Tracy Mumford

There's no indication that Mullen had inside knowledge of any plans enacted on them, and a spokeswoman for the senator said he doesn't personally direct the purchases.

But critics of lawmakers being able to trade stocks while in office say the permissive rules make it hard for Americans to know whether their representatives are acting in their best interests or their own.

President Trump himself has urged Congress to pass a measure that would put limits on lawmakers and their families trading.

When asked if Mullen supported those tighter rules, his spokeswoman said he's now focused on serving at DHS and would leave that question to Congress.

In the world of internet fraud, The Times has been looking at a new troubling trend.

A couple years ago, an American man in his late 70s fell victim to an elaborate online romance scam.

Cybercriminals created a fake identity, convinced him to send money, and eventually took off with more than a million dollars.

For two years, the case went nowhere, until a few months ago when a glimmer of hope appeared for the family.

A lawyer who said he was working with the Treasury Department reached out to say authorities were on the case and might even be able to get some of the money back.

A video call was set up with the man's son, who was skeptical but still held some hope.

He talked to the lawyer, but when he asked to see credentials, he realized it was another scam, preying on victims who would do almost anything, like pay a lawyer tens of thousands of dollars to recover their losses.

It's part of a growing type of online fraud called recovery scams.

Some cybercriminals have even set up websites promising they can get the money back, and some show up at the top of search results.

Experts on fraud say they only expect to see more of this, especially as the pool of victims grows.

Americans lost at least $16 billion to online scams in 2024, the last year on record, leaving many desperate for any solution.

Authorities say victims should go directly to the FBI, which will never ask for money.

And finally.

Last night at the Oscars, hosted once again by Conan O'Brien, the top prize, Best Picture, went to one battle after another.

Paul Thomas Anderson's darkly funny epic about authoritarianism and civil resistance.

That film picked up a lot of statues, but Sinners, the twisty vampire flick set in Jim Crow, Mississippi, also racked up several wins, including for Ryan Coogler's original screenplay.