Today is Thursday, October 29, 2020, Here’s what you need to know:
Good morning,
Keith Raniere, leader of the virtual-cult NXIVM that kept women as Raniere’s sex prisoners, was sentenced to 120 years in prison on Tuesday.
NXIVM was founded in the late 1990s and branded as a multi-level marketing program. However, the program came under fire for cult-like practices when inner workings and procedures were made public in the early 2000s. NXIVM was a recruitment front for Raniere’s secret sorority DOS, in which women were blackmailed into sex.
Raniere was charged with federal sex trafficking, possession of child pornography and racketeering in June of 2019. Throughout the trial, Raniere maintained his innocence while apologizing for any “hurt” he had caused victims.
Several members of Rainere’s inner-circle have also been sentenced to prison. U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme says he hopes the lengthy sentence will discourage any other aspiring cult leaders.
News from The Post:
OU students are suffering through isolation during quarantine, here’s what it’s like. (The Post)
Online dating is on the rise during COVID-19, and that means catfishing is too. (The Post)
The Blue Moon Pottery Sale is this Friday and Saturday. (The Post)
Athens Weather
Don’t forget your umbrella! Today will be cloudy with a 100 percent chance of rain and a high of 52 degrees. (Courtesy of Scalia Lab)
You might also want to know…
Former Homeland Security official Miles Taylor admits to being the author of ‘Anonymous’ op-ed. (The New York Times)
“Outlaw country” legend Billy Joe Shaver died on Wednesday at the age of 81. (NBC News)
Europe and the U.S. are heading toward another round of COVID-19 lockdowns. (Associated Press)
