Detroit, Michigan - The former chief executive officer of FutureNet Group Inc., an information technology company, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and a fine in the amount of $10,000 for his role in orchestrating a scheme to bribe an official from the City of Detroit to obtain benefits for FutureNet.

Memphis, Tennessee - A former Davidson County, Tennessee judge was sentenced Friday to 44 months in prison, restitution of $18,000 and a forfeiture of $13,500 for obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and stealing money from an organization receiving federal funds, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Houston, Texas - A Bangladeshi national residing in Monterrey, Mexico, was arrested yesterday on arrival at George Bush Intercontinental Airport to face a criminal indictment issued in the Laredo Division of the Southern District of Texas for his role in a scheme to smuggle aliens from Mexico into the United States.

Chicago, Illinois - Agricultural producer sentiment held steady in November with producers remaining optimistic about the state of the agricultural economy, according to results from the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The November barometer reading of 134 was only 1 percent lower than October, which is similar to levels seen last spring before trade disruptions began. The barometer utilizes a survey of 400 agricultural producers from across the country.

Washington, DC - Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced two new prizes as part of its Manufacturing Innovator Challenge, an effort to crowdsource solutions for next generation manufacturing to increase energy productivity and strengthen America's industrial base.

Imperial, California -  There are three aspects to the caravan: what is shown by the media; what is there to be seen; and what is unseen. The focus is on the innocent children, as in the widely circulated photograph of an obese woman with two children lacking pants or shoes, purportedly fleeing tear gas sprayed by cruel law enforcement agents. They are far from home, in a very dangerous place, in violation of the laws of Mexico.