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Queens Man Who Allegedly Wanted to Commit Attack for ISIS to Appeart in Court
A 19-year-old New York City man who had been arrested after telling undercover agents his aspirations to conduct a violent attack in the name of ISIS will appear in court on Friday. The Queens man allegedly exchanged messages with an undercover agent saying how he wanted to commit a knife attack or bombing in the borough, according to a source familiar with the investigation. He started trading messages with the undercover agent on August 23 after claiming in an online chatroom that he wanted to carry out the attack in the name of ISIS, a source told News 4. The suspect has been identified as Awais Chudhary of East Elmhurst. He allegedly ordered a knife through law enforcement and was arrested as he went to pick up the weapon at the SkyView shopping center in Flushing, a source close to the investigation said.
Judgment Day for Huffman, Facing Possible Prison for Scam
Actress Felicity Huffman is returning to court to be sentenced for her role in a sweeping college admissions bribery scandal. The "Desperate Housewives" star is scheduled to appear in Boston's federal court Friday after pleading guilty to a single count of conspiracy and fraud in May. She's the first parent to be sentenced among 34 charged in the scheme. Huffman has admitted to paying $15,000 to boost her older daughter's SAT scores in 2017 with the help of William "Rick" Singer, an admission consultant at the center of the scheme. Prosecutors say Huffman's daughter was unaware of the arrangement. Prosecutors have recommended a month in prison, along with supervised release and a $20,000 fine. Huffman's lawyers say she should get a year of probation, 250 hours of community service and a $20,000 fine.
NXIVM Alleged Cult Leader to Appear in Brooklyn Court
Cult-like self-improvement group leader Keith Raniere is expected to appear in a Brooklyn court on Friday following the release of a member's book excerpt to People Magazine where she described being branded with his initials. Actress Sarah Edmondson says she spent 12 years in the sex cult NXIVM and described the smell of burnt flesh as a cauterizing pen touched women's flesh. Raniere is now waiting for sentencing after being convicted of federal charges of sex-trafficking and coercing women into sex.
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Rare Full Harvest 'Micromoon' Will Rise on Friday the 13th
The so-called full "Harvest Moon" will emerge in the night sky this weekend. But don't be spooked by its appearance, it will be much smaller than usual. The harvest moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. This year, the moon will turn full just after midnight on Saturday, Sept. 14 for those living in the Eastern Time zone. But for people in the Central, Mountain, or Pacific time zones, this particular Harvest Moon will fall on Friday the 13th. While a split time-zone full moon is atypical — last occurring in 2014 — a full moon on Friday the 13th nationwide is very rare. The last time the U.S. had a Friday the 13th full moon was on Oct. 13, 2000 and the next one won't happen again until 2049, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
