Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket goes vertical on the launch pad
Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’By MIKE CATALINI CHATHAM, N.J. (AP) — 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. Related Articles National News | FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup National News | OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco apartment National News | Judge rejects an attempt by Trump campaign lawyer to invalidate guilty plea in Georgia election case National News | Texas’ abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine National News | US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say 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. 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. Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.
BOSTON , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors (the "Board") of The China Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") has declared a distribution in the amount of $0.1497 per share. The distribution is comprised entirely of ordinary income. The dividend will be payable on January 10, 2025 , to stockholders of record on December 30, 2024 , with an ex-dividend date of December 30, 2024 . The Fund has a Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Plan (the "Plan") in which each stockholder automatically participates, unless the stockholder instructs Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (the "Plan Agent"), in writing, to have all distributions, net of any applicable U.S. withholding tax, paid in cash. If the Fund's shares are trading at a premium to the net asset value ("NAV") per share of the Fund on the distribution payment date, the Plan provides that stockholders will be issued Fund shares valued at NAV. If the Fund's shares are trading at a discount to the NAV per share, stockholders will be issued shares of the Fund valued at market price. Stockholders will not be charged a fee in connection with the reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions. A stockholder may terminate his or her participation in the Plan by notifying the Plan Agent in writing at the address below. Stockholders who have questions regarding the distribution may contact EQ Fund Solutions, LLC at 1-888-CHN-CALL (246-2255). The Fund is a closed-end management investment company with the objective of seeking long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities (i) of companies for which the principal securities trading market is in the People's Republic of China (" China "), or (ii) of companies for which the principal securities trading market is outside of China , or constituting direct equity investments in companies organized outside of China , that in both cases derive at least 50% of their revenues from goods and services sold or produced, or have at least 50% of their assets, in China . While the Fund is permitted to invest in direct equity investments of companies organized in China , it presently holds no such investments. The Fund's shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CHN." The Fund's investment manager is Matthews International Capital Management, LLC. For more information regarding the Fund and the Fund's holdings, please call 1-888-CHN-CALL (246-2255) or visit the Fund's website at www.chinafundinc.com . For more information about the Plan or to terminate your participation in the Plan, please contact Computershare Trust Company, N.A. at c/o The China Fund, Inc. at P.O. Box 43078, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3078, by telephone at 1-800-426-5523 or via the Internet at www.computershare.com/investor . View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-china-fund-inc-declares-distributions-302331625.html SOURCE The China Fund, Inc.
Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram explains the response to the aims of DOGE on ‘Special Report.’ A top New Jersey lawmaker is proposing legislation to form a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Garden State, modeling it after the one Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are forming at the federal level. "We need it more" than Washington, Senate Minority Whip Joe Pennacchio, R-Boonton, said. "We're mirroring what the federal government and what those two gentlemen are doing." Pennacchio, who also previously worked under former Republican Gov. Donald DiFrancesco on economic development, said NJDOGE would take on a state budget that has increased 60% in the past seven fiscal years. DRONE ACTIVITY NEAR TRUMP-BEDMINSTER, PICATINNY ARSENAL SPURS NJ FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS NJ State Senate Minority Whip Joe Pennacchio, R-Morris. (New Jersey State Senate official photo) "A lot of those increases were one-shots, when they borrowed money during the period of COVID. You're not going to get that back. ... They haven’t even spent it all. Those one-shots, they’re all gone. "I’ve seen estimates of a budget deficit next year of maybe $4 billion. Next year is the governor’s race. We will have a new governor, and regardless of who comes in — Republican or Democrat — it would be nice to have a committee together to give them a blueprint of what we can or should not do." He said the state does have a "red tape" commission set up by former Gov. Chris Christie to trim regulations, adding it hasn’t borne results. "Every dollar we save is $1 less that [Trenton] has to raise taxes," Pennacchio said. Pennacchio’s committee, if approved, would consist of one member from the state Treasury, one from the Chamber of Commerce, the top Republican and Democrat from the Senate and General Assembly and one public member appointed by the governor. DOGE-MEETS-CONGRESS: GOP LAWMAKER LAUNCHES CAUCUS TO HELP MUSK ‘TAKE ON CRAZYTOWN’ Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy (Getty) "[N]ot only can we start to chip away at our exacerbated affordability crisis by cutting wasteful spending and ensuring efficiency, we can also ease the financial burden for our constituents across the Garden State by lowering the onslaught of taxes and fees," Pennacchio said. At least one other state senator is planning to endorse the idea but has not yet done so publicly. Fox News Digital also reached out to representatives of the General Assembly for their reaction to the senator’s legislation. Despite being long viewed as a reliably "blue" state, New Jersey came within about four points of electing Donald Trump instead of Vice President Kamala Harris. Political analysts pointed to the results as evidence of a tidal shift in public opinion toward government spending, among other subjects. GOP LAWMAKER TORCHES OFFSHORE NJ WIND PROJECTS AS MD MAYOR BLASTS ‘STAR WARS’ BACKDROPS Trump twice won Morris County and flipped Passaic County in 2024, parts of which Pennacchio represents. The lawmaker said his constituents are on board with his NJDOGE proposal and that they’ve similarly recognized disparities in the funding support they receive from Trenton. Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump Transition for comment on the plan. "My district is a district that is getting the bills. Schools in my district are seeing cuts while schools in other districts are not seeing cuts," Pennacchio said. "It is stuff like this that we should look at. ... If the legislature sees fit that they still want to subsidize this nonsense, then that's fine. They’ll be on record. "Let's greet the next new governor with outlines of what they can do, where there are cost savings, where things can be eliminated; that will stimulate the economy, maybe decrease taxes on the people." The 2025 field for that governor’s race is packed, with several top names in both partisan primaries. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, former Senate Leader Steve Sweeney and representatives Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer round out the Democratic choices. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Truck driver and former state Sen. Ed Durr, Sen. Jon Bramnick, conservative journalist Bill Spadea and 2021 gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli are the top names on the Republican side. State Sen. Robert Singer, R-Lakewood, also joined Pennacchio's call for a NJDOGE. "With President Trump's plan to bring business back to the U.S., New Jersey has the chance to lead the charge. It's time to restore our state's manufacturing glory with high-paying jobs," Singer said. "Let's make New Jersey the blueprint for the Make America Work Again movement, starting with a statewide DOGE." The New Jersey Capitol in Trenton (iStock) Recently, large drones have been spotted across Pennacchio’s district, making nationwide news. Pennacchio slammed the feds for offering Jerseyans few answers on the aircraft, saying that when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in 2001, government officials knew right away who orchestrated it. "We even had some face time with the Department of Homeland Security (about the drones). They were useless. ... They should be ashamed of themselves. The FBI director, he checked out. [Christopher Wray] already announced that he's leaving. ... So who's minding the store here?" Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant. Charles covers media , politics and culture for Fox News Digital. Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.Turkey removes two more pro-Kurdish mayors from office for links to banned group
Syrians cheer end of 50 years of Assad rule at first Friday prayers since government fell
Giannis Antetokounmpo named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 5Happy Holidays! It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! It was a slow week in the Yankees Universe this week, as we celebrated all three of the mainstream winter holidays — Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa — on Wednesday and Thursday! How did the members of our Yankees celebrate the holiday season? Let’s find out! Season’s Greetings from the Yankees To lead off this week’s roundup, we’ve got a compilation of holiday posts from throughout the Yankees Universe: the official team account, current players, former players, broadcasters, and more! Happy Holidays from the New York Yankees!❄ pic.twitter.com/rZZJCP4e0L A post shared by Talkin Yanks (@talkinyanks) A post shared by Suzyn Waldman (@suzynwaldman) A post shared by Michael Kay (@kayster61) A post shared by CC Sabathia (@cc_sabathia) Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! Wishing everyone all the love, joy, and blessings this season pic.twitter.com/6cKZ2wqnBT A post shared by Alex Rodriguez (@arod) A post shared by Bartolo Colon (@bcolon40) A post shared by Rookie (@batdogrookie) Farewell, Gleyber Soon after agreeing to a one-year, $15 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, Gleyber Torres took to Instagram to thank the Yankees Universe and to express his gratitude for his eight years in the organization. A post shared by Gleyber Torres (@gleyberdavid) Remembering the Debut In a video posted to their Instagram, Topps asked Aaron Judge to name the lineup from his major league debut, and he showed that, well, he’s the Captain for the reason. Judge remembered every player from that day’s lineup with little difficulty, struggling only on the day’s DH (an admittedly embarrassing one to struggle on, since it was The Kraken during his insane 2016 rookie campaign, Gary Sánchez). Aaron Judge tries to remember the starting line-up from his MLB Debut... pic.twitter.com/0lZD62jOdv Down on the Farm The Somerset Patriots’ social media team has been absolute aces this year, and their holiday week shenanigans were also fantastic. They gave us puns on players’ names and gifts to players at the team facilities working out. Honestly we're down for Cole in our stocking pic.twitter.com/b8IOXJ0GCX Twas the night before Christmas One more batch of presents was dropped off for the Patriots⚽️ pic.twitter.com/O76cmIxGaY They also posted a thread highlighting the team’s accomplishments and notable moments from the past season — including the fact that 17 former Patriots made their major league debuts this season. The 2024 season served up many highlights, including the launch of the Jersey Diners that took the nation by storm. Unprecedented exposure & sales followed, leading to the Jersey Diners being named @MiLB 's Best Alternate Identity of the Year and a Golden Bobblehead winner. pic.twitter.com/0uQSdMq9o3Special counsel Jack Smith moved to drop the Justice Department’s appeal in President-elect Donald Trump ’s classified documents case. The move, announced in a court filing Monday, aligns with the longstanding DOJ policy of not criminally prosecuting sitting presidents. The decision comes shortly after Smith also filed a motion to dismiss the 2020 election interference case against Trump. Last week, the judge overseeing Trump’s hush money trial canceled the upcoming sentencing hearing without immediately setting a new date. Smith did not move to drop proceedings against the two other men charged in the case: Walt Nauta, Trump’s personal aide and valet, and Carlos De Oliveira, the maintenance chief at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in Florida. Trump celebrated the dismissal of proceedings against him. “These cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought,” he claimed on Truth Social . In a shock ruling in July, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed the classified documents case after it dragged out far longer than legal experts expected. Smith quickly filed an appeal challenging Cannon’s ruling that his appointment to the case was unconstitutional because it did not go through Congress. Ahead of the election, Cannon’s name appeared on the Trump campaign’s list of possible candidates for attorney general, according to documents obtained by ABC News . The classified documents case concerned 13,000 government documents, including hundreds of highly classified ones, that the FBI recovered during a 2022 raid at Mar-a-Lago. The documents, many of which detailed matters of national security, were found strewn about Trump’s home ― in a ballroom, a bathroom, an office, his bedroom and a storage room. Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. He was charged with 40 felony counts, to which he pleaded not guilty. Only one of the four criminal indictments against Trump is still technically proceeding: the Georgia racketeering case against him that arose from his efforts to overturn that state’s 2020 presidential election results. The case was already stalled by several pretrial motions from Trump’s legal team, and it remains to be seen whether a state-level prosecutor can take action against a sitting president. Related From Our Partner
The Bank of Scotland’s business barometer poll showed 73% of Scottish businesses expect to see turnover increase in 2025, up from 60% polled in 2023. Almost a quarter (23%) of businesses expect to see their revenue rise by between six and 10% over the next 12 months, with just over a fifth (21%) expecting it to grow by even more. The poll found that 70% of businesses were confident they would become more profitable in 2025, a two per cent increase when compared with the previous year. Revenue and profitability growth was firms’ top priority at 52%, though 40% said they will be targeting improved productivity, and the same proportion said they will be aiming to enhance their technology – such as automation or AI – or upskill their staff (both 29%). More than one in five (22%) want to improve their environmental sustainability. Other areas businesses are hoping to build upon AI-assisted technology (19%), and 24% will be investing in expanding into new UK markets and 23% plan to invest in staff training. The business barometer has surveyed 1,200 businesses every month since 2002, providing early signals about UK economic trends. Martyn Kendrick, Scotland director at Bank of Scotland commercial banking, said: “Scottish businesses are looking ahead to 2025 with stronger growth expectations, and setting out clear plans to drive this expansion through investments in new technology, new markets and their own teams. “As we enter the new year, we’ll continue to by their side to help them pursue their ambitions and seize all opportunities that lie ahead.”Two more Hindu priests were arrested in Bangladesh, ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das claimed on Saturday. Speaking to PTI, Radharamn said, "I have received information that two more ISKCON monks have been arrested by police in Bangladesh." In a post on X on Friday night, Radharamn said, "In the meantime, bad news has come: two devotees who went with prasad for Chinmaya Prabhu were arrested on their way back to the temple, and Chinmaya prabhu's secretary is also missing. Please pray for them." Earlier on Friday, Radharamn had posted, "Another Brahmachari, Sri Shyam Das Prabhu, was arrested by Chattogram Police today." "Does he look like a terrorist? #FreeISKCONMonks Bangladesh. The arrest of innocent #ISKCON brahmacharis are deeply shocking & disturbing," Radharamn posted on X on Saturday. His comments comes comes in the backdrop of unconfirmed reports of arrest of three more ISKCON monks, days after the arrest of spiritual leader Chinmay Das. Chinmay Das, who also served as a spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday while en route to Chattogram to attend a rally. He was denied bail and sent to jail on Tuesday by the Chattogram Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate Court. Historically, Hindus made up approximately 22 per cent of Bangladesh's population during the 1971 Liberation War. The Hindu population, once a substantial demographic in Bangladesh, has experienced a significant decline in recent decades, with the minority community now comprising only around 8 per cent of the country's total population. This drop is largely attributed to a combination of socio-political marginalisation, exodus and sporadic violence over the years.
In a way, Giuli was part of Meloni's vision years before she appointed him as a minister. She has long considered him one of the most suitable candidates to carry out a project that she cares about: building right-wing cultural hegemony. When Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano resigned over a sex scandal on Sept. 6, Alessandro Giuli was appointed in his place. Giuli had very little experience in politics, but like Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in his youth, he was a member of a neofascist party called the Italian Social Movement. Soon after her election, Meloni appointed him as the director of MAXXI , an important museum in Rome. When Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano resigned over a sex scandal on Sept. 6, Alessandro Giuli was appointed in his place. Giuli had very little experience in politics, but like Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in his youth, he was a member of a neofascist party called the Italian Social Movement. Soon after her election, Meloni appointed him as the director of MAXXI, an important museum in Rome. In a way, Giuli was part of Meloni's vision years before she appointed him as a minister. She has long considered him one of the most suitable candidates to carry out a project that she cares about: building right-wing cultural hegemony. Cultural hegemony is a concept developed by Italian communist philosopher Antonio Gramsci to explain why the worker's revolution that Karl Marx predicted had not yet happened. He theorized that it was because the ruling class controlled social institutions—from schools to the media—and used them to spread its ideologies, shaping the population's belief system and, thus, its actions. In other words, controlling culture meant controlling political and social outcomes. Meloni is not a communist, but she is convinced that the Italian left has succeeded, since the end of World War II, in dominating cultural institutions, such as the arts and academia, creating a situation which she has... Giorgio GhiglioneSee National Geographic’s Most Stunning Images of the Year
More Scots business owners anticipate higher turnover in 2025, poll suggestsPool of Democratic hopefuls for NY-21 widensNo. 22 Xavier faces South Carolina St., eyes rebound from lone loss
NoneReport: UCF HC Gus Malzahn to become Florida State OC
No. 22 Xavier faces South Carolina St., eyes rebound from lone loss
There’s no such thing as a fairytale in brutal, brilliant world of sport – ask Pep Guardiola & imploding Man City giants