing a loose ball during a North Suburban Conference game against Lake Zurich in Libertyville on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. (Rob Dicker / News-Sun)
Pawelczyk, a second-year varsity player, said her experience as a captain in flag football has helped her.
“With basketball, it’s definitely a smaller team, and I have good relationships with every single player on my team,” she said. “I feel like with basketball I’ve learned to be there for them in a different way individually.”
Griffith noted that Pawelczyk’s leadership is particularly obvious during halftime.
“She offers insight into how the game is going, what we’re doing well and need to do better, and she also gives advice to specific teammates, both complementary and constructively,” Griffith said. “She’s in tune to both the game and her teammates, which makes her a great leader.”
Libertyville junior point guard Lily Fisher, who has multiple Division I offers, pointed to the example Pawelczyk sets.
“Ella makes a great leader because she holds people accountable while also being such a positive and energetic person,” Fisher said.
Libertyville’s Ella Pawelczyk, right, drives to the basket against Lake Zurich during a North Suburban Conference game in Libertyville on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. (Rob Dicker / News-Sun)
Pedersen said Pawelczyk, who scored 15 points during Libertyville’s 44-21 conference win over Stevenson last week, also improved her game during the offseason.
Pawelczyk thinks the Wildcats are making progress too.
“We’re starting to connect as a team after beating Lake Zurich and Stevenson,” she said. “I’m starting to do more than just shoot the three and becoming a consistent scorer.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/basketball-libertyville-ella-pawelczyk/
Former Cubs player Pedro Strop lists Portage Park home for $900,000
Former Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop on Dec. 11 placed his five-bedroom, 3,700-square-foot house in the Northwest Side Portage Park neighborhood on the market for $900,000.
A key member of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series-winning team whom the Tribune’s Mark Gonzales in 2019 called “a tremendous clubhouse mentor and one of the best relievers in franchise history,” Strop, 40, was a setup reliever for the team from 2013 until 2019, when he became a free agent and subsequently was signed by the Cincinnati Reds. Strop briefly returned to the Cubs in 2021 to conclude his major-league career. He later pitched in Mexico for several seasons and most recently has thrown in the Dominican Winter League.
Through a Delaware limited liability company whose name is a riff on Strop’s “Believe by Strop” clothing line, Strop paid $625,000 in 2019 for the three-story detached house in Portage Park, which was built in 2005. The home, located in the Concord at Jefferson Park development, has 4-1/2 bathrooms, a finished basement with a recreation room and exterior access, and a kitchen with custom cabinetry, an island with waterfall quartz countertops and Samsung Bespoke appliances. Its third-floor primary bedroom suite has a lounge, a yoga studio and a walk-in closet. Outside on the property are a deck and a patio.
In real estate listing information remarks, listing agent Renata Gomes Carneiro touts Strop’s ownership of the home, calling it “unique provenance.” She did not respond to a request for comment.
The home has $125-a-month homeowners association dues. It had a $13,009 property tax bill in the 2024 tax year.
Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/pedro-strop-portage-park/
¿Por qué los empleados del Louvre, el museo más visitado del mundo, se fueron a huelga?
Por THOMAS ADAMSON
PARÍS (AP) — La huelga en curso en el Louvre ya no es solo una disputa laboral. Se ha convertido en una prueba de cuán segura, creíble y competentemente se está gestionando el museo más visitado del mundo.
Detrás del paro no solo hay relaciones laborales desgastadas, sino también un edificio bajo presión, con partes del antiguo palacio en deterioro ahora consideradas inseguras.
En el corazón de la crisis se encuentra una ruptura más profunda: un robo de joyas valorado en 102 millones de dólares que expuso fallos de seguridad en el núcleo de la institución y transformó las quejas del personal, que llevaban tiempo gestándose, en un ajuste de cuentas nacional con resonancia global.
El paro se está endureciendo
Las tensiones ya estaban aumentando cuando una huelga espontánea en junio cerró abruptamente el museo, dejando a los visitantes varados bajo la pirámide de vidrio de I.M. Pei. Semanas después, el Louvre anunció el cierre de oficinas y una galería pública debido al debilitamiento de las vigas del suelo, lo que profundizó la preocupación por el abandono en todo el complejo envejecido.
El robo a plena luz del día en octubre, en el que los ladrones se llevaron joyas de la corona, intensificó el escrutinio de legisladores y auditores y reformuló las quejas laborales como cuestiones de fracaso institucional.
Las autoridades del Ministerio de Cultura han intentado desactivar el enfrentamiento proponiendo cancelar un recorte de fondos planeado para 2026, contratar guardias adicionales y personal de servicios al visitante, y aumentar los salarios. Los sindicatos rechazaron las medidas por considerarlas inadecuadas, señalando que la confianza se ha desgastado más allá de soluciones rápidas.
El lunes, el sindicato CFDT dijo que 400 trabajadores en una reunión votaron a favor de la huelga debido a la falta crónica de personal, el deterioro de los edificios y las decisiones de gestión. El miércoles, los trabajadores votaron para extender la acción, obligando al Louvre a operar de manera restringida.
El museo reabrió parcialmente una limitada “ruta de obras maestras”, permitiendo el acceso a la “Mona Lisa”, la Venus de Milo y un puñado de galerías, una medida provisional que permitió la entrada de visitantes mientras destacaba cuánto se han deteriorado las operaciones normales.
La presión ahora se ha trasladado directamente a la presidenta del Louvre, Laurence des Cars. El ministerio ha anunciado medidas de emergencia contra intrusiones y ha designado a Philippe Jost, quien supervisó la restauración de la Catedral de Notre Dame, para ayudar a reorganizar el museo. Es un paso ampliamente interpretado como una señal de que la confianza en la gobernanza existente se ha tambaleado.
Un fracaso de 102 millones de dólares, medido en segundos
La semana pasada, se informó a los senadores franceses que los ladrones que robaron joyas de la corona valoradas en más de 100 millones de dólares escaparon del Louvre con apenas 30 segundos de sobra, un detalle que cristalizó la magnitud del colapso.
Una investigación parlamentaria describió el robo del 19 de octubre como el resultado de fallos en cascada. Solo una de las dos cámaras que cubrían el punto de entrada funcionaba, y el personal de seguridad no tenía suficientes pantallas para monitorear las imágenes en tiempo real.
Cuando sonó la alarma, la policía fue enviada inicialmente al lugar equivocado, dijeron los investigadores, un retraso que resultó decisivo.
“No más de 30 segundos, los guardias o la policía podrían haberlos interceptado”, dijo Noël Corbin, quien dirigió la investigación.
Auditorías de 2017 y 2019 ya habían señalado vulnerabilidades que luego fueron explotadas en el robo, pero las soluciones recomendadas nunca se implementaron por completo.
Los cuatro presuntos ladrones han sido arrestados, pero las joyas siguen desaparecidas. La Interpol ha listado las piezas en su base de datos de arte robado ante el temor de que puedan ser desarmadas o contrabandeadas al extranjero.
Para el personal ahora en huelga, los hallazgos del Senado confirmaron lo que ellos advirtieron durante años: que las defensas del museo eran débiles, sus advertencias ignoradas y su margen de error medido en segundos.
Una institución bajo presión física
El robo ha agudizado la atención sobre el estado del Louvre. Partes del vasto complejo han sido cerradas después de que las autoridades descubrieron debilidades estructurales, incluidas nueve salas en la Galería Campana dedicadas a cerámicas griegas antiguas. Informes técnicos citaron “fragilidad particular” en las vigas de soporte, lo que obligó a reubicación de personal y cierres hasta nuevo aviso.
Los sindicatos dicen que secciones del edificio centenario están en “muy mal estado”, señalando incidentes como una fuga de agua en noviembre que dañó cientos de libros históricos como signos de un abandono más amplio.
El plan de renovación “Nuevo Renacimiento” del presidente Emmanuel Macron, lanzado a principios de 2025 para modernizar el Louvre y gestionar el exceso de visitantes, incluye entradas más amplias y mejoras importantes. Los críticos dicen que el plan avanza muy lentamente y se ha centrado demasiado en proyectos de alto perfil. Una auditoría judicial señaló considerables retrasos en el despliegue de equipos de seguridad modernos y encontró que solo una fracción de los fondos asignados se había gastado en seguridad.
Oposición a una sala especial para la “Mona Lisa”
Una propuesta para dar a la “Mona Lisa” de Leonardo da Vinci una sala dedicada con su propia entrada tenía la intención de aliviar las multitudes aplastantes. En cambio, se ha convertido en un símbolo de lo que los trabajadores ven como prioridades equivocadas.
Respaldado por Macron, el plan separaría la pintura de la Salle des États para mejorar el flujo de visitantes. Los partidarios dicen que esto refleja la realidad del turismo masivo, ya que la mayoría de los visitantes principalmente quieren ver a la “Mona Lisa”.
Los sindicatos argumentan que el proyecto destaca una fijación en atracciones de gran éxito mientras persisten la escasez de personal, el deterioro de la infraestructura y las brechas de seguridad. Sostienen que el dinero destinado al rediseño se gastaría mejor en reparaciones, mejoras de vigilancia y personal de primera línea. Algunos también temen que el movimiento pueda abrir la puerta a un acceso escalonado o precios más altos.
El exdirector niega responsabilidad por los fallos
El exdirector del Louvre, Jean-Luc Martinez, dijo a los senadores esta semana que creía que el plan de seguridad del museo era suficiente, sin llegar a aceptar la responsabilidad personal por los fallos expuestos por el robo.
Martinez, quien dirigió el Louvre de 2013 a 2021, dijo que estaba “impactado, sacudido y herido” por el robo e insistió en que la seguridad fue prioridad durante su mandato. Los legisladores lo presionaron sobre por qué las vulnerabilidades identificadas en auditorías anteriores, incluida una revisión de 2019 de la Galería de Apolo, no fueron abordadas.
Reconoció retrasos en una reforma de seguridad más amplia de 54 millones de euros, con contratos “supuestamente lanzados en 2022″. Cuando se le dijo que su sucesor luego consideró el plan incompleto, Martinez respondió: “Pensé que era suficiente”.
________
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
White House Prepping New Sanctions If Russia Rejects Latest Ukraine Ceasefire Offer
White House Prepping New Sanctions If Russia Rejects Latest Ukraine Ceasefire Offer
The White House is preparing a fresh round of sanctions on Russia’s energy sector which would be implemented if Moscow rejects the Trump-proposed peace deal with Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, this time around it is set to be even more muscular: “The US is considering options, such as targeting vessels in Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to transport Moscow’s oil, as well as traders who facilitate the transactions, said the people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.”
Ukraine’s President Zelensky has called the current draft a “very workable version” – after he met in Berlin for two days with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to work on it. Next it is expected to be presented to the Kremlin in the coming days.
August 15 Alaska summit, Getty Images
The Ukrainian leader appears somewhat satisfied as it’s said to include robust security guarantees, but which stop short of plans for NATO membership. Russia on the other hand has gone so far as to demand that rejection of NATO membership be enshrined in Ukraine’s national constitution.
Zelensky said Tuesday that he worked with the American delegation “in great detail on documents that could stop the war and guarantee security” during the deliberations. “Every single detail matters because not a single detail must become a reward for Russia’s aggression,” he had said while visiting The Hague afterward.
President Trump has meanwhile claimed that “we’re closer now than we have been.”
But will President Putin go for it? Here’s how CNN presents one key aspect which is not likely to sit well with the Kremlin:
There are now five separate documents under discussion within the proposed peace deal – they include “legally binding” security guarantees that would be voted on by the US Congress, as well as plans for funding Ukraine’s post-war recovery.
These are the so-called Article 5-style guarantees which Russia will view as setting in place a recipe for future potential war, and a bigger one at that, between NATO and Moscow.
Moon of Alabama describes all of this as but the Flim Flam Theater Of Peace Talks On Ukraine:
The negotiations over the weekend between the U.S., Ukraine and Europe about the parameters of a ceasefire or peace agreement with Russia were surreal. The three sides are fighting each other over detailed points that Russia is sure to reject. They also left out important points which Russia had named as its priority items.
There is no way that any of this will lead to peace. Which may well be the point of the whole theater.
Commenting on German Chancellor’s Friedrich Merz’s claim of a ceasefire finally being “conceivable” – Moon of Alabama comments further:
No, Mr. Merz, there is no conceivable ceasefire. Russia does not want one. A ceasefire would allow Ukraine to recover and get ready for the next round of war. Russia wants a peace agreement that not only covers Ukraine but defines a new security architecture for the whole of Europe. Russia also wants physical control over the four oblast, plus Crimea, that voted to become members of the Russian Federation. It wants a Ukraine that is disarmed and denazified.
Neither seems to be on offer.
And here’s the key line from the astute analysis: “Instead we get some spectacle over US ‘security guarantees’ conditioned on Ukrainian concessions of land. Zelenski is trying to cash in the first while not conceding the second.”
Meanwhile, Washington meagerly warning of some energy sanctions just looks more symbolic than anything, given Russia has proven it has weathered robust and ratcheting efforts to isolate it economically so far.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/17/2025 – 10:20
NBA Cup: New York Knicks win tournament after rallying to beat San Antonio Spurs
LAS VEGAS — It’s been more than half a century since the Knicks hung an NBA championship banner inside Madison Square Garden.
The wait since 1973 to add another one didn’t end on Tuesday night, but New York can make room for the NBA Cup banner.
OG Anunoby scored 28 points, Jalen Brunson had 25, and the Knicks rallied to beat Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs 124-113.
“This is great and we’re going to enjoy this,” Brunson said. “But once we leave tomorrow, we’re moving on.”
This is a championship roster — NBA Cup MVP Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges cut down the nets in college at Villanova — with high hopes of representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
“This is a single-elimination tournament when you get to a certain point, so every game counts,” New York coach Mike Brown said. “There was pressure on every game if you expect to be who you think you are. When you’re able to have success, it breeds confidence in everybody in the organization.”
New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 11 rebounds despite battling a calf injury. He went into the locker room with a minute left before halftime and later exited for the bench with 5:06 remaining in the third quarter and didn’t return until late in the fourth.
Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 21 points, Wembanyama scored 18 and De’Aaron Fox had 16.
Wembanyama excused himself early from the postgame news conference because he said “just lost somebody” on Tuesday.
New York dominated inside, outrebounding the Spurs 59-42, with Mitchell Robinson collecting 15 boards, including 10 on the offensive end in 18 minutes. That helped give the Knicks a 56-44 edge in points in the lane.
The Spurs, however, led for much of the game before the Knicks went on a 13-1 run that began late in the third quarter to go up 100-95. New York never trailed again.
“After 25 games in, I believe that we’ve shown some signs that we can be a pretty good team,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “We’ve also shown that we have a lot of areas of improvement. I think that’s where we were living today.”
The Knicks got more than a trophy. Each player with a standard contract got an extra $318,560 for winning, making the total $530,933 for even reaching the final.
This game doesn’t count in the standings, so both teams remain 18-7, putting them atop their respective divisions.
Just making the final bodes well for both teams. The previous four finalists — Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana, Oklahoma City and Milwaukee — also made the playoffs. The Pacers made the Eastern Conference finals in 2024, and the Thunder won the NBA championship last season.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/nba-cup-knicks-beat-spurs/
Fellow Wisconsin judge ‘shocked’ by Hannah Dugan’s response to immigration officers
MILWAUKEE — A colleague of the Milwaukee judge accused of helping a Mexican immigrant evade arrest testified Tuesday that she was shocked by her fellow judge’s behavior.
“Judges shouldn’t help defendants evade arrest,” Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Kristela Cervera testified at Hannah Dugan’s trial.
The testimony on the second day of trial came after officers involved in the arrest told the jury that Dugan’s behavior on April 18 made it more dangerous for them to do their jobs.
Dugan is on trial on charges of obstruction and concealment in connection with the incident. The maximum sentence for obstruction, the more serious charge, is five years in prison, though federal judges have much discretion to go lower.
The highly unusual charges against a sitting judge are an extraordinary consequence of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Dugan’s supporters say Trump is looking to make an example of her to blunt judicial opposition to immigration arrests.
Eduardo Flores-Ruiz was scheduled to appear before Dugan on the morning of April 18 on state battery charges. Prosecutors allege that after Dugan learned that federal officers were in the hallway waiting to arrest him, she cleared a path for him to escape by directing the officers to the chief judge’s office and then leading Eduardo-Flores out of her courtroom through a private door.
Cervera testified that she was irritated that Dugan used her as backup during the incident, making her come out of her courtroom into the hallway while still wearing her robe.
Dugan proceeded to angrily confront two officers waiting to arrest Flores-Ruiz, telling them repeatedly that they needed a judicial warrant before sending them to the chief judge’s chambers, Cervera testified. She escorted the officers to the chambers while Dugan returned to her courtroom, she said.
Dugan approached her three days later and said she was “in the doghouse” with the chief judge, saying something to the effect that the chief was upset with her because she had “tried to help that guy,” Cervera testified.
When she learned that Dugan had led Flores-Ruiz out the private door, “I was shocked,” Cervera testified.
FBI agent Phillip Jackling testified on Tuesday that he was concerned that his team was divided when Dugan directed agents to speak with the chief judge.
Dugan appeared angry when she approached him in the hallway outside her courtroom, he said. Another member of the arrest team, Customs and Border Protection Supervisory Officer Joseph Zuraw, said Dugan jerked her thumb over her shoulder and told him to “get out” before directing him to the chief judge’s chambers.
Four of the arrest team’s six members were in the chief judge’s chambers or a hallway leading to the chambers when Flores-Ruiz left the courtroom, the agents testified. Zuraw said he remembered thinking: “This is a bad spot we’re in right now. It’s a bad spot because we don’t’ have a decent number of officers to safely make an arrest.”
The team followed him outside the courthouse and had to chase him down through traffic when they could have safely arrested him in the building, they testified.
Dugan’s defense team has suggested that agents could have arrested Flores-Ruiz at any point in the hallway and Dugan shouldn’t be blamed for their decision to wait until he was outside.
Defense attorney Steven Biskupic said in opening statements that the judge had no intention of obstructing agents. He said that Dugan was just following a draft courthouse policy that called for court personnel to refer immigration agents looking to make an arrest in the courthouse to supervisors.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in November that Flores-Ruiz had been deported.
Associated Press writer Scott Bauer contributed to this report from Madison, Wisconsin.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/wisconsin-judge-immigrant-arrest/
FBI Arrested A Fifth Trantifa Militant In NYE Bomb Plot
FBI Arrested A Fifth Trantifa Militant In NYE Bomb Plot
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,
The FBI arrested a fifth suspect in a New Year’s Eve mass bombing plot tied to the communist “decolonization” outfit known as the Turtle Island Liberation Front. This time, it’s an ex-Marine and former cop who ditched sanity for Trantifa extremism, underscoring how transgender ideology keeps fueling these deranged attacks on law enforcement and freedom.
The arrests spotlight a festering movement: violent leftists entangled with gender confusion, plotting to slaughter ICE agents and blow up key sites.
As we highlighted, Federal authorities swooped in last week, nabbing four Southern California militants from the Turtle Island Liberation Front while they allegedly headed to the desert to test homemade explosives.
The group, a far-left antifa-style cell obsessed with pro-Palestinian and anti-government rants, aimed to unleash coordinated IED attacks on five Los Angeles spots during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Their propaganda screams for violence, echoing the same unhinged calls that have sparked bloodshed before.
Among the initial arrests: Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, who goes by the alias “Sky Miin.” Carroll, a black bloc regular, hinted at the plot months ago in online chats with a DSA activist, boasting that moves against ICE would hit the news. The individual’s own mother scrambled online for help finding her, clueless that the feds had already cuffed her daughter.
One of the Los Angeles communist black bloc militants federally charged for being part of a far-left group that allegedly planned New Year’s Eve bombings in southern California is Audrey Illeene Carroll. She uses the alias “Sky Miin.”
In June, Carroll interacted with DSA… https://t.co/FUUjaAsg5H pic.twitter.com/IoH1rmFyv5
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) December 15, 2025
Ngo added details on Carroll’s antics: “In June, Carroll interacted with DSA activist Christopher E. Winston @OGBlackRedGuard and suggested that what she was planning against @ICEgov would be on the news. In February, she admitted going to direct actions in black bloc—Antifa’s preferred uniform.”
The other LA suspects include Zachary Aaron Page, a 32-year-old trans-identified individual; Tina Lai, 41; and Dante Gaffield, 24. They were caught red-handed en route to bomb-testing grounds, their plans to target ICE locations laid bare.
But the plot thickened with the fifth arrest in Louisiana. Ngo broke the exclusive: “I can exclusively report that the fifth unnamed arrested suspect in the Turtle Island Liberation Front New Year’s Eve mass bombing terror plot is Trantifa militant Micah James Legnon.”
I can confirm from my investigation that the fifth far-left New Year’s Eve bombing suspect arrested in Louisiana is a former cop turned Trantifa radical. I am continuing my investigation. We have seen instances before of former conservatives becoming Antifa and far-left… https://t.co/btuNlxeu70
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) December 15, 2025
Legnon, now on federal hold in Lafayette, identifies as female and floods social media with rants urging the murder of anyone branded a “fascist.” Ngo noted, “Legnon is a trans activist and identifies as a female. His social media is filled with posts calling for the m—rder of people he labels as ‘fascists.’”
I can exclusively report that the fifth unnamed arrested suspect in the Turtle Island Liberation Front New Year’s Eve mass bombing terror plot is Trantifa militant Micah James Legnon (center photo, in blue).
Legnon is on a federal hold in Lafayette, La. He is a trans activist… pic.twitter.com/RZno4u6eaz
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) December 16, 2025
Shockingly, this militant is an ex-Marine and former cop—proof that even those sworn to protect can spiral into leftist terror after embracing transgender ideology. It’s no isolated incident; it’s part of a pattern where transgender ideology intersects with violent extremism.
Former Marine and ex-police officer Micah Legnon was charged after being linked to an alleged New Year’s Eve terror plot, federal records show. https://t.co/09M3hZmvej
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) December 16, 2025
New – This morning, a judge in Lousinana has unsealed a criminal complaint against Micah Legnon who is accused of being a member of the group of four individuals arrested for a left wing extremist plot in California. https://t.co/6rBYO13GjY
— Seamus Hughes (@SeamusHughes) December 16, 2025
These radicals blend antifa tactics with gender extremism, resulting in deadly outbursts that the legacy media loves to downplay.
Tyler Robinson, the man who allegedly assassination Charlie Kirk, lived with a transgender partner, adding yet another layer to the web of radical ties.
Thomas Matthew Crooks was also into ‘furries’ and identified as they/them.
It has now been confirmed that attempted Trump assassin Thomas Crooks used they/them pronouns, had a deep interest in furries, and was exploring gender identity.
Add it to the list:
– Charlie Kirk’s assassin Tyler Robinson had a furry obsession and lived with transgender… pic.twitter.com/JyAK9qO8ix
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 17, 2025
Flash back to the Nashville Covenant School massacre, where the trans shooter’s leaked manifesto exposed a hatred for “white privilege” and Christians.
Then there was the Iowa school shooting, where sick activists protested outside a Catholic school defending the trans perpetrator.
As Greg Gutfeld succinctly pointed out, Democrats have enabled this “hysteria of horror”.
The media plays directly into their hands.
The list of perps goes on and on…
Flashback: In May 2019, a female-to-male identifying #trans shooter named Alec McKinney & accomplice Devon Erickson carried out a deadly mass shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Douglas County, Colo. McKinney told investigators transphobic students were targeted. pic.twitter.com/5sznjVweHB
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) March 27, 2023
The Lakewood Church shooter identified as trans.
The Iowa high school shooter identified as a radical rainbow activist.
The Nashville shooter identified as trans.
The Colorado Springs shooter identified as non binary.
The Denver shooter identified as trans.
The Aberdeen… pic.twitter.com/YkSMm6EjpK
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 12, 2024
Thanks to President Trump’s Executive order overhaul, the FBI is finally targeting real domestic terrorists instead of spying on parents at school boards. This latest plot’s disruption saved lives, but the threat lingers as long as leftist indoctrination pushes vulnerable people toward violence.
Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/17/2025 – 10:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fbi-arrested-fifth-trantifa-militant-nye-bomb-plot
Myanmar acusa a cientos de violar la ley electoral mientras se acerca fecha de votación
BANGKOK (AP) — El gobierno militar de Myanmar ha acusado a más de 200 personas de violar la ley electoral del país del sudeste asiático antes de las elecciones generales a finales de este mes, manteniendo la presión sobre los opositores a los comicios.
Los críticos de las elecciones, que comenzarán el 28 de diciembre, afirman que no serán ni libres ni justas y que están diseñadas para añadir una fachada de legitimidad al régimen militar que comenzó después de que el ejército, en febrero de 2021, derrocara al gobierno electo de Aung San Suu Kyi.
La toma de poder desencadenó una oposición popular generalizada que se ha convertido en una guerra civil, lo que ha complicado la realización de las elecciones en muchas áreas en disputa. Esta es una de las razones por las que la votación se llevará a cabo en tres fases, con la segunda el 11 de enero y la tercera el 25 de ese mismo mes.
Existen castigos tan severos como la pena de muerte por oponerse o interrumpir las elecciones bajo una ley electoral promulgada bajo el régimen militar.
El ministro del Interior, el teniente general Tun Tun Naung, declaró en una reunión el martes que las autoridades habían identificado y tomado medidas contra 229 personas —201 hombres y 28 mujeres— en 140 casos por intentar sabotear los procesos electorales, según el periódico estatal Myanma Alinn. El informe no proporcionó detalles sobre los acusados ni dijo cuántos habían sido arrestados.
La nueva ley, promulgada en julio, establece que cualquiera que hable, organice, incite, proteste o distribuya cartas para interrumpir cualquier parte del proceso electoral será castigado con penas de tres a 10 años de prisión, así como una multa. Otros delitos conllevan penas de hasta la pena de muerte.
La prensa estatal reportó que entre los acusados se encuentran cineastas, un actor y comediante, niños, miembros de las Fuerzas de Defensa del Pueblo —milicias pro-democracia formadas después de la toma del ejército— y miembros de grupos armados étnicos que luchan contra las fuerzas armadas.
La mayoría fueron acusados de acciones como destruir carteles de campaña, amenazar o arrestar a trabajadores electorales y publicar comentarios en redes sociales. Según informes de medios locales, incluido el sitio de noticias en línea Myanmar Now, algunos de ellos han recibido sentencias de hasta 49 años de prisión.
El general de división Zaw Min Tun, portavoz del gobierno militar, declaró en una conferencia el domingo que no importa si la comunidad internacional está satisfecha o insatisfecha con las elecciones porque se están llevando a cabo para Myanmar, no para la comunidad internacional.
“Quienes quieran criticar pueden hacerlo”, dijo Zaw Min Tun. “Continuaremos con nuestro objetivo original de regresar a un sistema democrático multipartidista”.
Una razón importante por la que las elecciones se consideran injustas es porque el partido Liga Nacional para la Democracia de Aung San Suu Kyi no puede competir porque fue obligado a disolverse en 2023. Ganó una victoria aplastante en las elecciones de 2015 que lo llevaron al poder por primera vez, y aumentó su margen de victoria en las elecciones de 2020.
El ejército tomó el poder en 2021, impidiendo que el partido asumiera un segundo mandato, con la excusa de que había irregularidades que invalidaban el proceso. Los observadores electorales independientes no estuvieron de acuerdo y dijeron que no había problemas sustantivos.
Suu Kyi, de 80 años, está cumpliendo sentencias de prisión que suman 27 años tras ser condenada en una serie de procesos políticamente motivados presentados por el ejército. Recientemente han surgido informes que plantean preocupaciones sobre su salud, pero el ejército lo negó el martes, diciendo que ella está en buen estado de salud.
___________________________________
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Trump Weighs Limiting Defense Contractors’ Shareholder Payouts, CEO Compensation
Trump Weighs Limiting Defense Contractors’ Shareholder Payouts, CEO Compensation
Major defense contractors like Boeing and Raytheon depend on government contracts for at least half the dollars they take in – and times have been ‘good’ particularly in the last several years of geopolitical hotspots and raging wars from Ukraine to Gaza.
Contractor CEOs have as expected really been raking it in as well, though some government accountability watchdogs have long complained that huge CEO compensation, also through ample bonuses, does nothing to advance the defense of the United States.
But alas, it remains that ultimately it’s the taxpayers subsidizing these more-than-ample paychecks. This trend jumped significantly starting in 2022 into 2023 – which marked the first year of the Russia-Ukraine war, and Washington’s policy of arming Kiev to the teeth.
One industry watchdog had this to say from that year: “The United States spent more last year on defense than the next 10 nations combined. A deal just brokered by the White House and House Republicans increases that amount even further — to $886 billion. Defense contractors will pocket about half of that.”
“Just eight years ago, the national defense community made do with over $300 billion less. But making do with “less” doesn’t come easy to corporate titans like Dave Calhoun, the CEO at Boeing, the nation’s second-largest defense contractor,” the report added.
According to a Tuesday report from Punchbowl News, the White House is drafting an executive order that would place restrictions on stock repurchases, dividend payments, and executive pay at defense contracting firms.
Among the leading firms are Lockheed Martin, RTX (Raytheon), Boeing, L3 Harris Technologies, as well as the familiar names Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics.
The proposed order would apply to some of these largest companies which provide military equipment to the Pentagon, the report said, citing multiple sources.
“The executive order is the latest effort by the Trump administration to challenge the generational dominance of the defense prime contractors, the biggest beneficiaries of nearly $1 trillion in annual defense spending,” Punchbowl writes. “But some worry that such an executive order could have a chilling effect on investments in the broader defense industrial base.”
An unnamed industry official was quoted as saying, “The fear is the investors are going to leave the industry, the value of the companies is going to go down, and it’s going to be harder for them to get capital in the future” – and so “It’s not clear how they do this.” However, so far the Trump admin has only said this is “speculation” when asked if an executive order is incoming.
The material basis for why the EU is dead set on killing a Ukraine peace deal. pic.twitter.com/t6IoKkyDmB
— Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) December 16, 2025
Punchbowl adds: “The push comes as the Trump administration and the Pentagon in particular have put public pressure on longstanding defense primes. DOD officials have also prompted those companies to invest more of their own internal dollars into research and development work before receiving money from the government.”
Smaller new start-ups related to defense tech have meanwhile aimed to disrupt how business with the Pentagon is typically done, vowing to be more nimble, invest their own funs up front in research and development, and to do away with “cost-plus” contracts.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/17/2025 – 09:40
