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19-year-old indicted for trafficking China-made Glock switches in Illinois

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:33 GMT

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A Cahokia Heights, Illinois, man was arraigned Monday in federal court for allegedly scheming to import Glock switches from China to St. Clair County.Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois said Carlos Akins, 19, ordered 30 machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) from China between late 2022 and January 2023.These devices are small, about the size of a nickel, and can convert a standard, semi-automatic pistol into a fully-automatic weapon.According to the indictment, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Chicago discovered a package containing 10 MCDs (or Glock switches) en route to an East St. Louis address in December 2022.CBP notified the Illinois State Police. State troopers and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives went and arrested Akins at that address. Person dragged onto front lawn, killed during home invasion on Sunday morning Following the arrest, prosecutors claim ...

NBA Finals roundtable: Should Nuggets replace Michael Porter Jr. in starting lineup with Bruce Brown?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:33 GMT

Mark Kiszla, sports columnistThe championship series is a bad place to have a crisis of confidence, and Nuggets coach Michael Malone clearly doesn’t trust Michael Porter Jr. Rather than assign blame for this uneasy relationship, I’d like to focus on how to beat the Heat. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra adjusted his lineup prior to Game 2. Is Malone willing to do the same? I know Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth thinks Bruce Brown is too small to take major minutes away from MPJ. But if Miami is hurting Denver from the perimeter with off-ball screens and 3-point shots, having Brown on the floor makes more sense, especially when Porter is clanking jumpers. Would benching MPJ wreck a fragile relationship with Malone? I don’t know. But I feel confident about this: Malone can be proactive, or he could wait until Denver loses Game 3, then have no choice but to shake things up.Bennett Durando, sports reporterToo early for that. Game 1 was proof that Porter can be a winning...

Broncos CB Damarri Mathis looks to solidify starting role in Year 2 after up-and-down rookie campaign

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:33 GMT

Life as a rookie in the NFL is rarely easy.Broncos cornerback Damarri Mathis learned that lesson in predictable ways and surprising ones during the 2022 season.Stepping in for injured Ronald Darby in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Mathis drew four defensive pass interference penalties as Justin Herbert and company picked on the first-time starter playing across from All-Pro Pat Surtain.Mathis’ season ended in Week 17, when he suffered a concussion against Kansas City. The next day, Mathis watched helplessly as one of his closest college teammates at Pitt, Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin, went into cardiac arrest on the field after a hit to the chest.Mathis now can look back on that day and Hamlin’s ensuing, miraculous recovery, with a sense of relief, though it still hits close to home.“It was scary when it happened,” Mathis told The Post. “I’d never seen anything like that before in football. I’m glad to see his journey and see him continue to play football and get back on th...

Young white sharks more common along Southern California coast than previously thought, study finds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:33 GMT

California State University Long Beach’s Shark Lab has documented just how close and how often juvenile white sharks are approaching swimmers and surfers off the Southern California coast.Researchers used drones to document the activity across 26 Southern California beaches for two years.They often found young white sharks coming very close to people and the people never even noticing.The good news: In all the interactions they documented, researches didn’t find any shark bites.The sharks are currently flocking to Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County and Del Mar in San Diego County, where 20 interactions a day were documented, researchers said.In some cases, a shark came within 60 feet of a swimmer or surfer.Several sharks swim near the Southern California shore in this undated photo. (Patrick Rex)A shark circles an unsuspecting boarder in this undated photo. (Patrick Rex)A shark swims near unsuspecting boarders in this undated photo. (Patrick Rex)A shark circles an unsuspecting boar...

Is there really a market for a $3,500 Apple headset?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:33 GMT

Shares of tech giant Apple fell about 1% Monday despite a slew of product announcements, including a $3,500 headset for augmented and virtual reality.What is Wall Street saying about the company's much-anticipated new gadget?Best guess, traders are wondering who this product is for. At $3,500, it doesn't seem to be targeting gamers, who many tech analysts have long said would be at the forefront of virtual-reality adoption.It also doesn't seem to be pitched as a revolution in home entertainment. Anyone who can afford the hefty price tag of Apple's Vision Pro headset probably already has a state-of-the-art home-theater setup.So who is this for? Developers? OK, fine. But that's not nearly a large enough market to justify the millions that went into creating the device.So that's one question mark.Another is whether there's much interest in, or need for, augmented and virtual reality. Facebook parent Meta has invested billions into getting this market off the ground, and so far has noth...

Pardhu Gunnam: Scaling Success from Classroom to C-suite

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:33 GMT

Pardhu Gunnam, an entrepreneur and data platform engineer, has defied all odds on his ascent from the classroom to the C-suite. With a remarkable trajectory marked by academic achievements, stellar corporate promotions at LinkedIn, and an eventual entrepreneurial journey, Pardhu’s story is an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals alike.Born in India into a middle-class family with limited educational guidance, Pardhu’s inherent brilliance was evident from his early years. He achieved numerous academic awards and scholarships in school, consistently proving his intellectual prowess. Pardhu’s tenacity—combined with his intellect—culminated with him securing an All India rank of 118 among 330,000 students, an honor which won him a college scholarship to the prestigious National Institute of Technology Warangal.After acquiring foundational industry knowledge at Cisco Systems and NetApp India, Pardhu recognized the need for advanced academic credentials to elevate...

Buy Gabapentin Online – Verified Seller in the USA

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:33 GMT

If you are seeking a website to buy Gabapentin in the USA, an Indian pharmacy is undoubtedly an option to consider.It is critical to find a reputable website that has been in business for some time when looking for a vendor to buy Gabapentin online. You can purchase medication from a number of online pharmacies, but not all of them offer excellent customer service.If you want to buy Gabapentin online with free delivery then choose SafeGenericStore, because it is an Indian online pharmacy where you will get genuine medicine at a cheap price.SafeGenericStore [verified seller]The most secure and trusted Indian online pharmacy to buy Gabapentin online.Why buy Gabapentin from SafeGenericStore?SafeGenericStore online pharmacy allows you to buy gabapentin online in the USA.Why choose us? Here are the reasons:Only certified quality medicines are sold.Affordable prices that are lower than in other pharmacies.Possibility of buying medicine without a prescription.Gabapentin is priced from $0.8...

Steven Salvatore’s “No Perfect Places”: An LA Celebration

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:33 GMT

Critically acclaimed author and founder of Queerative Writers, Steven Salvatore, returns to the literary scene with another riveting young adult novel, “No Perfect Places”. The book, released on May 30, 2023, is already creating ripples in the literary world, captivating audiences with its compelling narrative that delves deep into themes of grief, family secrets, and self-identity.“No Perfect Places” unveils the tangled lives of twins Alex and Olly Brucke. After their father’s incarceration and sudden death, they unearth a life-changing secret that threatens to upend their precarious existence. Amidst the shadows of loss and betrayal, the twins must confront their father’s past, mend their fractured relationship, and navigate the tumultuous currents of belonging against overwhelming odds.A native New Yorker with a deep-seated passion for storytelling, Salvatore’s previous works have received wide acclaim. From his debut novel “Can’t Take That Away̶...

Andrea Jaeger: A Tennis Prodigy Turned Philanthropist 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:33 GMT

Andrea Jaeger, formerly the No. 2 tennis player in the world, is now a prominent philanthropist. Jaeger founded and has led the Little Star Foundation for 38 years.Little Star FoundationJaeger used winnings from her tennis career to create the Little Star Foundation. The Foundation provides long-term care to children who have cancer or are in need. It provides financial help, therapeutic play, outreach, educational assistance, arts and wellness programs, and medical care. The Foundation aims to help children enjoy their lives, despite their diagnoses. Examples of the Foundation’s work include:Daily, Emergency and Long Term Care.Providing college scholarships.Financing family retreats and travel for hospital visits.Providing Hospice Support.Many of Jaeger’s fellow former tennis pros donate to the 501(c)(3) organization, which Jaeger leads as president. In 1990, the Jefferson Awards gave Jaeger the Samuel S. Beard Award for Greatest Public Service from a person 35 years ol...

Abdallah Salloum Breaks Down How to Design and Drive Change in Organizations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:33 GMT

Abdallah Salloum knows the ins and outs of transforming business processes in ways that best impact results, organization-wide. While beginning his career as a line worker at Mazda’s motor manufacturing plant, Mr. Salloum was busy completing his college studies. He has built a rich resume of experiences that require a head for business systems and acumen in project management.By 2017, Abdallah Salloum was leading GE Healthcare’s flagship MRI supply chain division to $2.5 billion in revenue. Along the way to successes such as these, he has discovered the key components to designing and driving change in large organizations.“I’ve spent 34 years in industrial manufacturing,” says Mr. Salloum, “and the landscape for onboarding the best talent is changing. Instead of bringing people in and spending time training and orienting and teaching the basic job, we’re finding that the most success comes when we find the talent that comes in and can hit the ground running, to the extent any new jo...