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NBC News
5 days ago
- NBC News
'Varsity Blues' admissions scheme mastermind can advise college hopefuls again, judge rules
William "Rick" Singer, the mastermind of a nationwide college admissions cheating scheme, can work as a college consultant again so long as he discloses his criminal record to new clients, a federal judge ruled on Monday. Singer, 62, pleaded guilty in 2019 to racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and other charges in connection with the scandal, dubbed Operation Varsity Blues. He was sentenced to 3½ years in prison in 2023, but released to a halfway house in Los Angeles last year. Upon his release from prison, Singer launched a new company, ID Future Stars, to advise prospective undergraduates on their college applications. Chief District Judge Denise Casper ruled that Singer can continue his work as a college consultant so long the following statement is "prominently" on his company's website: 'In March 2019, Rick Singer pled guilty to federal charges including racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice for his role in what was widely-publicized as the 'Varsity Blues' college admissions scheme," the statement reads. "Specifically, Mr. Singer admitted to, among other things: bribing standardized test proctors and administrators to engage in cheating on college entrance exams (i.e., the SAT and ACT); falsifying students' academic transcripts by paying third parties to take classes in their names; falsifying students' college applications with fake awards, athletic activities, and fabricated essays; and bribing college athletic coaches and administrators, through purported donations to their programs and personal bribes, to designate students as athletic recruits based on falsified athletic credentials," it continues. "As part of the scheme, Mr. Singer took in more than $25 million from his clients, from which he made payments to co-conspirators totaling more than $7 million, and transferred, spent, or otherwise used more than $15 million for his own benefit. On January 4, 2023, a federal court in Boston sentenced Mr. Singer to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay more than $10 million in restitution and to forfeit assets totaling more than $8.7 million." it concludes. Casper added that the written copies of the statement must be provided to parents, students or other entities seeking to retain Singer. As of Tuesday morning, the statement appeared to be absent from the site. ID Future Stars did not immediately return a request for comment. The company's website says that ID Future Stars caters to thousands of applicants across the United States and abroad and promises "a 80-96% acceptance rate for first-choice schools and over 90% within the list of their top 3 choices." "Impressively, 100% of our clients come from direct referrals, reflecting our reputation and the trust families place in us," the company's website reads. "Our expertise lies in navigating the complexities of the college admissions process." More than 50 people, including parents and university coaches, were convicted in the case. The scandal drew particular attention for ensnaring Hollywood actors Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, who hired Singer to help secure their daughters into elite universities. Both actors served short stints in prison for their involvement in the case.
5 days ago
'Varsity Blues' cheating scandal mastermind must disclose criminal past to new clients: Judge
Rick Singer, the mastermind behind the nationwide college admissions cheating scandal known as "Varsity Blues," can return to his former job as long as he warns parents about his criminal past, a federal judge in Boston ruled Monday. Federal prosecutors balked at Singer advising prospective undergraduates regarding their college applications after he served time in federal prison for facilitating bribes among wealthy parents, test proctors and elite universities. Singer established a new college consulting service, ID Future Stars, which, according to its website, offers "personalized coaching, expert guidance, and comprehensive support." Chief District Judge Denise Casper said it must now include the following two paragraphs: "In March 2019, Rick Singer pled guilty to federal charges including racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice for his role in what was widely-publicized as the 'Varsity Blues' college admissions scheme. Specifically, Mr. Singer admitted to, among other things: bribing standardized test proctors and administrators to engage in cheating on college entrance exams (i.e., the SAT and ACT); falsifying students' academic transcripts by paying third parties to take classes in their names; falsifying students' college applications with fake awards, athletic activities, and fabricated essays; and bribing college athletic coaches and administrators, through purported donations to their programs and personal bribes, to designate students as athletic recruits based on falsified athletic credentials." The court-mandated statement continued: "As part of the scheme, Mr. Singer took in more than $25 million from his clients, from which he made payments to co-conspirators totaling more than $7 million, and transferred, spent, or otherwise used more than $15 million for his own benefit. On January 4, 2023, a federal court in Boston sentenced Mr. Singer to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay more than $10 million in restitution and to forfeit assets totaling more than $8.7 million." Singer is required to post the statement prominently on the ID Futures Stars website and to also provide a written copy to parents, students or other entities seeking to retain him, Casper said. As part of his plea deal, Singer helped federal prosecutors in Boston with their sweeping investigation into bribes paid to athletic coaches, SAT and ACT proctors, and others so students of wealthy parents could cheat their way into some of the country's best-known schools. Actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman were among the more than three dozen parents charged. Singer continued to advise prospective undergraduates on their college applications while serving his sentence in federal prison in Florida, and from a California halfway house after his release.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Need to accelerate domestic Natural Rubber production: Arun Mammen, Chairman, ATMA
India's Natural rubber (NR) consumption is projected to reach 20 lakh tonnes by 2030 and there is a need to accelerate domestic production, Arun Mammen, Chairman Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA), said. 'In FY25, domestic NR production stood at 8.7 lakh tonnes, while consumption was 14.1 lakh tonnes, resulting in a deficit of over 5 lakh tonnes,' he said in an interview. 'This underscores the need for sustained long-term investments in plantation development, tapping, and productivity enhancement,' Mr. Mammen said. Accelerating domestic natural rubber (NR) production is a national priority, given the strategic importance of NR to multiple sectors, especially the tyre industry. Bringing additional area under rubber cultivation—especially in non-traditional regions like the North East—is key. Several North Eastern state governments are proactively supporting this agenda, he said. Mr. Mammen pointed out in a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership, the INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development) project was launched by ATMA member companies (Apollo, CEAT, JK Tyre, and MRF) in collaboration with the Rubber Board of India. The project aims to develop two lakh hectares of new rubber plantations across the North East and West Bengal. Over 1.25 lakh hectares have been brought under cultivation in the first four years. ATMA member companies have committed ₹1,100 crore to the project, he said. A significant opportunity lies in improving production by tapping nearly 2 lakh hectares of untapped rubber plantations, including 1 lakh hectares in Kerala alone. Union Commerce & Industry Minister has recently emphasized this opportunity during stakeholder consultations in Kerala, Mr. Mammen said. Rubber trees take approximately six to seven years from plantation to tapping, Mr. Mammen said. He also pointed out inverted duty structure on NR is one of the key challenges. 'While tyres can be imported at concessional or zero duty rates under various Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), natural rubber—our primary raw material—attracts a Basic Customs Duty (BCD) of 25% or ₹30/kg (whichever is lower). This is among the highest globally and severely impacts cost competitiveness, particularly when global rubber prices are low. Addressing inverted duty structure is essential to support domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports of finished products,' he said. In the last three to four years alone, the industry has invested approximately ₹27,000 crore across greenfield and brownfield projects. As per a PwC Vision Document, the industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11–12% till 2047, Mr. Mammen said.
India Today
03-07-2025
- Health
- India Today
Shefali Jariwala death: India's billion-dollar anti-ageing industry explained in numbers
On the night of June 27, Shefali Jariwala, best known as the 'Kaanta Laga Girl', collapsed in her Mumbai home and was declared dead just hours later at a hospital. She was only 42. While preliminary reports said a cardiac arrest caused her death, sources close to the investigation suggest a far more troubling reason: a cocktail of anti-ageing injections, allegedly self-administered while she was a final autopsy report is yet to be published, her sudden, unexplained death has put a spotlight on India's fast-growing and largely unregulated anti-ageing industry, a booming market that promises youth but often comes with a risk.A billion-dollar obsessionYouth is no longer just a stage of life — it's increasingly becoming a commodity. Globally, the anti-ageing market was worth nearly $50 billion in 2024 and is expected to touch $80 billion by 2032, growing at a steady pace of six per cent annually. A big chunk of that growth is powered by injectables, particularly botulinum toxin, popularly known as Botox, which alone is expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 8.7 per cent. In 2024, more than 7.9 million Botox procedures were performed worldwide, making it the most popular non-invasive cosmetic treatment on the planet. Close behind were hyaluronic acid fillers and laser hair removal, part of a growing range of treatments designed to smooth, tighten, and lift plasma-rich facials to peptide therapy and ultrasound-based skin tightening, the options for 'pausing' age are expanding rapid rise in the cosmetic raceIndia is no longer on the fringes of this global beauty economy. According to the latest ISAPS Global Survey, India ranked among the top 10 countries globally for aesthetic/cosmetic procedures, trailing only global leaders like the US, Brazil, and to India Today, Dr Somesh Gupta, professor of dermatology and venereology at AIIMS, New Delhi, said that India's anti-ageing industry remains largely unregulated, and even where rules exist, they are rarely enforced on the ground.'Many individuals are offering these procedures purely as a source of easy income, often without medical training,' he said. 'Beauticians using lasers can cause serious harm, including skin burns.' Dr Gupta noted that patients are increasingly coming from across the country seeking help for hair loss, pigmentation, and early signs of ageing, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors in flagged the misuse of glutathione (the substance that Shefali Jariwala allegedly used), a compound not approved for skin-lightening or self-medication, warning that such unsupervised treatments could lead to severe adverse reactions. 'We've even seen fatalities during procedures like hair transplants,' he just one year, India saw a dramatic 25 per cent surge in total procedures, from 1.02 million in 2023 to 1.29 million in 2024. That's more than 3.4 per cent of all procedures performed globally. And India's ascent in cosmetic medicine isn't just about volume. The country now stands second globally in rhinoplasty and scar revision surgeries, popular with younger age groups, especially Gen-Z and millennials. India is also among the top five globally for procedures like chemical peels, liposuction, and skin non-surgical procedures, hair removal was the top treatment in 2024, with more than 208,000 procedures in India — the highest in the world — followed by hyaluronic acid fillers (97,160 procedures), chemical peels (85,120), and Botox injections (76,720). Surgical procedures are also seeing significant traction. Scar revision topped the list with over 106,000 procedures, followed by liposuction (97,160) and rhinoplasty (67,760).'In aesthetics and anti-ageing, less is more,' said Dr Neha Taneja, an assistant professor of dermatology at AIIMS Delhi. 'Treatments should never be overdone. What's necessary must be carefully decided in consultation with a qualified dermatologist or plastic surgeon.'She noted that the most common procedures today include fillers, skin boosters, and microneedling, with patients often starting as early as ages 22–25. However, Dr Taneja warned that injectables and IV-based treatments, if taken in high concentrations or without supervision, could disrupt blood chemistry and, over time, impact vital organs like the liver and patients, local surgeonsIndia is not just serving its own. It's becoming a global hub for medical tourism in aesthetics. Around eight per cent of all cosmetic surgery patients in India now come from abroad. According to ISAPS, the US, the UK, and Australia are the top countries of origin, a testament to India's growing number of plastic surgeons and significantly lower currently has around 2,800 plastic surgeons, representing 4.8 per cent of the global total, on par with South Korea, one of the world's most advanced beauty anti-ageing industry is booming. But without caution, it can turn into a dangerous chase. The question isn't whether we can look younger. The question is: at what cost?'The industry is growing fast, but so is the demand for shortcuts, especially for things like overnight fairness. That's where the real risk lies,' warned Dr Taneja, stressing that consistency, not speed, was key to visible, long-term results.- EndsMust Watch
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PG&E Corp Witnesses Increased Demand from Data Center Growth
PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG) is counted among the Best Nuclear Energy Stocks to Buy Right Now. The company has emerged as a top player in the current AI boom, witnessing a jump of more than 40% this year in requests for power supplies from data center developers across northern California. Brightly-lit nighttime view of an electricity power grid with distribution lines and transmission substations. In April, PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG) launched a process for data center developers interested in connecting to its system, and the 'cluster study' yielded 4.1 GW of interest, on top of the 8.7 GW announced during the company's Q1 earnings call. Moreover, the size of the projects has also grown since last year's cluster study, with the current proposed projects ranging from 500 MW to 1 GW, up from 50-100 MW last year. This increased AI power demand is expected to help the overall community, as PG&E estimates that for every gigawatt of new electric demand from data centers, customers may save between 1% to 2% on their electricity bill. PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG) provides natural gas and electric service to customers in northern and central California. The company also owns the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, the only operational nuclear power plant in the Golden State. While we acknowledge the potential of PCG as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 Cheap Energy Stocks to Buy Now and Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
