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At-large Iranian man charged in plot to assassinate Trump

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From The Center Square

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The U.S. Justice Department on Friday filed criminal charges against an Iranian citizen allegedly assigned to build a team to attempt to assassinate then presidential candidate and now President-elect Donald Trump, as well as others.

Farhad Shakeri, 51, of Iran, remains at large and is believed to be in Tehran.

“There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement. “The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran’s assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald Trump.”

Also charged were Carlisle Rivera, 49, of Brooklyn, New York; and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, of Staten Island, New York. Rivera and Loadholt, who are in custody, are charged in connection to an attempt to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin in New York, the Justice Department says.

“We have also charged and arrested two individuals who we allege were recruited as part of that network to silence and kill, on U.S. soil, an American journalist who has been a prominent critic of the regime,” Garland said. “We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security.”

According to the criminal complaint, Shakeri was ordered by an unnamed member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to build a team to plot to kill Trump.

“The charges announced today expose Iran’s continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump, other government leaders and dissidents who criticize the regime in Tehran,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – a designated foreign terrorist organization – has been conspiring with criminals and hitmen to target and gun down Americans on U.S. soil and that simply won’t be tolerated.”

​Dan McCaleb is the executive editor of The Center Square. He welcomes your comments. Contact Dan at [email protected].

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Environment

Experiments to dim sunlight will soon be approved by UK government: report

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From LifeSiteNews

By Emily Mangiaracina

Dimming the sunlight poses serious dangers, including by blocking vitamin D, potentially reducing rainfall, and releasing toxins into the environment.

Experiments aimed at dimming sunlight with the stated goal of reducing “global warming” will be approved by the U.K. government within weeks, according to The Telegraph.

Professor Mark Symes, the program director for Aria (Advanced Research and Invention Agency), said the organization has planned “small controlled outdoor experiments on particular approaches” to sunlight dimming.

These trials could include “injecting aerosols into the atmosphere, or brightening clouds,” which are both Sunlight Reflection Methods (SRM). Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) involves spraying sea-salt particles into the sky to make low-lying clouds more reflective.

It is unclear what kind of aerosols are being considered for the trials, although according to geoengineering.global, sulfate aerosols as well as black carbon, metallic aluminum, aluminum oxide, and barium titanate aerosols are “being considered for this solar radiation management approach.” Metallic aerosols in particular would raise health concerns for human beings as well as animal and plant life.

Symes has insisted to the public that the experiments won’t release toxic substances but has not specified what they will involve. “We have strong requirements around the length of time experiments can run for and their reversibility and we won’t be funding the release of any toxic substances to the environment,” he said.

Geoengineering.global admits that stratospheric aerosol injection poses dangers such as the possibility of reduced rainfall in certain areas, with accompanying “loss of crops and access to freshwater.”

According to The Telegraph, researchers have said in recent years that pollution above shipping routes has caused clouds above them to become brighter than normal, bringing about an overall dimming effect by reflecting sunlight back into the atmosphere.

While the scientific establishment often claims there is a “consensus” that the earth is warming, and, moreover, at a dangerous rate, six top international scientists released findings in 2022 that projected a cooling of the Northern hemisphere until the 2050s, and, by extension, the rest of the globe.

Most compellingly, over 1,100 scientists and professionals signed a “World Climate Declaration (WCD)“ in 2022 declaring that “There is no climate emergency,” even if the globe is warming. They point out that “Earth’s climate has varied for as long as the planet has existed, with natural cold and warm periods,” and add that “warming is far slower than predicted.”

The question of global warming aside, the effects of dimmed sunlight from even short-term experiments could have detrimental effects on mental and physical health. Sunlight is a critical source of vitamin D, which is needed to help defend against infections. Those who live above the 37th parallel are already said to be exposed to insufficient amounts of sunlight for vitamin D production during the fall and winter.

Dimmed sunlight could also put people at increased risk of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression linked to reduced levels of sunlight during the winter. According to researchers, the mechanism behind SAD involves lowered serotonin levels and a disrupted circadian rhythm caused by lack of sunlight.

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Business

Chinese firm unveils palm-based biometric ID payments, sparking fresh privacy concerns

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By Ken Macon

Alipay’s biometric PL1 scanner uses vein and palm-print data for processing payments, raising security concerns over the storage and use of permanent biometric data.

Alipay, the financial arm of Alibaba, has introduced a new palm-based biometric terminal, dubbed the PL1, which enables individuals to make purchases simply by presenting their hand – no phone, card, or PIN required. Positioned as a faster, touch-free alternative for payment, this system reflects a growing industry shift toward frictionless biometric transactions.

At the core of the PL1 is a dual-mode recognition system that combines surface palm print detection with internal vein mapping. This multi-layered authentication relies on deeply unique biological signatures that are significantly harder to replicate than more common methods like fingerprints or facial scans. Alipay reports that the device maintains a false acceptance rate of less than one in a million, suggesting a substantial improvement in resisting identity spoofing.

Enrollment is designed to be quick: users hover their palm over the sensor and link their account through a QR code. Once registered, purchases are completed in around two seconds without physical interaction. During early trials in Hangzhou, this system reportedly accelerated checkout lines and contributed to more hygienic point-of-sale environments.

The PL1 arrives at a time of rapid expansion in the biometric payments sector. Forecasts estimate that more than 3 billion people will use biometrics for transactions by 2026, with total payments surpassing $5 trillion. Major players are already onboard: Amazon has integrated palm authentication across U.S. retail and healthcare facilities, while JP Morgan is gearing up for a national deployment in the same year.

Alipay envisions the PL1’s use extending well beyond checkout counters. It is exploring applications in public transit, controlled access facilities, and healthcare check-ins, reflecting a broader trend toward embedding biometric systems in daily infrastructure. However, while domestic deployment benefits from favorable policy conditions, international expansion may be constrained by differing legal standards, particularly in jurisdictions that enforce stringent rules on biometric data usage and consent.

Despite the technological advancements and convenience the PL1 offers, privacy remains a major point of contention. Unlike passwords or cards that can be reset or replaced, biometric data is immutable. If compromised, individuals cannot simply “change” their palm patterns or vein structures. This permanence heightens the stakes of any potential data breach and raises long-term concerns about identity theft and surveillance.

 

 

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