Latest news with #Sellers
BBC News
10 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Gloucester car boot sale reopening date announced
The date that traders can return to a car boot sale site has been announced, seven months on from its Hempsted Meadow Car Boot Sale will reopen on Sunday 20 July after it was announced last month that Capital Boot Sales had been appointed by Gloucester City Council to run city council closed the car boot over the winter to work on the site and because the lease was up for renewal. It said the lease was won by the new operator following "a rigorous marketing process".Car boot sales will be held at the site every Wednesday and Sunday, with Capital Boot Sales saying it plans to open a "new goods only" free-to-enter Saturday market in the future. 'Overwhelmed' Capital Boot Sales said it has been "overwhelmed by the number of supportive messages it has received from buyers and sellers who are looking forward to using the site".A spokesman for the company added: "We will have a tiered price entry system for buyers that will enable us to achieve greater footfall than previously seen."We have managed to keep the main buyers and sellers prices the same. However, we have introduced some optional extras such as early set up for sellers and early entrance for buyers."A spokesperson for the city council said it was "sure people will be absolutely delighted that the Boot Sale is back"."What's just as pleasing is its going to be in the hands of an experienced operator with big plans for the future," they added.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Which QBs could be next to rise in NFL draft? These 10 prospects might soar in 2026
Which QBs could be next to rise in NFL draft? These 10 prospects might soar in 2026 Show Caption Hide Caption Best AFC 2025 NFL Draft picks USA TODAY's Tyler Dragon breaks down which teams in the AFC drafted the best this year. Sports Seriously Anyone looking for the next Cam Ward might want to settle in for an extended wait. To most, the No. 1 pick of the Tennessee Titans in this year's NFL draft didn't clear the threshold of a "generational" talent that his future team first floated months before his selection. But his path to the point is a unique one unlikely to be followed anytime soon. Passed over by almost every college as a zero-star quarterback who operated in a Wing-T offense in high school, he climbed from Incarnate Word at the Football Championship Subdivision to Washington State before last year transferring to Miami (Fla.), where he would become arguably the most dynamic passer in college football. At a position where players tend to be known commodities from their early high school years, it's unlikely that anyone will replicate this meteoric rise right away. But that doesn't mean that the outlook at quarterback in any given draft is static. In recent years, several quarterbacks have rocketed into the early first round, with the likes of Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr. and Anthony Richardson among those who changed the conversation about their capabilities thanks to stellar final seasons. With evaluation efforts now turning toward 2026, there are already several entities who have become fixtures of way-too-early mock drafts, including Penn State's Drew Allar, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and, yes, even Texas' Arch Manning. But keep an eye on these 10 quarterbacks who could enjoy a significant rise in next year's draft with a strong showing this upcoming season: LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina Maybe it seems like a cheat to include Sellers on this list, as he's squarely in the conversation of candidates to be the first quarterback taken next spring. To reach that point, however, he'll need to raise his baseline when operating from the pocket. Nevertheless, his inherent electricity as a dual-threat playmaker makes tolerating his unevenness more than worthwhile. The 6-3, 242-pounder might be one of the most formidable rushing threats behind center from the moment he enters the NFL, and he stands out as perhaps college football's pre-eminent creator thanks to his ability to deliver strikes to every level of the field. If Sellers can become a more decisive and anticipatory passer while also cleaning up the fumbling issues that dogged his debut starting campaign, he'll have few peers capable of measuring up to him in the draft. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana With Carson Beck (Georgia to Miami) and John Mateer (Washington State to Oklahoma) each headed to new schools, Mendoza was hardly the headliner among quarterbacks in this winter's transfer portal rush. But his move might be among the most consequential for next year's draft. In leaving Cal for Indiana, Mendoza departs a program that was sapped of its top talent – the Golden Bears lost five running backs to the transfer portal as well as their No. 1 receiver and tight end, among others – for one infusing its roster with even more promising players. After helping develop another tall, strong-armed transfer in Kurtis Rourke last season, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti should be well-positioned to guide the progress of his new 6-5, 225-pound passer. Mendoza can operate far more quickly and with more precision (68.7% completion rate last season) than Rourke did, but he'll need to better navigate pressure after taking 41 sacks last season – the most of any returning passer in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor The Mississippi State transfer didn't receive widespread recognition in 2024, as he only took over as starter three games into the year. Now, however, Robertson could be in line to receive his proper due. The 6-4, 220-pound signal-caller is one of the country's most precise downfield passers, and his heady play helped propel the Bears to a 6-0 run to end the regular season before the team fell to LSU in the Texas Bowl. His prototypical build and arm strength are major pluses, but his ability to balance an attacking mentality while infrequently putting the ball in harm's way reveals that he's more than merely just a package of traits. And with enough athleticism to escape the pocket and extend plays, he looks like exactly the kind of quarterback who can raise his profile significantly with another impressive campaign. Eli Holstein, Pitt After leaving Alabama following just one season spent redshirting, the former four-star recruit acclimated nicely to his new setting, throwing for 15 touchdowns in his first five games. The Panthers' up-tempo offense under new coordinator Kade Bell hit a midseason snag, however, with the team dropping its final six games after starting 7-0. Holstein's health played a major factor in that unraveling; the 6-4, 225-pounder missed almost the entirety of Pitt's final four contests due to leg and head injuries. With ample arm strength to push the ball downfield, the redshirt sophomore should have little trouble catching scouts' eyes, whether for the 2026 draft or beyond. Holstein will need to stay healthy and prove he can hold up against top competition after feasting on the leaner part of last year's schedule, but if he's afforded better protection along with more playmaking support at the skill positions, he could resume his ascent. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA True scorched-earth scenarios are few and far between in the NFL draft – at least for players of a certain level of ability. That's the silver lining for Iamaleava as he navigates the fallout from his unceremonious split with Tennessee following a practice no-show and widespread reports of a clash over name, image and likeness pay. The 6-6, 215-pound passer still has considerable work to do to deliver on the immense potential he teased as the former No. 2 overall recruit who built an immense buzz before even taking the field. But if he can elevate an offense that ranked in the bottom 10 in the FBS for scoring (18.4 points per game), Iamaleava can put the focus back on his physical tools and quiet – at least temporarily – the discussion about off-field matters. Dante Moore, Oregon Iamaleava isn't the only former five-star quarterback from the 2023 recruiting class in need of a do-over. Moore joined the Ducks last year after an inauspicious freshman campaign at UCLA in which he completed just 53.5% of his passes and threw for 11 touchdowns with nine interceptions. After sitting for a season, he'll take over an offense that boasted Heisman Trophy finalists in each of the last two years with Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel – who were both fellow transfers as well. Moore will have to reaffirm the poise and precision that made him such a highly sought-after recruit, but Oregon should equip him with the proper schematic and personnel support to allow him to flourish. Miller Moss, Louisville Few players in the transfer portal era have exhibited the patience of Moss, who spent three years as a backup before getting his shot to become the starter at USC. After setting a Holiday Bowl record with six touchdown passes in place of Caleb Williams and then opening last season with a dazzling win over LSU, everything seemed to be falling into place for him to be Lincoln Riley's next prized passer. But Moss was benched after nine games, and now he's taking over for the team he torched in his first career start. No one will confuse the 6-1, 205-pounder with Tyler Shough, the 6-5, 219-pound signal-caller who became a second-round draft pick – and potential rookie starter for the New Orleans Saints – thanks to his career resurgence with the Cardinals in 2024. But in teaming up with one of college football's most acclaimed offensive minds in coach Jeff Brohm, Moss could be poised to follow his predecessor's path with a reset that allows him to get his development back on track. Austin Simmons, Mississippi Placement on this list might seem far-fetched given that Simmons has yet to make a single start in his career. But after skipping two grades in high school and graduating from Mississippi earlier this month at 19, the 6-4, 215-pound lefty – who also was a relief pitcher for the school last year before deciding to focus on football – is a clear outlier. Simmons gave a glimpse of his capabilities when he stepped in temporarily for injured starter Jaxson Dart to complete five of six passes for 64 yards in the Rebels' upset win over Georgia last year. Now, he'll be counted on to keep Lane Kiffin's high-powered offense running strong after Dart's handle on the system helped him become a first-round pick. Given his inexperience and age, Simmons might be a name to watch further down the line. But if he proves himself comfortable against top competition, he's shown he has no problem operating ahead of schedule. Taylen Green, Arkansas It doesn't require a deep dive to see the pro potential of a 6-6, 230-pound passer who ran for more than 600 yards last season. Still, despite starting two years at Boise State and making the jump to Arkansas last season, Green has yet to put everything together as a passer, with his ball placement, pocket awareness (32 sacks taken last season) and decision-making all requiring refinement. But between his superlative raw arm strength and rare running ability, he can tax defenses in a manner that few other signal-callers can. If Green overcomes an exceedingly difficult schedule and an overhauled receiving corps that lost go-to target Andrew Armstrong, he'll pique plenty of teams' interests, at least as a developmental prospect. Aidan Chiles, Michigan State In following coach Jonathan Smith from Oregon State to Michigan State in December 2023, Chiles gave the Spartans some much-needed hope as they looked to turn the page on the Mel Tucker era. Yet nothing came easily to a program stuck in transition, and the former four-star recruit threw for just 13 touchdowns with 11 interceptions as his team stumbled to a 5-7 mark. Tamping down on his turnover-prone ways will be a vital step in Chiles' development this season. But with his often dazzling deep balls and abundant athleticism, the 6-3, 217-pounder will capture plenty of attention if he can boost his efficiency and consistency.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘We've Got a F--king Spy in This Place': Inside America's Greatest Espionage Mystery
On the night of March 10, 1986, Michael Sellers parked his car on a dark Moscow street and peeled off his disguise: a Mission Impossible-style prosthetic mask that made him look like a Black colleague who worked at the embassy. He'd used it to slip past the guards watching the diplomatic compound where he lived. But he'd still have to be careful. On paper, Sellers was an ordinary American diplomat, but the KGB had identified him as a CIA officer and kept him under heavy surveillance. Sellers quickly changed into another disguise — a typical Soviet overcoat, glasses and a fur-lined Russian chapka hat with built-in hair extensions — before ditching the car to blend into the crowd. He took a circuitous route to shake anyone who might be following him. His mission was to meet a valuable asset the agency had cultivated inside the KGB. About a year earlier, in June of 1985, the Soviets had begun foiling dozens of sensitive American operations and rounding up agents working for the CIA and FBI. A few were lucky enough to escape. Some were sent to the gulag. Most got a 9mm bullet to the back of the head. The bloodbath was part of what the press dubbed the 'Year of the Spy,' but the losses continued long after 1985. 'There was a gut-wrenching sense of free fall,' Sellers writes in his forthcoming book, Year of the Spy, which chronicles the agency's turbulent Cold War battle with the KGB in Moscow. 'We didn't know what had caused this disaster.' Sellers hoped his agent, whom the agency codenamed 'COWL,' might have information about how the Soviets were catching so many of their assets. But if the KGB unmasked COWL, he would be the next to die. COWL had been acting erratically and missed a scheduled meeting four months prior. His behavior led many in the CIA to worry he'd already been exposed, but the agency was desperate for information; it felt like the risk was worth it. Two hours after he'd left the embassy, Sellers changed into a third disguise — a wig and mustache — then arrived at the pre-arranged meeting site: the parking entrance to an apartment building in Moscow's tree-lined Lenin Hills district. But when he spotted COWL, Sellers sensed something was wrong. The once strong and confident man had lost weight and was cowering like a beaten dog. COWL had clearly been arrested and tortured. Sellers knew exactly what was coming next: a half-dozen vehicles descended. A group of KGB officers burst out of them, grabbed Sellers, threw him into a van and sped off towards Lubyanka, the KGB's neo-baroque headquarters. After hours of interrogation, the Russians released Sellers and expelled him from the Soviet Union. COWL fared far worse — he was tried and executed. To this day, his fate makes Sellers wonder: How did the KGB unravel the agency's network of spies in Moscow? The intense, decades-long investigation to answer that question would ultimately involve counterintelligence experts at both the FBI and the CIA. Among them: Paul Redmond, an abrasive, literary savant with a penchant for bowties and F-bombs, who became the head of CIA counterintelligence in the mid-1990s. His FBI counterpart was David Szady — the 'Z-man,' as his peers called him — a charismatic, driven former chemistry teacher who, like Walter White in reverse, traded in his beakers and Bunsen burners for the rush of chasing spies at the bureau. He eventually became the FBI's head of counterintelligence after 9/11. Between 1985 and 2006, both Redmond and Szady played key roles in mole hunts that uncovered three high-profile Soviet spies responsible for the deaths of more than a dozen American assets. These investigations were among the most extensive and grueling in U.S. history. Hundreds of U.S. intelligence officials came under suspicion — a top spy hunter would become one of the prime suspects — disrupting or destroying some of their careers. 'These are painful investigations,' Szady said. 'They take a long time. But you have to run them to the end.' In a series of exclusive interviews with POLITICO Magazine, Szady and Redmond — along with dozens of other former intelligence officials — revealed new details about their work together and the controversies that developed between their agencies as the FBI tried to solve what is arguably America's greatest espionage mystery. Was there was yet another Soviet mole — a so-called 'Fourth Man' — at the highest levels of American intelligence? That crucial search may now be imperiled by Kash Patel, the MAGA diehard and director of the FBI, who has expressed his desire to reorient his bureau away from intelligence work. In September 2024, Patel appeared on The Shawn Ryan Show and lambasted the FBI and its leaders, claiming they're part of a Deep State conspiracy against Trump, going back to the Russia investigation that dogged his 2016 campaign and his first years in office. 'The biggest problem the FBI has had has come out of its intel shops,' he said. 'I'd break that component out of it. I'd take the … employees … and send them across America to chase down criminals.' The FBI says it's committed to catching spies. But if Patel follows through on this idea, he might weaken or even eviscerate the Bureau's counterintelligence capabilities, making it easier for America's enemies — China, Russia, Iran and others — to infiltrate the U.S. government and private companies. 'We're going to catch fewer spies and only know about the spies when it's too late,' Frank Figliuzzi, a former assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI, said. 'That's really dangerous.' The prospect that the hunt for the 'Fourth Man' — and other longstanding, deadly, spy vs. spy cases — might be ignored, is an affront to those who suffered and died from the betrayal, according to former counterintelligence officials. 'If there's someone out there who was the 'Fourth Man,'' Sellers said, 'there's blood on their hands.' For the Americans, the devastating compromises didn't end with COWL. As 1986 dragged on, the KGB nabbed four more CIA assets. In October, the FBI learned that two agents they'd cultivated inside the Soviet embassy in Washington were dead. Months earlier, the KGB had lured both men back to Moscow to face trial and execution. At CIA headquarters in Langley, Redmond, then the head of counterintelligence for Soviet and Eastern European operations, was deeply involved in the agency's effort to find out what had happened. At first, they blamed Edward Lee Howard, a disgruntled former CIA officer who had been fired in 1983 for drug use, deception and theft. A KGB defector fingered Howard as a mole in August of 1985, but he fled to Moscow before the FBI could arrest him. The CIA quickly realized, however, that Howard couldn't explain all their burned ops and dead assets. The agency was still losing people in Moscow, most of whom Howard had no knowledge of. To complicate matters, the KGB had been sending a stream of disinformation and double agents — fake defectors, fake scientists, even a fake priest — to try to dupe the CIA. 'Nothing in this business,' Redmond recalled, 'is what it fucking seems.' As the Soviets were rounding up and killing U.S. assets in 1985, some of Redmond's colleagues had a thought: What if a mole wasn't the culprit? What if, for instance, their communications were compromised and that's how the KGB had done so much damage so quickly? To test the theory, Milt Bearden, the CIA deputy division chief, along with Redmond and a small group of other high-level CIA officials, launched a clever cloak-and-dagger operation to find out. Bearden flew to Kenya, Redmond said, while another officer went to the CIA's Moscow Station. Both sent cables falsely claiming the agency had recruited loyal KGB officers in Nairobi and Bangkok. If Moscow recalled their officers in either city, the CIA would know the Russians were listening. The KGB took no action against the officers mentioned in the cables, leading Redmond and his colleagues to conclude the Russians hadn't tapped into their communications. A few months later, however, as the KGB continued to foil CIA operations, the Soviets launched another, more elaborate, deception of their own. Beginning in March of 1986, around the time of Sellers' arrest, they sent the agency a series of letters from a fake volunteer calling himself 'Mister X.' These letters cast aspersions on a CIA officer, but perhaps most tellingly, they also warned that the KGB had penetrated the agency's encrypted communications. This was a cunning lie, as the CIA already knew from their false cable operation. And for Redmond, the elaborate nature of the Mr. X deception was a clue. 'They were trying to protect something really big in the CIA,' he told POLITICO Magazine. 'That helped me get attention from upstairs that we've got a fucking spy in this place.' Soon, Congress started paying attention as well. Paul Joyal, director of security for the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence at the time, recalls that the committee was 'horrified by the [CIA's] stable of Soviet assets wiped out in such a short period of time.' But initially, CIA leadership was reluctant to admit they might have more traitors in their ranks. Endless Soviet mole hunts had paralyzed the agency during the 1960s and 1970s. Senior CIA officials had seen the damage those investigations had done to operations as well as the lives and reputations of those who'd fallen under suspicion. Despite the lack of enthusiasm, Redmond and a small team of trusted CIA colleagues launched a series of investigations, some in conjunction with the FBI. These mole hunts continued for more than three years as Redmond moved into a management position in the CIA's Soviet and Eastern European division. But when he returned to spy hunting as the deputy chief of the agency's newly created counterintelligence center in 1991, he realized they had made little to no progress. Redmond quickly pushed for a new mole hunt and added two FBI investigators to the team. Together, they built momentum and finally homed in on a second spy, CIA officer Aldrich Ames, who was flaunting his wealth. He drove a Jaguar and paid cash for an upscale house in Arlington, none of which he was seemingly able to afford. They turned the case over to an FBI squad led by Special Agent Les Wiser, who found the evidence they needed to prosecute Ames. Investigators pinned at least 10 dead assets on Ames' treachery. Rudy Guerin, one of the FBI agents who debriefed the spy, described him as a 'suit and tie serial killer.' In 1994, a judge sentenced Ames to life in fact that it took the agency nearly a decade to nail Ames ignited outrage on the Hill. In response, CIA director James Woolsey reprimanded 11 top CIA officials. Yet he praised Redmond for keeping the investigation going, calling him the '[lone] voice crying out in the wilderness,' The New York Times reported. Woolsey soon promoted Redmond to be the associate director of operations for counterintelligence. But it didn't take long for the FBI and the CIA to realize Ames didn't account for all the blown agents and operations. Another spy was still out there, still passing secrets to the Russians and still putting lives at risk. Among the dozens of compromises the FBI felt Ames couldn't explain was the case of Oleg Gordievsky. He was the KGB's head of London spy operations, while living a double life as a British agent in 1985. Shortly after the CIA learned that Gordievsky was secretly working for the U.K., the KGB recalled him to Moscow, a clear sign they suspected him of being a traitor. Realizing that someone uncovered his espionage, Gordievsky alerted his British handlers at the MI6 spy agency, and they smuggled him out of the U.S.S.R. in the trunk of a car. During Ames' debrief, FBI interviewers determined he couldn't have compromised Gordievsky. 'We pulled all the dates for the timing and they just didn't seem to work,' said Wiser, the FBI squad leader. It couldn't have been Howard either — he was long gone by the time the CIA learned Gordievsky's identity. Wiser hopped on a flight to London to interview the KGB turncoat in person. The FBI's takeaway: another spy was out there, maybe even more than one. And so, starting in 1994, the FBI expanded its mole hunt. Dozens of FBI agents and analysts, led by supervisor Mike Rochford, worked with their counterparts in the CIA to catch the spy or spies who were still passing secrets to the Russians and getting American assets killed. Their target's codename: GRAYSUIT. The investigation started with a pool of over 200 potential suspects. By 1996, Rochford's team had whittled it to just over 10. Both FBI and CIA investigators felt rising pressure from their leadership to wrap up the investigation. Agents and analysts at the Bureau conferred with the top analysts in the CIA and they all agreed that the most likely suspect was an officer working in counterintelligence for the agency named Brian Kelley. 'They had me convinced,' remembered Szady, who became the FBI executive in charge of the CIA's analysts in its counterespionage group at Langley shortly thereafter. As the hunt dragged on, FBI investigators surveilled and interrogated Kelley and even members of his family. Kelley was suspended from the agency, as was his daughter, Erin, also a CIA officer. His oldest son Barry recalls FBI investigators telling him his father's arrest was 'imminent.' For months Kelley's children lived in dread of the day they would pick up a newspaper to read their father was 'the worst spy since Benedict Arnold,' recalls Barry. The arrest never happened. The FBI never found any hard proof Brian Kelley had betrayed his country. But it feared more people would die unless they quickly wrapped up the case. As the decade came to a close, more than 19 agents working for U.S. intelligence had been killed, captured or disappeared. Then, in 2000, Rochford and the FBI recruited an ex-KGB source who had exactly what they were looking for. He'd hand-copied GRAYSUIT's entire KGB file and even pilfered a tape-recording of the spy speaking to his Soviet handlers from a phone booth in Fairfax County decades earlier. The catch? The source was in deep debt to the Irkutsk Mafia over a caviar deal gone bad and wanted a lot of money to give up the material. The FBI compensated the source with cash and benefits valued at $7 million and orchestrated a brazen operation to smuggle the mole's top-secret KGB files out of Moscow. Those files arrived at FBI headquarters in November 2000. Most of the investigators expected they would contain proof of Kelley's treachery. The moment they heard the voice on the tape, however, they knew it was someone else. (Kelley was reinstated at the CIA in 2001, but neither the bureau nor the agency could undo the damage they had done to his life and career. He died in 2011.) At first, the actual spy's hushed speech, along with the poor recording quality, made it difficult for the bureau to identify him definitively. But FBI investigators pulled together key clues from the files that pointed unequivocally not toward Langley but someone inside their own building: Robert Hanssen, who'd run the FBI's Soviet analytical unit in the 1980s and was now a liaison to the State Department. It was a shocking, demoralizing moment for the bureau, especially after they'd been wrong about Kelley. Even worse, as the FBI prepared to gather evidence to arrest Hanssen, it realized that even he didn't account for all of the dead agents and ops gone bad going back to 1985 — including the case of Gordievsky. That and dozens of other clues pointed to someone beyond Howard, Ames and Hanssen — a 'fourth man.' The FBI realized it would have to start all over, looking for yet another spy. There was always a chance the FBI investigators were wrong — that no such mystery mole still lurked inside the highest echelons of the American government. But the mere possibility of it was a national security nightmare. In addition to threatening the lives of agents working for U.S. intelligence, such a high-level spy might also have access to military secrets, making it easier for America's adversaries to kill U.S. or allied soldiers. Perhaps the most chilling possibility, though, was that this Russian asset had recruited a network of spies capable of undermining America for generations. Outside of the FBI, and across other intelligence agencies, rumors spread about another Russian mole. Was it a man? A woman? Multiple people? Or was it all a mirage in the murky world of counterintelligence? Sporadic mentions of a mole leaked to the public. In their 2003 book, The Main Enemy, Bearden and James Risen first dubbed the alleged spy 'the Fourth Man.' 'I'm absolutely certain it was a CIA guy,' said Bearden, who was the deputy in charge of Soviet Bloc operations in 1985. 'I didn't come to that conclusion easily.' Decades later, Robert Baer, a CIA officer turned best-selling author, dove into the mystery with his 2022 book, The Fourth Man. It's about a secretive CIA unit composed of three women who began to review the agency's blown cases in 1994. The evidence led them to create a profile of a possible spy or spies. Some of the leads would later turn out to match Hanssen, the FBI turncoat, though the women were instructed to disregard suspects in the bureau. Other leads, they told Baer, appeared to match one of their own bosses — Redmond, the senior CIA officer who had hunted down Ames. But after a series of conflicts with senior management, Baer writes, their superiors cut the three women off from access to the files they needed to pursue their leads. The only copy of their work disappeared, leaving them to fear someone had tampered with the investigation. The book provoked intense backlash inside the intelligence community, in part because Baer named Redmond, who has never been charged with a crime. 'Robert Baer's book is hogwash, filled with mistakes and misinformation,' Redmond said in a written statement after its release. In an unprecedented public rebuttal, a cadre of former senior CIA officials came to Redmond's defense. They pointed out numerous alleged errors in Baer's book, disputed the conclusions and credibility of the three CIA investigators, and one even questioned whether the FBI seriously investigated anyone after Hanssen's arrest in 2001. But the FBI's commitment to the hunt should not be in dispute, according to Szady. The bureau took the possibility of a 'Fourth Man' seriously enough that it had profiled some of the CIA's high-level officers. Szady, who became the FBI's assistant director for counterintelligence in 2002, oversaw a series of probes and investigations during this period. All of them, he said, were based on credible leads and sources. 'There was never a let up,' he said. In the mid-2000s, the FBI received new intelligence reinforcing the idea that the KGB had a fourth mole in the highest ranks of the CIA. By 2005, the bureau had enough evidence to open a full, codenamed investigation into the new leads, and was trying to narrow the pool of suspects. But investigators ran into Washington politics when the director of national intelligence, John Negroponte, began considering one of their targets to head the National Counterintelligence Center. Szady had no choice but to inform Negroponte that the bureau was scrutinizing this senior intelligence official as a potential Russian spy. 'The [FBI] Director agreed he should be briefed, [but] we weren't saying anything about guilt' said Szady. 'We told him 'These are the facts' and left it up to Negroponte.' (Negroponte was unavailable for comment.) In an interview with POLITICO Magazine, Redmond — for the first time — confirmed that he was a subject of this FBI investigation and that he withdrew from the nomination so as not to taint the position. 'I passed a message through one of [Negroponte's] assistants that [he] should take me out of consideration,' Redmond said. '[I told him] I am damaged goods because there is this investigation of me.' The ordeal pitted Szady's FBI counterintelligence officials against Redmond, his former CIA counterpart — a man he liked and respected. It also exacerbated the lingering hostility from the Kelley investigation. Yet after months of aggressively chasing every possible lead, the FBI never found any hard evidence that Redmond had ever been a spy. They closed the investigation into him in 2007. 'You can't depend just on analysis,' like looking at compromised cases and source reporting, Szady said. 'I learned my lesson on that with Kelley.' Szady doesn't believe Baer should have named Redmond in his book. Until there's an indictment, he said, the bureau doesn't want the subject or the public to know there's an investigation. If something leaks, it could taint an innocent person's reputation. The timing of Negroponte's decision to consider Redmond, he added, was unfortunate. But investigating the veteran CIA officer was the only responsible thing to do, Szady maintained, based on the bureau's leads and Redmond's high-level access to sensitive operations. Even Redmond said he agrees: 'I'm not pissed that the FBI investigated me. I would've investigated me. We lost a lot of cases and not all of them can be explained.' Sellers, meanwhile, remains haunted by the mystery of the 'Fourth Man.' In the decades since his arrest in 1986, he's imagined what it was like when KGB executioners shot COWL and dozens of others like him in the basement of a Soviet prison. 'It played like an unwanted movie in my mind,' he said. While researching his book during the 2000s, a period of detente with Russia, Sellers connected with many of the KGB men who had worked against the CIA back in the '80s. He acquired thousands of pages of documents and dozens of hours of interviews. In one, a former KGB investigator hints that crucial information they used to identify COWL came from a source beyond Howard, Ames or Hanssen — seemingly evidence of a 'Fourth Man.' Yet this clue, Sellers warned, could simply be part of an ongoing deception by the Russians. 'Ninety-eight percent of what they tell you is true,' he said. 'But it's the other two percent that can get you in real trouble.' Redmond said Russian intelligence is likely still spreading disinformation about the matter. During his debrief in 1994, Ames told one of the CIA's key investigators, Jeanne Vertefeuille, that he and the KGB had planned to frame her as the spy in order to protect him. If the Russians were protecting yet another mole, a 'Fourth Man,' Redmond said, they would have a good reason to frame him, too. The CIA did not respond to a request for comment. Today, 40 years after the 'Year of the Spy,' the mystery of the 'Fourth Man' remains. 'All of the evidence, when taken as a whole picture, leaves too many compromises that can't be attributed to known spies,' Szady said. 'That's my opinion, yes, there was a 'Fourth Man.'' And the FBI and CIA won't know what damage this spy may have done to ongoing U.S. intelligence operations until they are caught and questioned. 'That's why there's no statute of limitations on espionage,' Szady added. Szady retired in 2006 but the bureau remained so concerned about another spy that two FBI special agents interviewed a former CIA officer in 2019 about the matter, according to the officer. Three years later, before Baer's book came out, officials from the bureau interviewed him as well, making the trek to his mountain home in a remote part of Colorado. The FBI investigators gave few details about what they were looking for and never mentioned anyone by name. 'What their visit definitely did,' Baer said, 'is tell me the FBI's interest in the 'Fourth Man' is ongoing.' Or it was. After several months of chaos and trepidation at the bureau, Patel has yet to publicly set a clear course for counterintelligence. The FBI appears to be moving to a regional command structure, according to The New York Times, but hasn't announced further changes to its capacity to thwart spies, other than to suspend an analyst involved in investigating Russia's 2016 election meddling. 'The FBI remains committed to counterintelligence investigations,' the bureau said in a statement to POLITICO Magazine. 'Our adversaries continue their efforts to steal sensitive and often classified U.S. government and private sector information. The FBI will continue to be aggressive in detecting and disrupting their efforts.' The Trump administration, meanwhile, continues to make friendly overtures to Moscow — reportedly halting the Pentagon's offensive cyber operations against Russia, for instance. But few intelligence officials expect the Kremlin — let alone China or Iran — to suddenly stop spying on America. 'They're going to double or triple their efforts,' said Frank Montoya Jr., a retired FBI agent who was head of counterintelligence across all federal agencies from 2012 to 2014. 'We could be leaving the door wide open.' Szady is more optimistic. He agrees with Patel that the bureau needs to change to overcome perceptions of political bias after the investigations of Trump. Yet he says weakening counterintelligence or splitting it into another agency would be a mistake. 'The bureau is still in the best position to be the lead agency to counter national security threats' alongside partners like the CIA, Szady said. As a law enforcement entity — and not a spy agency — the FBI is designed to make cases that are prosecutable in court while respecting the rights guaranteed in the Constitution. Redmond, his former colleague — and former target of the investigation — concurs. Splitting out or weakening the FBI's counterintelligence capability, he said, would be 'fucking crazy' and a detriment to the type of long and intensive investigations that are so vital. It took nine years of digging to arrest Ames and seven to get Hanssen. In the U.K., it took nearly 40 years to publicly unmask the last of the Cambridge Five, a network of spies that ravaged British intelligence at the height of the Cold War. Many of the key clues that helped cut through disinformation and deception to identify them came from Russian sources. Solving the mystery of the 'Fourth Man,' former intelligence officials say, will likely hinge on another Russian source coming forward with new information. But if Patel weakens or cripples the FBI's counterintelligence capability, he'll do the same to its ability to recruit, vet and protect such assets. '[The FBI and CIA] recruit sources all over the world,' said William Murray, a former CIA station chief and senior operations official. 'They know what the penalty is going to be if they get caught. They're going to get shot right in the back of the fucking head.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Architects step in with powerful solution after disaster displaces thousands: 'Recent ... events have further exacerbated housing issues'
A article highlighted an innovation in homebuilding materials by Maui-based architecture firm Hawaiʻi Off Grid. The firm founded Surf Block, a construction material made from surfboards that could help the severe housing crisis in Hawaiʻi. This groundbreaking innovation is the result of creative thinking about how sustainable, low-cost materials could help combat building material and cost issues made worse by disasters that have been intensified by the warming of the planet. Using more sustainable materials is a way to make the residential construction process more environmentally friendly. In addition to the challenges of inflation, high mortgage rates, low inventory, and high prices, the increase in frequency and severity of wildfires has had a negative impact on the housing market and the environment. Hawaiʻi's housing market is already one of the most expensive residential areas of the country, resulting in one of the highest homelessness rates in the U.S. The 2023 Maui wildfires only exacerbated the situation. David Sellers, principal architect at Hawaiʻi Off Grid, was looking to help. In founding Surf Block, he may have discovered an innovative new building material in surfboards, objects that have a long history in Hawaiʻi. Using surfboards to build homes is more sustainable and less expensive than other building materials. Disastrous wildfires, landslides, and rising sea levels have devastated residential communities and contributed to air pollution. "Recent climate events have further exacerbated housing issues," Sellers said. Hawai'i Off Grid and other local architects are also helping by offering free, pre-approved building plans to people who have lost their homes due to the wildfires. Sellers explained that the government is addressing the impact of the warming planet and disasters caused or intensified because of it, investing in projects to enhance Hawaiʻi's coastal resilience. Sustainable innovations such as Sellers' surfboard solution offer hope to the U.S. housing crisis. Do you think America is in a housing crisis? Definitely Not sure No way Only in some cities Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA roster cuts: Bree Hall, Deja Kelly among 2025 draftees waived ahead of season tipoff
The WNBA season is just around the corner, and with it comes players cuts. The preseason brings with it a highly competitive race for the league's coveted roster spots before the regular season begins May 16. Despite bringing in a 13th team this year with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA is still one of the smallest professional leagues in the country. Rookies have to compete with veteran players for the 12 spots on each team — and many will not make it. Advertisement Just a few weeks after the 2025 WNBA Draft, teams are beginning to waive some of the NCAA stars they drafted. A couple of notable names in the college scene have already been waived, with more surprising cuts still likely to come. Who are some of the notable players to get waived? One of the first notable rookies to get waived was Shyanne Sellers, who was waived by the Golden State Valkyries on May 3. The Maryland guard and 17th overall pick was eventually picked up by the Atlanta Dream, a team entering a new era after a busy offseason. Whether Sellers is able to make the Dream's final roster is still to be determined, as Atlanta currently has more than 12 players. Another notable cut was Bree Hall, who was waived by the Indiana Fever on May 5. Hall, a former South Carolina guard with two NCAA championships, was selected with one of the Fever's second-round picks (20th overall). Advertisement On May 7, Harmoni Turner — a standout guard at Harvard and the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year — joined the list of fan favorites to get cut when she was waived by the Las Vegas Aces. Turner was picked by the Aces in the third round, at 35th overall. Why are so many WNBA players getting waived? When it comes to the WNBA, the simple answer is that there aren't enough spots to accommodate the number of talented players coming in from the NCAA. With 13 teams at 12 spots each, there are only 156 total roster spots across the league — with many of those spots already taken up by veterans and stars. In general, while first-round draft picks are likely to make rosters, most players selected in the WNBA Draft will not. Advertisement Those 12-player final rosters must be set before the start of the regular season. More than two dozen players across the WNBA have already been waived, but a good chunk of those players are rookies who went undrafted. Is the salary cap a factor? Honestly, money is not really part of the equation when it comes to the flurry of waived players during the preseason. The current minimum annual salary in the WNBA is $66,079 for a rookie salary — a number that might change soon, with the league's collective bargaining agreement set to expire in the fall. Players who are selected in the third round or go undrafted earn that amount in their first years. All of the WNBA teams have the cap space to sign rookie players, according to Spotrac, but the restrictions on roster spots are what keep teams so limited. Advertisement Rookie contracts are non-guaranteed, so teams are off the hook when they cut rookies, but a team that picks up a waived player will also pick up their existing rookie-scale contract. What's next for players who get waived? The WNBA's small rosters are a point of contention, as the league also doesn't have any kind of minor league, like the NBA's G League, where players can sign and develop. Most players who don't make rosters will end up traveling abroad to other leagues in countries like China, Russia, Turkey and more. Many of those leagues pay more than the WNBA, though players who are not big-name talent tend to make low six figures. Advertisement Other notable rookies who have been waived: Beyond Sellers, Hall and Turner, plenty of other players and draftees who were big names in college have been cut:
