Keith Gerein: Cartmell's candidacy signals the start to a fractious year on Edmonton civic finances
Trump cites Hunter Biden pardon in latest legal attempt to throw out hush money conviction
South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning at around 1:30am local time on Dec 8. SEOUL - South Korean prosecutors on Dec 8 arrested former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun over his alleged role in President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law on Dec 3, Yonhap News Agency said. The prosecutors’ office was not immediately available for comments. Mr Kim voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning at around 1:30am local time (12.30am Singapore time), the report said. The office was not immediately available for comments. Mr Kim, who offered his resignation on Dec 4, was seen as a central figure in the brief martial law declaration. A senior military official and filings to impeach Mr Yoon by opposition members said Mr Kim had made the proposal to Mr Yoon. Mr Yoon survived an impeachment vote - which was prompted by his short-lived attempt to impose martial law - in parliament on Dec 7, but the leader of his own party said the president would eventually have to step down. Three minority opposition parties filed a complaint with the prosecution against Mr Yoon, Mr Kim and martial law commander Park An-su, accusing them of treason. Mr Kim faces a travel ban as prosecutors investigate the matter, Yonhap said. The national police are also investigating claims of treason against Mr Yoon and top ministers. Mr Yoon shocked the nation late on Dec 3 when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers to root out what he called “anti-state forces” and obstructionist political opponents. He rescinded the order six hours later, after parliament defied military and police cordons to vote unanimously against the decree. The martial law declaration plunged South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key US military ally, into its greatest political crisis in decades, threatening to shatter the country’s reputation as a democratic success story. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now
CHATHAM, N.J. — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It's unclear if it's drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward. Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights. This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what's behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey's new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X. More drone sightings have been reported in New York City, and Mayor Eric Adams says the city is investigating and collaborating with New Jersey and federal officials. And then President-elect Donald Trump posted that he believes the government knows more than it’s saying. “ Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!" he posted on his social media site. But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they're looking into what's happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else. Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on. In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group. The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it , has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there. One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.) Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she's glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said. “I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said. She doesn't buy what the governor said, that the drones aren't a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” “How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.” Then there's the notion that people could misunderstand what they're seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots. Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they're looking at. Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories. “It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.” Federal officials echo Austin's view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy. That's not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects. For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions. “My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said. “Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added. ___ Golden reported form Seattle.The space entrepreneur Elon Musk is unlikely to receive government security clearances if he so applied, even as his SpaceX launch company blasts military and spy agency payloads into orbit, according to a report on Monday. The billionaire, a close ally of Donald Trump , who is set to join the incoming administration as an efficiency expert and recently became the first person to exceed $400bn in self-made personal wealth, is reported by the Wall Street Journal to have been advised by SpaceX lawyers not to seek highest-level security clearances owing to personal drug use and contacts with foreign nationals. Musk currently holds a “top-secret” clearance that took years to obtain after he discussed use of marijuana on a 2018 podcast with Joe Rogan, according to the outlet. But that may not be enough to have access to information about US government payloads in his rockets. Typically, candidates undergoing federal security screenings by the department of defense may not receive clearance if the agency expresses concerns about drug or alcohol use, criminal conduct, psychological conditions, sexual behavior or allegiance to the US. According to the Journal, Musk’s lawyers outlined scenarios in which he might inadvertently disclose secrets to foreign officials with whom he regularly speaks, including the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, with whom he is reported to have been in regular contact since 2022. Musk’s use of another semi-legal drug, ketamine, in pursuit of what friends call “pure creativity”, along with reports of LSD, ecstasy and magic mushrooms, could also be an issue. Musk lawyers told the Journal there had been “false facts” in a WSJ report about Musk’s drug patterns and he was “regularly and randomly drug tested at SpaceX and has never failed a test”. SpaceX lawyers and executives reportedly concluded that if the company sought a higher level of clearance than Musk currently holds, he risked being turned down and potentially stripped of the clearances he currently holds. But the Journal noted that the issue could become irrelevant when Trump returns to the White House next month. Musk donated about $200m to Trump’s re-election effort and has been tapped to lead a government body that Trump says he will create – the “department of government efficiency” – that Musk says could strip $2tn from the federal budget. As co-head of Doge with the biotech company founder Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk could be given access to classified information directly by the sitting president. Trump has not said publicly if he plans to do that. While “top secret” is the government’s top level of security clearance, rising above “confidential” and “secret”, it does not automatically confer special authorization access to classified programs. More than 400 SpaceX employees have permissions to access “sensitive compartmented information”, but not the company CEO, according to the outlet. A smaller number of employees have access to secrets the government deems even more sensitive called special access programs, including SpaceX’s spy satellite program, called Starshield. As it stands, Musk is not entitled to enter SpaceX facilities where such classified work is done and discussed, and is denied access to classified elements of payloads. The company recently signed a $1.8bn classified contract with the national reconnaissance office, the agency that operates spy satellites, among other, pre-existing government contracts. Musk, however, appears unfazed. At a Pennsylvania town hall in October, where he revealed that he had top-secret clearance, he told attendees in typical Musk fashion that “most of the stuff that I’m aware of ... the reason to keep it top secret is it’s so boring. “We don’t want to give exact instructions on how to make a nuclear bomb or something like that, but unless there’s a genuine risk to the country, all the information in the government should be public,” he added.South Korea arrests ex-defense minister over martial law, Yonhap News says
Legendary actor Sean Penn launched a scathing attack on the Academy Awards and threw support for The Apprentice , a controversial Donald Trump biopic, during a press conference at the Marrakech Film Festival. Chain-smoking American Spirit cigarettes, Penn, 64, called the Academy “extraordinarily cowardly” for sidelining the film. “They’ve been part of limiting the imagination and different cultural expressions,” Penn said Tuesday. He also criticized Hollywood’ s hesitance to support daring projects, calling it “jaw-dropping how afraid this [so-called] business of mavericks is of a great film like that.” Directed by Ali Abbasi and starring Sebastian Stan , The Apprentice has drawn sharp criticism for its unflinching portrayal of Trump, including scenes of alleged abuse and drug use. While Oscar buzz is non-existent , Penn believes the film deserves recognition. “When something sneaks through, it’s to be celebrated,” he declared. Stan , 42, has admitted his own peers have distanced themselves, saying they were “afraid” to be associated with the project. Meanwhile, Trump dismissed the film as “a cheap, defamatory, and politically-disgusting hatchet job." DON'T MISS: 'Exhausted' Sean Penn says he was 'misterable' for 15 years on movie sets [REVEALED] Travis Barker slammed for wearing shirt glorifying alleged domestic violence [BACKLASH] Sean Penn saves Golden Globes after pre-show host gets stranded in desert [INSIGHT] Penn, a two-time Oscar winner for Mystic River and Milk, has a history of bold gestures. In 2022, he gave one of his Oscars to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy , stating: “When you win, bring it back to Malibu.” The actor also used the festival to debut his 34-year-old girlfriend, Valeria Nicov , a Moldova-born model younger than his own children. Penn was honored with the Golden Star trophy at the event for his “uncompromising dedication to excellence.” Beyond the red carpet, Penn stays busy producing and acting, with upcoming projects including the historical thriller September 5 and Paul Thomas Anderson’s big-budget The Battle of Baktan Cross. “My favorite motto is ‘Suck Less,’” Penn quipped about his creative collaborators. “I like to work with people who suck less.”Pep Guardiola rages at Kevin De Bruyne fallout rumours with star still benched amid Man City crisisNew technology aids Brazil's crackdown on illicit Amazon gold trade
Eric Watkins of Abstrakt Highlights the Challenges of Building Internal SDR TeamsHealth Intelligent Virtual Assistant Market Set for Exceptional Growth in the Forecast 2024-2032
( MENAFN - GetNews) Miami, FL - December 16, 2024 - Magic Publishers , creator of unique spiritual tools, announces the release of its Santa Muerte Colors Tarot Deck, a new tarot deck that merges traditional art with the power of AI-generated art. Developed using OpenAI's DALL-E technology, this deck brings the culturally rich symbolism of Santa Muerte to life through AI-generated designs, offering a modern twist on spiritual practices. The Santa Muerte Colors Tarot Deck raises a critical discussion in the art world today: Does AI art require an artist to create it? For Magic Publishers founder Nait Sabes, the answer is yes. “While AI technology provides powerful tools, it is the artist's vision and craftsmanship that guide the process. Just as photography was once questioned as an art, AI art is an extension of human creativity, not a replacement,” Sabes explained. The deck's creator emphasizes that this project, which took over 400 hours to complete, is a testament to the collaboration between technology and artistic mastery. Santa Muerte, a figure with deep cultural significance, traces its origins back to the colonization of Mexico when indigenous devotees secretly worshiped her during times of persecution. The figure of Santa Muerte embodies love, protection, and the connection between life and death, unlike the traditional grim reaper, making her a symbol of profound spiritual strength. The Santa Muerte Colors Tarot Deck is unique in that it highlights the colors and symbolism that devotees of Santa Muerte hold dear, offering a fresh perspective on tarot. It challenges traditional tarot imagery, such as the Rider-Waite tarot deck, while embracing Santa Muerte's powerful narrative. By combining AI with rich cultural storytelling, Magic Publishers opens up new possibilities for tarot cards with guidebooks, offering users a deeper understanding of spiritual practices. While AI art has been met with some skepticism, it is clear that when used thoughtfully, Sabes believes that AI can enhance human artistry. The Santa Muerte Colors Tarot Deck demonstrates this intersection, offering a harmonious blend of innovation and tradition. “Just like a translator of poetry from one language to another must themselves be a poet, an artist creating computer-art must themselves be an artist,” Sabes explained. For more information on the deck's physical copy on Amazon, visit this link . To download the digital version on Deckible, click here . About Magic Publishers Magic Publishers creates unique spiritual tools that combine tradition and innovation. The Santa Muerte Colors Tarot Deck features 78 beautifully designed cards, inspired by the powerful Santa Muerte tradition. Each card offers vibrant artwork and rich symbolism, providing clarity and intuitive insights for readers of all levels. Available in both physical and digital formats, this new tarot deck empowers individuals on their spiritual journey, blending mystery and self-discovery with every reading. MENAFN16122024003238003268ID1108999855 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Enzo Maresca ‘thankful’ for connection at Leicester ahead of return with ChelseaNone
Salesforce reports upbeat annual guidance after mixed Q3 results
Crescent Energy Company Announces Public Offering of Class A Common Stock