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AP sources: FBI wants to speak with Guardsman in leaks probe

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI wants to question a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard in connection with the disclosure of classified military documents, two people familiar with the matter said Thursday.The two people who discussed the development were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.The New York Times earlier reported the FBI’s interest in the person.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department and FBI have narrowed the pool of potential suspects believed responsible for the disclosure of highly classified military documents on the Ukraine war, a person familiar with the investigation said Thursday.The Biden administration has been working to assess the diplomatic and national security consequences of the leaked documents since they were first reported last week. A top Pentagon spokesman told reporters earlier...

Homes damaged after tornado hits community in Dania Beach

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:00 GMT

As South Florida deals with flooded areas due to heavy rains, it wasn’t just water damage after a community in Dania Beach was hit by a tornado. The strong winds Wednesday night ripped a roof of off a home. Homes on Jamaica Drive near Bryan Road were impacted by the heavy winds. Residents in the area were up early Thursday morning trying to help each other clean up the mess after a scary night. A storm ripped up a mobile home after dark, which left a trail of damage.“We don’t know, we had a bad storm last night, about 10, 10:30 p.m.” said a resident.“It started to spin like anything here, just on this street, Jamaica Street,” said a resident.Pieces of homes were scattered throughout the neighborhood. “There was rain, and rain, and rain, and at one moment, everything went quiet,” a resident said. “I got goosebumps and I said to my friend, ‘Something is happening,’ and then a few seconds after, we saw everything going. ...

Shirtless Florida man hides in tree after car chase for approximately two hours before being apprehended by Port Orange Police Department

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:00 GMT

(TMX) – A Florida man who fled police was apprehended by a K-9 unit after he fell out of a tree on Tuesday, authorities said.According to the Port Orange Police Department, officers attempted to stop a silver Nissan Maxima near South Nova Road and Isabelle Avenue on April 11. The driver fled, and officers pursued.Videos shared by the Port Orange Police department the pursuit from the air and the ground.Police deployed stop sticks in an attempt to stop the vehicle, and the Volusia Sheriff’s Office joined the pursuit with its Air 1 helicopter unit. The helicopter spotted the vehicle pulling into the backyard of an uninvolved residence on Nob Hill Boulevard.The male driver and female passenger both fled the vehicle on foot. Kaitlyn McCartney was apprehended nearby.A K-9 team from the Edgewater Police Department joined the search for the driver, who was found about two hours later up in a tree.Video shows officers approaching the driver, identified as Jonathan Kiser, with their w...

Capitol police officer who aided Jan 6 rioter gets probation

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:00 GMT

A U.S. Capitol police officer who tried to help a Virginia fisherman avoid criminal charges for storming the building his law enforcement colleagues defended was sentenced on Thursday to two years of probation and four months of home detention.Michael Angelo Riley, a 25-year police veteran, was on duty when a mob attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, injuring more than 100 officers. Riley’s voice cracked as he lamented how his “awful judgment” cost him his career, tarnished his reputation, ended friendships in the department and traumatized his family.“The amount of regret and remorse I have over this situation in unimaginable,” Riley told U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson before she sentenced him.Before the hearing, prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of two years and three months for Riley. Jackson agreed to spare him a term of imprisonment.The judge said Riley’s actions were “shocking conduct for any member of law enforcement.”“You knew exactly how ba...

Germany approves Poland’s request to send old fighter jets to Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:00 GMT

The German government wants to allow Poland’s delivery of Soviet-designed fighter jets to Ukraine, Süddeutsche Zeitung said Thursday, quoting government sources. This concerns five MiG-29 jets from old GDR stocks that Germany had given to Poland in 2002, the outlet writes.The delivery of the MiG-29 jets does not add a new quality to the equipment of the Ukrainian armed forces, which renders the decision less problematic than the delivery of Western combat aircraft, the German government reportedly argues.Germany has been under pressure from allies when it was holding the delivery of German-made tanks for several months and Poland in particular pressuring Berlin by saying that it was ready to go ahead without Germany’s consent.Poland’s President Andrzej Duda Andrzej said last week that his country had already delivered eight MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine and added that it was able to deliver the whole remaining fleet, which would include those of German origin.Sale...

Leaks show US is underestimating us again, Ukrainian officials fume

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:00 GMT

KYIV — Ukrainian officials are fuming over the leak of classified United States intelligence documents — some stamped “top secret” — that were initially shared on a social media site associated with gamers, before subsequently spreading more widely. Their ire lies less with the assessments of Ukrainian military preparedness and resilience, or the highlighted shortfalls in weaponry — including air defense missiles — but more with the pessimism regarding Ukraine’s chances of capturing significant amounts of territory when an expected counteroffensive is likely launched in the next couple months. Publicly, Ukrainian authorities are downplaying the leaks, saying they won’t impact relations between Kyiv and Washington. And following a telephone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on April 11 that “‪@SecBlinken reaffirmed the...

Germany’s Baerbock stresses alliance with US on Taiwan in riposte to Macron

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:00 GMT

BERLIN — Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Thursday significantly distanced Berlin from contentious remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron that cast doubt over whether Europe would help the U.S. if communist China invades democratic Taiwan. Macron triggered fears about the transatlantic alliance over the weekend with comments that Europe should chart an independent course on Taiwan, by not acting as a “follower” to the U.S. and not getting involved in crises that were not its concern. His words sparked particular dismay among those who view the U.S. as Europe’s key security ally — notably being the main party arming Ukraine against Russia. Speaking during a visit to China, Baerbock said the EU “cannot be indifferent” to tensions over Taiwan, while stressing that close partnerships with partners with shared values like the U.S. would be crucial “when we face our own security threats” such as with Russia.“We are cur...

Poland busts Russian cyber spies targeting European diplomats

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:00 GMT

The Russian hackers behind the SolarWinds campaign have been extracting information from ministries and diplomatic entities of European Union and NATO countries, the Polish military and national CERT revealed Thursday.The campaign, which is still ongoing, according to a government statement, used emails impersonating embassies of European countries to target personnel at diplomatic posts. “The aim of publishing the advisory is to disrupt the ongoing espionage campaign, impose additional cost of operations against allied nations and enable the detection, analysis and tracking of the activity by affected parties and the wider cyber security industry,” the statement reads.In the body of the message or in an attached PDF, an invitation to a meeting would open a link directing the receiver to a downloadable file or to the ambassador’s calendar, which would then infect them with malware.Many of the elements observed in the campaign, including the techniques used and the tools, overl...

NYT: Leader of online group where leak documents were posted is a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:00 GMT

(CNN) — A 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman has been identified by The New York Times as the leader of an online gaming chat group where a trove of classified documents was posted. The Times reported Thursday that investigators want to talk to the service member and believe he has information relevant to the FBI’s ongoing investigation into the leak.CNN has not independently verified the identity of the chat leader or the FBI’s interest in talking with him.President Joe Biden appeared to suggest Thursday that the US government is close to identifying the leaker.“There’s a full-blown investigation going on, as you know,” Biden said when asked for comment about the leaks. “The intelligence community and the Justice Department. And they’re getting close. I don’t have an answer for you.”Biden was speaking in Dublin, where he is meeting the Irish president. It was the first time he co...

MBTA: Blue Line worker injured while performing maintenance work near Revere Beach Station

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:16:00 GMT

A Blue Line worker was injured early Thursday morning while performing scheduled maintenance work on the catenary system, according to the MBTA. The incident occurred near Revere Beach Station just before 1 a.m., transit officials say. The worker is receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. The T says an investigation into why this happened is underway.At the start of service, shuttle buses replaced Blue Line trains until approximately 7 a.m. Thursday, when train service was restored between Orient Heights and Bowdoin stations. Shuttle buses remain in place between Orient Heights and Wonderland as of 12 p.m. while crews continue repairs near Revere Beach Station.MBTA officials say the Department of Public Utilities and the Federal Transit Administration were notified of the incident. No additional information has been released.