All posts tagged: Illegal

France’s Gig-Economy Built On Migrant Labor As 99% Of Surveyed Delivery-Riders Are Foreign-Born, Two-Thirds Are Illegal

France’s Gig-Economy Built On Migrant Labor As 99% Of Surveyed Delivery-Riders Are Foreign-Born, Two-Thirds Are Illegal

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News, A major new study has found that France’s food delivery sector is almost exclusively staffed by migrant workers, a majority of whom are living in France illegally. The Enquête report, based on a survey of more than 1,000 riders in Paris and Bordeaux, reveals that 98.7 percent of delivery couriers were born outside France, with nearly two-thirds lacking legal residency status, highlighting the extent to which the platform economy depends on a highly vulnerable migrant labor force. The workforce is dominated by recent arrivals from Africa, the majority of whom are not undertaking any other education or training in France. A total of 55.2 percent of riders come from West Africa, making it by far the largest group. A further 17.4 percent are from North Africa, while 4.6 percent come from other African countries, meaning that over 77 percent of all riders are African-born. By comparison, 16.6 percent are from Asia, 4 percent from the Middle East, and fewer than 2 percent from France. Most riders are new or relatively …

Two cheetah cubs narrowly escape the illegal pet trade

Two cheetah cubs narrowly escape the illegal pet trade

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. In an intervention that might one day inspire the animated animal version of Argo, the Cheetah Conservation Fund and Somaliland’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change rescued two cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) cubs on the verge of a terrible fate.  The Cheetah Conservation Fund carried out the extraction after receiving urgent intelligence that traffickers in the Somaliland capital were about to load the two cubs onto a boat and illegally move them into the exotic pet trade. Just hours later, the organization put a rescue team in action and worked with local authorities to take possession of the cheetahs.  The next day, the cubs ended up at Somaliland’s Cheetah Rescue and Conservation Centre, where veterinary and wildlife experts will care for them. The conservation centre opened in Somaliland in 2016 by Laurie Marker for cheetahs pulled out of the illegal wildlife trade. At the moment, 125 rescued cheetahs live at the facility. Images: Courtesy of Cheetah Conservation Fund “This outcome …

Former Philadelphia probation officer sentenced for running illegal sports gambling business

Former Philadelphia probation officer sentenced for running illegal sports gambling business

Published by skeptic

A former Philadelphia probation officer is facing a mix of jail time and home confinement after admitting he spent years running an illegal sports betting operation, federal prosecutors said Wednesday (April 8). Joseph M. Moore, 43, was sentenced to one day in custody followed by a year of home detention. On top of that, he’ll serve three years of supervised release, give up $200,000, and pay a $7,200 fine. U.S. District Judge Mark A. Kearney handed down the sentence in federal court. Former Philadelphia Probation Officer Sentenced to One Day in Custody and One Year of Home Detention for Conducting Years-Long Illegal Gambling Operation @FBIPhiladelphia https://t.co/G2fS9gFYtF — U.S. Attorney EDPA (@USAO_EDPA) April 8, 2026 Authorities say Moore’s gambling business operated for roughly eight years, beginning in early 2017 and continuing until February 2025. During that time, prosecutors said, he took bets on sporting events and organized so-called block pools and other group betting schemes. Moore admitted guilt in October 2025, pleading to a single charge of running an illegal gambling business. His co-defendant, James P. …

It’s illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey. But why?

It’s illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey. But why?

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. I have a confession to make: In my late teens, my car ran out of gas along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Rather than pump my own gas in PA, I’d been trying to make it across to neighboring New Jersey—a state that’s notoriously known for prohibiting self-service at gas stations—on an almost-empty tank. The truth is, I had no idea how to fill a tank on my own. Since Oregon softened its laws back in 2023, New Jersey remains the only U.S. state in which drivers are not allowed to pump their own gas. Those of us from the Garden State often find the entire process of fueling up intimidating: so much so that we’re willing to run on fumes rather than work the pumps ourselves. My experience on the PA Turnpike was a learning one, for sure. But it left me with questions.  In order to tackle some of those questions, we at Popular Science asked both Dr. Michael …

Two Pennsylvania amusement firms plead guilty in illegal gambling case, as former kingpin agrees to pay M

Two Pennsylvania amusement firms plead guilty in illegal gambling case, as former kingpin agrees to pay $5M

Published by skeptic

Two western Pennsylvania amusement businesses have admitted to felony corrupt organizations charges in a case involving hundreds of illegal video gambling machines, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced. Buffalo Skills Games, Inc. and J.J. Amusement, Inc. will shut down as part of the plea deal and give up $5 million in assets. Investigators also pulled nearly 400 illegal machines from more than 60 sites spread across multiple counties, the attorney general’s office said. The devices were found in everyday locations like bars, gas stations and convenience stores throughout Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Crawford, Indiana, Somerset, Venango, Erie, Washington, Armstrong and Westmoreland counties. ”This resolution secures a multimillion-dollar forfeiture for the Commonwealth, while assuring the companies will cease to exist,” Sunday said. “I commend our partners at the Pennsylvania State Police for helping disband a large-scale operation that involved slot machines essentially dressed up as skill games.” Authorities first outlined the case publicly in May 2025, when they revealed the seizure of more than 400 machines and filed felony charges against the two companies. Prosecutors said at …

Michigan regulators escalate crackdown on dozens of illegal offshore gambling sites

Michigan regulators escalate crackdown on dozens of illegal offshore gambling sites

Published by skeptic

Michigan officials are widening their fight against illegal online gambling, taking action against 45 offshore sites accused of targeting players in the state without approval. The Michigan Gaming Control Board said Tuesday (April 7) that it issued cease-and-desist orders to the operators after a months-long investigation. Regulators found the sites were offering casino-style games or sports betting to Michigan users despite lacking the required state licenses. This is thought to be one of the agency’s most expansive enforcement efforts so far. It also builds on a series of recent crackdowns, including earlier actions against twelve offshore operators and another case involving eight unlicensed online casinos. Casino ads on social media may look legitimate, but many are scams that lead to illegal offshore gambling sites. These sites can put your money and personal information at risk. Before you click, make sure the operator is licensed in Michigan. View the list of approved operators… pic.twitter.com/MRH5wqww5f — Michigan Gaming Control Board (@MichiganGCB) April 6, 2026 “The scope of this action sends a clear message: Michigan will not tolerate …

EU warns Trump against ‘illegal’ bombing of Iran’s power stations – POLITICO

EU warns Trump against ‘illegal’ bombing of Iran’s power stations – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The intervention comes after Trump posted a fiery message on his Truth Social platform on Sunday: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!” “Praise be to Allah,” the president added. Experts and lawyers have warned that international law prohibits the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure. Asked about the threats on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that the U.S. “will always act within the confines of the law.” Costa, who, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, leads the EU and represents it on the world stage, spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as well as the leaders of Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan in recent days. “The purpose of the phone calls was to advance the EU’s call for de-escalation and maximum restraint, the protection of civilians and full respect of international law, as well as to …

Suspected Illegal Gambling Operation Shut Down in San Antonio

Suspected Illegal Gambling Operation Shut Down in San Antonio

Published by skeptic

Bexar County deputies say they’ve dismantled what they believe was an illegal gambling operation on San Antonio’s North Side, arresting three people and detaining eight others during a coordinated raid. The operation took place on Tuesday at a location in the 400 block of West Hildebrand Avenue. According to the sheriff’s office, investigators had been watching the site for some time before obtaining a warrant and moving in. Dozens of machines seized during raid When deputies entered the building, they say they found a substantial gambling setup, seizing about 50 machines. That volume matters. In past cases, law enforcement has used the number of devices to distinguish between small, informal operations and larger-scale illegal game rooms that may generate significant revenue. Officials described the machines as the type commonly seen in so-called “eight-liner” operations, which have long existed in a legal gray area in Texas but are often ruled illegal when they function as games of chance rather than skill. Authorities have not yet said whether cash was seized or how much money the operation …

The Pro-Immigrant Case for Opposing Illegal Immigration

The Pro-Immigrant Case for Opposing Illegal Immigration

Published by José Betancourt

On March 12, the Heritage Foundation posted six words on X: “We have a legal immigration problem.” That sentence would once have been unthinkable from a major conservative institution. And Heritage is not alone in breaking taboos. Last fall, Vice President Vance told a crowd at the University of Mississippi that the United States needs to get legal-immigration numbers “way, way down” and attacked high-skill H-1B visas for undercutting American wages. The Republican Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee has proposed legislation that would scrap the H-1B visa program entirely, along with the diversity visa lottery. Analysts at the National Foundation for American Policy estimate that the Trump administration’s policies will cut legal immigration by 33 to 50 percent over four years, translating to 1.5 to 2.4 million fewer foreign-born lawful residents. For many years, a robust norm held in American politics: You could be in favor of legal immigration while still opposing illegal immigration. The two were fundamentally different, the thinking went, and supporting one while opposing the other was a coherent, mainstream position. That …

Two arrested after Sarasota illegal gambling operation uncovered by local investigators

Two arrested after Sarasota illegal gambling operation uncovered by local investigators

Published by skeptic

Authorities in Sarasota County say they’ve dismantled an illegal gambling setup and taken two people into custody after spending months building the case. Investigators focused on a business operating as Spin 24/7 along South Beneva Road. Deputies arrested Mohamed Belyaqout, 52, at the storefront on March 26. The next day, they tracked down a second suspect, Mabielka C. Cumbrera, 45, and arrested her at a Sarasota residence. SCSO in cooperation with the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC), have arrested two people on charges of Keeping & Maintaining a Gambling House & Possession of Slot Machines. Read full news release: https://t.co/NlUIutUfv5 pic.twitter.com/rGIp22pacc — SarasotaSheriff (@SarasotaSheriff) March 30, 2026 Both are now facing charges tied to running what deputies describe as an unlawful gambling house, along with possession of slot machines. Jail records show they were booked into the Sarasota County Correctional Facility shortly after their arrests. Detectives say this case is part of a push targeting illegal gaming operations across the county. Several units inside the sheriff’s office teamed up with the Florida Gaming Control Commission …