All posts tagged: investigate

Marijuana grow busted in Maine as feds investigate trend in 20 states

Marijuana grow busted in Maine as feds investigate trend in 20 states

Published by skeptic

PORTLAND, Maine — The high electricity consumption of a home, its cardboard-covered windows and odor of marijuana drew law enforcement’s attention to an illicit grow operation off the beaten path in rural Maine. The bust of the home with a hidden grow operation and seizure of nearly 40 pounds of processed marijuana marked the latest example of what authorities describe as a yearslong trend of foreign nationals to exploit U.S. state laws that have legalized cannabis for recreational or medical use to produce marijuana for the illicit markets in the U.S. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating international criminal organizations that are operating illegal marijuana grows in about 20 states, including Maine, Attorney Garland Merrick Garland told the Senate Appropriations Committee this week, in response to a question raised by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. Federal law enforcement officials said there currently are about 100 illicit grow operations in Maine, like the one in Passadumkeag, about 60 miles north of Bangor, and about 40 search warrants have been issued since June. In Passadumkeag, …

Police To Investigate Angela Rayner Over Residency Declaration

Police To Investigate Angela Rayner Over Residency Declaration

Published by skeptic

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner (Alamy) 2 min read12 April Greater Manchester Police have launched on investigation into whether deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner broke electoral law with incorrect information about her living arrangements. Police had initially said Rayner would not face investigation following questions over whether she had paid the correct amount of tax on the sale of a property, but have revised this decision after James Daly, Tory MP for Bury North, complained that the electoral roll had not been taken into account.  “We’re investigating whether any offences have been committed. This follows a reassessment of the information provided to us by Mr Daly,” a GMP spokesperson said.  Rayner has denied any wrongdoing. It is claimed she has given two separate addresses on the electoral register on two birth certificates. A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Angela welcomes the chance to set out the facts with the police. We remain completely confident that Angela has complied with the rules at all times and it’s now appropriate to let the police do its work.” …

UK counterterrorism police investigate attack on Iranian journalist outside his London home

UK counterterrorism police investigate attack on Iranian journalist outside his London home

Published by Sam

British counterterrorism police are investigating the stabbing of an Iranian television presenter outside his home in London as concern grows over threats to a Farsi-language satellite news channel long critical of Iran’s theocratic government.  Issued on: 30/03/2024 – 16:09 2 min Pouria Zeraati, a presenter at London-based Iran International, was stabbed in the leg Friday afternoon and is in stable condition at a hospital, the station said. His condition is not believed to be life-threatening. London’s Metropolitan Police Service said Zeraati’s occupation, together with recent threats to U.K.-based Iranian journalists, triggered the counterterrorism probe, even though the motivation for the attack is still unclear. “While we continue to assess the circumstances of this incident, detectives are following a number of lines of inquiry and our priority at this time is to try and identify whoever was behind this attack and to arrest them,” Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said in a statement.  “I appreciate the wider concern this incident may cause — particularly amongst others in similar lines of work, …

Kenan Thompson Urges Nickelodeon to “Investigate More” Abuse Claims After ‘Quiet on Set’

Kenan Thompson Urges Nickelodeon to “Investigate More” Abuse Claims After ‘Quiet on Set’

Published by skeptic

After coming of age on the sets of All That and its spin-off series Kenan & Kel in the 1990s, Kenan Thompson is speaking out about Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, an Investigation Discovery docuseries that details alleged abuse and wrongdoing at kids network Nickelodeon. “It’s tough. It’s a tough subject, you know?” Thompson said on Wednesday’s episode of Tamron Hall. “It’s tough for me because I can’t really speak on things that I never witnessed, you know what I’m saying? Because all these things happened after I left, basically.” Former network creator Dan Schneider, who exited Nickelodeon in 2018 amid toxicity allegations, is frequently accused of fostering an unsafe work environment at the network in the docuseries. Thompson attempted to distance himself from Schneider while addressing the project. “Dan wasn’t really on Kenan & Kel like that,” he explained. “I mean, he got a ‘created by’ credit, but it was a different showrunner, so our worlds weren’t really overly overlapping like that—outside of *All That—*necessarily. And then all of that …

Kenan Thompson speaks out on Dan Schneider allegations: ‘Investigate more’

Kenan Thompson speaks out on Dan Schneider allegations: ‘Investigate more’

Published by Sam

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Nickelodeon star Kenan Thompson has spoken out about the recent accusations made against producer Dan Schneider. Released earlier this month in the US, the documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV sees former Drake and Josh star Drake Bell come forward with allegations of sexual abuse, which he says he suffered aged 15. In it, Bell – who appeared on the network in several shows in the Noughties – alleged that he was a victim of abuse at the hands of Brian Peck, who worked as a dialogue coach on Nickelodeon’s All That and The Amanda Show. The programme also included allegations against former Nickelodeon executive producer Dan Schneider, who left the network in 2018 following a ViacomCBS investigation that deemed he committed verbal abuse on set, but found no evidence of sexual misconduct. He has since spoken out about the claims made in the …

Victoria Beckham fragrances her London home with Diptyque’s Figuier candle – is it worth copying her? We investigate…

Victoria Beckham fragrances her London home with Diptyque’s Figuier candle – is it worth copying her? We investigate…

Published by skeptic

As far as celebrity Instagram accounts go, Victoria Beckham’s is up there with our favourites – and personally, I’m always on the lookout for glimpses inside the incredible properties where she lives. You can imagine my delight then,  when she shared a look inside her beautiful West London home’s sitting room – which revealed not only a beautiful vase of spring blossoms but the scented candle which fragrances the room. In the snap of son Romeo reclining in an armchair in the chic space, we can clearly see a Diptyque candle – it’s the Figuier scent – aka the fig tree fragrance. Victoria shared the snap of Romeo in her Instagram stories – revealing her candle choice Royal fans will no doubt be familiar with the French brand, which was founded in 1961 – the brand was chosen by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to scent St George’s Chapel for their wedding (As revealed in Omid Scobie’s Finding Freedom book) the perfume they chose was Baies, however – not VB’s fave Figuier. So what’s all …

Police investigate Tory donor Frank Hester over ‘racist’ comments

Police investigate Tory donor Frank Hester over ‘racist’ comments

Published by skeptic

Rishi Sunak should challenge his Tory leadership critics to “put up or shut up”, George Osborne said.  The former chancellor said he believed voters would appreciate Mr Sunak showing a “flash of steel” to his rivals amid speculation he could face a potential challenge.  Mr Osborne told his Political Currency podcast: “[Sunak] is so worried about reigniting the Tory civil war… he’s allowed the civil war to be ignited without necessarily taking a strong position in it.  “I think it’d be very much to his credit to say, ‘look, there are some people in the party that don’t like what I’m doing, don’t like the way I’m leading it, fine, but I’ll tell you what, the way I’m doing it is moral, it’s economically competent, it’s going to deliver the results for Britain’. “And if they don’t like it, they can either put up or shut up.  And I think people would like a bit of a flash of steel.” Source link

Police investigate Labour selection contest over ‘computer misuse’ claims | Labour

Police investigate Labour selection contest over ‘computer misuse’ claims | Labour

Published by skeptic

A Labour parliamentary selection contest in London is being investigated by the police over allegations of “computer misuse” after a suspected data breach. The party’s selection process in the new Croydon East constituency was suspended last year amid complaints that local members’ data provided to some candidates was inaccurate. Labour said last week that the process had resumed, after its own internal investigation found that some of personal details of members in the constituency had been altered on a membership database without authorisation. The Metropolitan police said on Tuesday that its cybercrime team was conducting inquiries. A spokesperson for the force said: “We have received allegations of computer misuse in relation to an internal selection process for a political party in Croydon during October and November last year.” The latest development comes after one of the candidates in the contest withdrew last week, claiming that he had suffered “distressing level of abuse”. Joel Bodmer, an organiser with the trade union Unison, said in a statement posted online: “I do not want to expose myself or …

U.S. to investigate fatal Texas crash that may have involved Ford partially automated driving system

U.S. to investigate fatal Texas crash that may have involved Ford partially automated driving system

Published by skeptic

DETROIT —  The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a fatal crash in San Antonio involving a Ford electric vehicle that may have been using a partially automated driving system. The agency said in a statement Friday that a team of investigators from its Office of Highway Safety will travel to Texas and work with police on the Feb. 24 crash on Interstate 10. The NTSB said that preliminary information shows a Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV equipped with the company’s partially automated driving system rear-ended a Honda CR-V that was stopped in one of the highway lanes. Television station KSAT reported that the Mach-E driver told police the Honda was stopped in the middle lane with no lights on before the crash around 9:50 p.m. The 56-year-old driver of the CR-V was killed. “NTSB is investigating this fatal crash due to its continued interest in advanced driver assistance systems and how vehicle operators interact with these technologies,” the agency statement said. Ford’s Blue Cruise system allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel while …

‘Over 20 Countries’ to Investigate Russian War Crimes

‘Over 20 Countries’ to Investigate Russian War Crimes

Published by skeptic

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin spoke to VOA during a visit to Washington about the results of U.S.-Ukraine cooperation in ensuring justice for crimes committed during Russia’s war on Ukraine, the importance of U.S. assistance to Ukraine and the ways to make Russia pay for its aggression. Kostin highlighted cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute war crimes. “Not only Ukraine is bringing war criminals to justice, not only the International Criminal Court, but third countries as well,” Kostin said, noting a recent decision by the U.S. government to charge four Russian soldiers with war crimes in Ukraine. Kostin also argued for seizing sovereign Russian assets to compensate victims of Russian aggression via a compensation mechanism set up in The Hague. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. Oksana Bedratenko, Voice of America: What are your impressions from your meetings with American lawmakers and partners in the Department of Justice? Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine: In our area of ensuring justice, we see full support with regards to all elements …