Sophie Leclerc

A Ukrainian national has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison following a conviction on a conspiracy to commit computer intrusion charge. Mark Sokolovsky, 28, conspired to offer the Raccoon Infostealer as malware-as-a-service (MaaS), leasing it to individuals looking to steal data from victims for about $200 per month, payable in cryptocurrency. The Justice Department reported that the Raccoon Infostealer harvested a plethora of sensitive information, including login credentials and financial records from infected computers.

New York City-based Lafayette RE Management LLC and its founder Thibault Adrien have settled a lawsuit with the federal government, agreeing to a sum of $680,000 over claims they misled the government to secure a forgivable loan intended for businesses struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas.

Another tragic occurrence has happened on the roads of Austin, as a fatal collision claimed the life of a young motorcyclist. The City of Austin reported that on Tuesday, December 17, Draven Rains Avila was involved in a crash at around 7:09 p.m. The accident occurred at the intersection of West Parmer Lane and Ganymede Drive.

As temperatures are expected to fall sharply and encroach the mid-30s late Friday evening, Austin city officials will be opening up their Cold Weather Shelters (CWS) to accommodate individuals in need of a warm refuge from the chilly conditions of the night, according to an official statement from the City of Austin. The city, determined to protect those without shelter from the biting cold, is activating its facilities for the night of Friday, Dec. 20, in response to unpredictable and frigid forecasts.

The Texas Longhorns and Clemson Tigers are set to clash on the gridiron with more than just bragging rights at stake. The stage is set at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, where kickoff will ignite a first-time encounter between these two collegiate heavyweights in the College Football Playoff game. As per Fox 7 Austin, viewers can catch the action on December 21 at 3 PM CT on TNT or stream it on MAX.

Austin's roads were witness to a series of devastating events recently: two pedestrians were fatally struck and a total of five individuals lost their lives across four separate collisions in just a span from Friday night to Monday morning. According to FOX 7 Austin, one incident occurred early Sunday morning when a person was hit while crossing East Riverside Drive at the intersection with Tinnin Ford Road and Burton Drive, another pedestrian fatality took place near SH-71 and US-183 early Monday.

The legislative clock ticked perilously closer to a government shutdown before Congress acted Friday to not only prevent the lapse but also extend the Farm Bill for an additional year, as reported by CBS Austin. This last-minute agreement will ensure that the federal government continues to operate with adequate funding and that programs critical for agricultural support and disaster relief continue to be funded.

In a clash between state authorities and legislative powers, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a motion to prevent death row inmate Robert Roberson from testifying before a Texas House panel, reported by Courthouse News Service. The showdown underscores the tension surrounding Roberson's case and the use of the state's "junk science" law.

The Austin Police Department is actively investigating a homicide that took place on Saturday night in the southeast part of the city, with the incident occurring near South Pleasant Valley Road and East Oltorf Street in a residential area.

As the sun rose over Austin's burgeoning coffee scene this past weekend, a new player emerged onto the field, with Canada's Tim Hortons making its Central Texas debut to the delight and dedication of a caffeinated crowd. According to MySA, eager patrons began queuing up at 8 p.m. on the eve of the store's opening, enduring nearly a ten-hour wait, fueled by the prospect of snagging free coffee for a year - a promise kept to the first 50 individuals in line at the new location at 16201 Ranch Road 620 N., Austin.