Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the US illegally, was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court. He appeared briefly before a judge and wore a white jumpsuit over a weathered black hooded sweatshirt. He did not speak. He will remain jailed ahead of his next court date on Friday. The apparently random attack occurred on Sunday morning on a stationary F train at the Coney Island station in Brooklyn. Police said on Tuesday that identification of the victim was still “pending at this time”. Authorities say Zapeta approached the woman, who was sitting motionless in the train car and may have been sleeping, and used a lighter to set her clothing on fire. The woman quickly became engulfed in flames, while the suspect then sat at a bench on the subway platform and watched, according to police. Video posted to social media appeared to show the woman standing inside the train ablaze as some people look on from the platform, and at least one officer walks by. NYPD chief of transit Joseph Gulotta said that several officers had responded to the fire and one stayed to keep the crime scene “the way it’s supposed to be” while the others went to get fire extinguishers and transit workers. They were eventually able to douse the fire, but “unfortunately, it was too late”, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said — the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. During Zapeta’s court hearing on Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg said Zapeta at one point fanned the flames on the woman using his shirt. He said a 911 call from a subway rider helped identify Zapeta. Mr Rottenberg added that under interrogation Zapeta claimed he did not know what happened, noting that he consumes alcohol. But he alleged that Zapeta identified himself to interrogators in images related to the attack. Zapeta was taken into custody on Sunday afternoon while riding a train on the same subway line after police got a tip from some teenagers who recognised him from images circulated by the police. A Brooklyn address for Zapeta released by police matches a shelter that provides housing and substance abuse support. The shelter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Federal immigration officials said Zapeta had been previously deported in 2018 but at some point reentered the US illegally. The crime — and the graphic video of it that ricocheted across social media — deepened a growing sense of unease among some New Yorkers about the safety of the subway system in a city where many residents take the subway multiple times each day.casino games keno 。

From Matt Gaetz to Pete Hegseth to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., several of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks have faced major blowback and media opposition campaigns aimed at derailing their nominations. But one pick conservatives were bracing for a knock-down, drag-out fight over is seemingly sailing toward confirmation despite early wailing from Democrats: would-be FBI Director Kash Patel. Patel was the former Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Defense and rose to prominence after being a vocal critic of the Mueller investigation into “Russian interference” during the 2016 election, which turned up nothing but caused a major distraction during Trump’s first term. Democrats viciously opposed the Patel pick, citing an “enemies list” from his book and his pledges to clean out the federal bureaucracy of disruptive and disloyal elements , but if the Senate is at all phased by it, it’s unnoticeable. Sources said Patel has been able to rise above the fray due to the legwork he’s put in with lawmakers in the years leading up to Trump’s second election. A source close to Patel said his commitment to advancing the MAGA agenda drove him to continue cultivating relationships with Senate Republicans even while Trump was out of office. That singular focus paid off, and the work he put in now has him on the cusp of serving in a critical position in the second Trump administration he hoped would eventually arrive. (RELATED: Kash Patel Wants The FBI Out Of The Spying Game — Here’s Where He Could Start) “I was aware of Kash Patel by reputation during the Trump administration, but really got to know him over the last couple of years. We’d often chat when he would swing through town. I found he had keen political instincts and was also just a delightful person to talk and strategize with,” Utah Sen. Mike Lee told the Caller. “Long before his name was on the shortlist to lead the FBI, I knew he was a dedicated patriot who has experienced firsthand the corrupt bureaucracy we’re going to hold accountable in Trump’s second term,” the senator added. Patel has met with more than a dozen senators since getting the FBI nod, and many have publicly come out in support of him. The Trump transition, Politico reported , expected more pushback to the FBI pick. But it hasn’t materialized, in part because senators already know Patel and what to expect from him in office. Several key senators told the Caller that over the last three years they have cultivated a relationship with Patel, discussing national security and the America first agenda. Working with Devin Nunes, Kash Patel was instrumental in dismantling the Russia Hoax. He was the author of the famous memo that exposed how the FBI lied in FISA warrants to spy on Carter Page. He exposed how the bogus Steele Dossier was funded by Hillary’s campaign and used... — Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 1, 2024 “I’ve been following his career for a while since he was working with Devin Nunes and exposing the Russia Hoax and FISA abuse. We connected at a few events and have stayed in touch over the years. He’s come by my office and been a great sounding board on national security and beyond,” Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall told the Caller. Ahead of Trump’s announcement, Patel was floated to be in the running for a top role in the FBI or the Department of Justice. When Gaetz withdrew his name from the attorney general running and former Florida AG Pam Bondi was tapped to replace him, the noise about Patel to the FBI got louder. The anticipated choice of Patel caused “shockwaves” – but only for a short time. One former official told CBS News that he was “by far the most dangerous pick.” NBC News wrote that he hosted a show for “a conspiracy-filled, far-right media organization,” the Epoch Times. Slate complained about Patel’s “terrifying” “enemies list.” (RELATED: James Carville Apparently Thinks All Indians Look Alike, Mixes Up Kash Patel With Daily Caller Publisher) But one by one, senators pledged their support. And perhaps the strongest sign yet that Patel is likely to be confirmed came when his would-be predecessor, Chris Wray, resigned this month . “Since I got to DC, Kash has been one of my go-to people to call with questions about defense or national security. His breadth of experience and handle on these critical issues is truly unmatched,” Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville told the Caller. Before Patel entered the Trump administration, he was known around the Capitol as a national security advisor and senior counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. That experience has proven fruitful in building relationships with Congressional leaders over the past few years. “His work to help uncover the FBI’s mishandling of the Russia collusion hoax, known as the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, make him uniquely positioned to begin a new day at the bureau, ensuring they can return to their number one mission of fighting crime and protecting the country,” a spokesperson for Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told the Caller. Ahead of his appointment, Patel earned attention for speaking out against the weaponization of the surveillance state and recently called for a “24/7 declassification office.” He has previously proposed taking the FBI headquarters, shutting it down and turning it into a museum. this kind of thing remains the bull case for Kash Patel: how many senior GOP officials are former public defenders (thankless work Patel did for 8 years in Miami)? Work echoed by a hostage rescue drive into Syria in summer 2020– when few in the world cared about Syria pic.twitter.com/XVz0LmbDLz — Curt Mills (@CurtMills) December 22, 2024 “Kash’s drive to lead the FBI is deeply personal, rooted in his family’s story. His father fled a genocidal dictatorship where there was no law and order, seeking the safety and opportunity America provides,” Erica Knight, a spokesperson for Patel, told the Caller. “He’s spent the last few years deliberately building relationships with senators, meeting with them, and preparing for this moment,” she continued.

RJ Thompson scored 23 points -- including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 56 seconds left -- as Charleston Southern shocked host Miami 83-79 on Saturday afternoon. Miami entered the game as a 23.5-point favorite. Charleston (2-7) won its first game of the season away from home after losing its previous six road or neutral-court contests. The Buccaneers also got 21 points from Thompson Camara and 20 points and 11 rebounds from Taje' Kelly. Camara match his previous career point total. Miami (3-4), playing at home for the first time in two weeks, lost its fourth straight game. Brandon Johnson led Miami with 23 points and freshman Austin Swartz scored a career-high 15. Swartz entered the game averaging just 2.3 points For the first time this season, Miami was without Nijel Pack, who has a lower-body injury. Pack leads the team in scoring (15.2) and assists (4.7). With Pack out, five-star freshman Jalil Bethea made his first start and had six points. The game featured quite a contrast in coaches. Miami's Jim Larranaga, 75, has won 743 games in 41-plus seasons. Charleston Southern's Saah Nimley, 31, is in his full first season as a head coach. He was named interim coach in November 2023. In the first half, Miami raced to a 17-10 lead. However, Charleston Southern posted an 11-0 run to grab a 21-17 advantage. The Hurricanes lost control late in the first half as Miami's Johnson hit a 3-pointer and was hit with a technical foul for taunting. Later in the first half, Larranaga was also hit with a technical. By the end of the half, the Buccaneers led 45-37. Camara led Charleston Southern with 16 first-half points on 6-for-7 shooting, including 4-of-5 on 3-pointers. Johnson scored 12 for Miami in the opening half, all on 3-pointers. In the second half, Charleston Southern stretched its lead to 13. Miami rallied as the clock wound down. With 38 seconds left, Miami called a timeout while trailing 81-79. With 15 seconds left, Swartz missed a 3-pointer and the Buccaneers got the rebound. Daylen Berry made two free throws with 11 seconds left to ice the game. Up next, Miami will host No. 19 Arkansas on Tuesday night as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. Charleston Southern will return home to face Tennessee-Martin on Tuesday night. --Field Level Media

HARTFORD, Conn. — The UConn women’s basketball team remained ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll for the fifth straight week and continued receiving first-place votes after winning the Baha Mar Women’s Championship. The Huskies earned seven of a possible 32 first-place votes entering Week 5, coming in behind No. 1 UCLA with 25. UConn recorded its second ranked win of the season over No. 18 Ole Miss, 73-60, in the Bahamas on Wednesday, and the team also handled Oregon State 71-52 at the tournament to improve to 6-0. UConn star Paige Bueckers was also named Big East Player of the Week for the second time this season for her performance at the Baha Mar Women’s Championship. The redshirt senior averaged 26 points, five assists, 3.5 rebounds and two steals per game across the Huskies’ pair of wins, shooting 66.7% from the field and 55.6% from 3-point range. She currently has the highest field goal percentage in the country among players averaging 22 points or more. After hosting Holy Cross at Gampel Pavilion on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, SNY), UConn is headed into a gauntlet of ranked opponents beginning with No. 22 Louisville on Saturday in the Women’s Champions Classic at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Huskies then travel to South Bend, Indiana on Dec. 12 to face Notre Dame, which dropped seven places to No. 10 after losses to both TCU and Utah in Week 4. The Irish still have an elite ceiling with a statement win over No. 6 USC on their resume, and No. 9 TCU skyrocketed into the top 10 for the first time in program history with the upset. Duke also made its season debut in the top 10 at No. 8 after beating No. 11 Oklahoma last week. The Huskies will face No. 20 Iowa State at Mohegan Sun Arena in the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase on Dec. 17, and the Cyclones have also looked less than their best over the past two weeks. They entered the season ranked No. 8 but plummeted after a loss to Northern Iowa on Nov. 20, and No. 3 South Carolina routed them 76-36 last Thursday. UConn then concludes its loaded slate on Dec. 21 with a sold-out home showdown against USC, a rematch from last year’s Elite Eight. AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll: Week 5 UCLA UConn South Carolina Texas LSU USC Maryland Duke TCU Notre Dame Oklahoma Ohio State Kansas State Kentucky West Virginia North Carolina Iowa Ole Miss Alabama Iowa State Illinois Louisville Michigan Michigan State Nebraska ©2024 Hartford Courant. Visit at courant.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

CHANTILLY, Va., Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN), announced today that the official inauguration took place on 27 November 2024 for the $27 billion Riyadh Metro. Parsons is one of three consultants working as part of a Parsons-led joint venture known as the Riyadh Metro Transit Consultants (RMTC), along with Egis and SYSTRA, providing project and construction management on two of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City’s (RCRC) Riyadh Metro contracts which Parsons has now successfully delivered. “From its inception, the Riyadh Metro was conceived as a transformative project to reshape urban mobility and dramatically improve the lives of residents and visitors alike. On behalf of Parsons, a long-term partner of the RCRC, and the lead consultant for the delivery of this world-class system, I would like to congratulate His Majesty King Salman and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman on its first day of operations,” said Pierre Santoni, President, Infrastructure EMEA at Parsons. “We look forward to supporting the city of Riyadh and the Kingdom in the successful completion of subsequent stages of the metro and the wider Saudi Vision 2030, by using global experience and deep local expertise to deliver excellence on every project.” The Riyadh Metro is set to be the longest driverless metro line in the world, made up of 176.5 kilometers of track, 86 transit stations, and 7 rail depots. The project marks a significant milestone in the Kingdom's infrastructure development journey. In addition to using the latest technology to provide a world-class transportation experience, the project addresses Riyadh’s traffic challenges and will improve traffic flows, reduce commute times and alleviate traffic congestion creating a more sustainable future for the capital city in line with the Saudi Vision 2030. As of August 2024, RMTC worked more than 7 million hours lost time injury free, which is a testament to the health, safety and environment (HSE) measures implemented on the project. The project has had more than 450,000 HSE inductions and over 13,000 HSE campaigns. Parsons has partnered with more than 400 rail and transit clients, working on large, complex brownfield expansion and greenfield projects around the world. With a presence in EMEA spanning more than 65 years, Parsons brings deep domain expertise across project and program management, urban development, transportation (including rail, metro, aviation, roads, and ports), smart mobility, asset management, and master planning. About Parsons Parsons (NYSE: PSN) is a leading disruptive technology provider in the national security and global infrastructure markets, with capabilities across cyber and intelligence, space and missile defense, transportation, environmental remediation, urban development, and critical infrastructure protection. Please visit Parsons.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook to learn how we’re making an impact. To join Parsons in creating the future of the Middle East, visit parsons.com/mea . Media Contact: Lara Masri +971 4 4029767 Lara.Masri@parsons.com Investor Relations Contact: Dave Spille + 1 703.775.6191 Dave.Spille@parso ns.comBryce Thompson scores 17 points and Oklahoma State beats Miami 80-74 in the Charleston Classic

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A late goal from the Toronto Sceptres propelled the hosts to a 3-1 win over the Boston Fleet in the PWHL season opener. Hilary Knight took a late boarding call, and Toronto’s Hannah Miller capitalized on the power play with just 1:38 left in the third period to put Toronto up by a goal. Fleet goaltender Aerin Frankel headed to the bench for the empty net, and Emma Maltais scored the empty netter to finish off the Fleet.Wall Street inches higher to set more records