South Korean court issues warrants to detain impeached President Yoon and search his office over declaring Martial Law
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court issued warrants Tuesday to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and search his office and residence over allegations of rebellion in connection with his short-lived declaration of martial law.
It’s the first time for a warrant has been issued to detain a sitting South Korean president. But experts say there is little chance of detention or searches unless Yoon is formally removed from office.
The Seoul Western District Court issued warrants to detain Yoon and to search the presidential office and residence in central Seoul, according to a statement from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities.
The agency says it’s been investigating whether Yoon’s Dec. 3 declaration amounted to rebellion.
Under South Korean law, the leader of a rebellion can face the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted. Yoon has presidential immunity from most criminal prosecution, but the privilege does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.
Yoon’s powers have been suspended since the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14 over his imposition of martial law, during which hundreds of troops and police officers were deployed at the assembly. By law, a president in South Korea is allowed to declare martial law only during wartime or similar emergencies and has no right to suspend parliament’s operations even under martial law.
Yoon has argued his decree was a legitimate act of governance, calling it a warning to the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which he has called “a monster” and “anti-state forces” that has used its legislative majority to impeach top officials, undermine the government’s budget, and which he claims sympathizes with North Korea.
The Constitutional Court is to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or reinstate him.
Experts said Yoon is likely to ignore the warrants. He’s already dodged repeated requests by investigative authorities to appear for questioning, and the presidential security service has blocked attempts to search his office and residence citing a law that bans raids on sites with state secrets.
Yoon Kap-keun, a lawyer for the president, called the detainment warrant “invalid” and “illegal,” saying the anti-corruption agency lacks legal authority to investigate rebellion charges. The presidential security service said it will provide security to Yoon in accordance with the law.
The anti-corruption agency said it has no immediate plans on how to proceed with the warrants.
“Unless Yoon voluntarily lets them detain him, there is no way to detain him,” said Choi Jin, director of the Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership. “Should investigators have hand-to-hand fights with the security service?”
Choi said that investigators were still likely to visit Yoon’s residence to show they are strictly and fairly carrying out their work.
Park Sung-min, president of Seoul-based political consulting firm MIN Consulting, said the push for an arrest warrant is likely an attempt to pressure Yoon to cooperate with investigations.
Former President Park Geun-hye, who was thrown out of office in 2017 following an impeachment over a corruption scandal, also refused to meet with prosecutors while in office. She underwent questioning by them and was arrested after the Constitutional Court removed her from office.
Yoon’s imposition of martial law lasted only six hours but triggered huge political turmoil, halting high-level diplomacy and rattling financial markets. Despite Yoon’s deployment of troops and police, enough lawmakers managed to enter the assembly chamber to overturn it unanimously.
Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested over their roles in the martial law enactment.
Yoon has claimed he wasn’t trying to stop the functioning of the assembly, saying that the troops were sent to maintain order, and also denied planning to arrest politicians. But comments by now-arrested commanders of military units sent to the assembly have contradicted this claim.
Kwak Jong-keun, the commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, testified at the National Assembly that Yoon called on troops to “quickly knock down the door and drag out the lawmakers who are inside.” Kwak said he did not carry out Yoon’s orders.
The country’s political crisis deepened last Friday, when the Democratic Party and other small opposition parties voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo as well over wrangling over his refusal to fill in three justice seats at the Constitutional Court. Observers say adding more justices could affect the court’s ruling on Yoon’s impeachment.
The deputy prime minister and finance minister, Choi Sang-mok, has become South Korea’s new interim leader.
https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-president-martial-law-yoon-warrant-4cf80153a9bd333147afb746adb49433
Mayor Muriel Bowser
@MayorBowser
Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser met with President Donald Trump.
Following the meeting, the Mayor shared the following statement:
https://x.com/MayorBowser/status/1873926776617103732
The FBI has issued a formal warning to sports leagues about organized theft groups targeting professional athletes
The warning follows a rash of burglaries, beginning in September, at the homes of professional athletes while they were playing games or traveling.
“These homes are targeted for burglary due to the perception they may have high-end goods like designer handbags, jewelry, watches, and cash,” the FBI said in a Liaison Information Report obtained by ABC News.
The report stated that "organized theft groups allegedly burglarized the homes of at least nine professional athletes" between September and November 2024.
“While many burglaries occur while homes are unoccupied, some burglaries occur while residents are home. In these instances, individuals are encouraged to seek law enforcement help and avoid engaging with criminals, as they may be armed or use violence if confronted,” the report further stated.
In a string of robberies, burglars have recently targeted the homes of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, along with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and, most recently, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić. In addition, the homes of NBA guard Mike Conley Jr. and Bobby Portis have been burglarized. The FBI report does not specifically note or refer to any of these incidents.
According to the FBI, organized theft groups from South America conduct physical and technical surveillance in preparation for these burglaries, using publicly available information and social media to identify a pattern of life for a prospective victim. They often know in advance where valuables are kept in a home.
“These preparation tactics enable theft groups to conduct burglaries in a short amount of time. Organized theft groups bypass alarm systems, use Wi-Fi jammers to block Wi-Fi connections and disable devices, cover security cameras, and obfuscate their identities,” the FBI report said.
The FBI encouraged more reporting by athletes of suspicious activity and suggested athletes keep records of valuables, inventorying items and their whereabouts, employ additional security and use caution on social media, to include refraining from posting pictures of valuables, the interior of one’s home, and real-time posts when on vacation.
https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/fbi-issues-warning-burglaries-pro-athletes-homes/story?id=117197676
John Ʌ Konrad V
@johnkonrad
My friend @JoshuaSteinman is dropping bombshells about H-1B visas, and I’ve got a story to add.
tl;dr – It’s a cultural problem.
I spent years in India, working directly for one of the country’s wealthiest individuals. He recruited me for my computer skills to lead some of the most ambitious, technically challenging projects ever attempted.
We broke world records and unlocked trillions in wealth. My boss? He now lives in a skyscraper in Mumbai.
Toward the end of the project, he told me his best engineers were leaving for Silicon Valley, lured by unbelievable salaries. So, on his recommendation, I packed up my family and moved to California.
Here’s where it gets weird: I was (at least for short periods of rime) chief of that massive project, with ultimate responsibility. But guys several rungs below me - men way less qualified for any job - were getting H-1B visas and landing incredible salaries in tech.
I got turned down for every tech job I applied for.
Looking back, here’s why:
1.I told the truth.
The foreign visa applicants? Many claimed to work in different departments or roles to fit the narrative. I admitted I worked on oil & gas projects. That’s considered “dirty” and “irrelevant” in tech.
http://2.My school wasn’t on “the list.”
I graduated from @MaritimeCollege—what @stevenujifusacalls “the Harvard of Maritime.” Highest attrition rate in the country. 185 credits. Classes like spherical geometry. But it’s a state school in The Bronx.
Tech doesn’t care. They rely on lists of “approved” “Ivy Plus” schools, as @bhorowitzadmits in The Hard Thing About Hard Things.
But there’s more to it. It’s a cultural problem.
American applicants are at a disadvantage because we’re too easy to vet.
•Work for an Indian oil company? Don’t mention it on your resume.
•Work for a Chinese communist spy agency? Just leave it out.
•Wrong degree? Ask the school to reword your transcript or reframe it as a minor.
As an American, it’s incredibly difficult to lie. HR WILL call my references and confirms every detail of my background.
But for foreign applicants? That’s a lot harder to verify, so they get a pass.
And beneath it all? “Tech culture.”
Read any book about the industry, and you’ll find a near-religious obsession with maintaining “culture.” It’s a startup mantra: hard work, positivity, willingness to take risks.
But the dirty secret? “Tech culture” also harbors disdain for:
•“Dirty” industries like oil & gas.
•Christian values or Republican politics.
•Anything less than an Ivy League education.
This isn’t just about H-1Bs. It’s about arrogance baked into an industry that weeds out Americans for not fitting their mold.
I’m not surprised that zero of Josh’s friends from the Trump administration got hired in tech, even at the highest levels.
If you’re a foreign conservative? They’ll hire you because it doesn’t code against “tech culture.” (E.g. I have several ultra conservative very religious Hindu friends who don’t have this problem) But if you’re an American who doesn’t fit their narrative? They’ll weed you out.
It’s time to talk about the serious cultural problem in tech—and how it’s harming American workers.
Tech has serious biases. They either need to toss them out and hire the best candidates or figure out how to properly vet foreigners who don’t fit their BS culture.
P.S. I did find a way around this BS. Start a company yourself m. I did and raised over $6M for one company.
How did I do it? I dropped any mention of my religion, politics, oil drilling experience and state school education from my capital raising meetings. Worked like a charm.
As an American it’s literally easier to get million dollar checks than a middle level job at facebook or apple.
https://x.com/johnkonrad/status/1872817287855567358
US credit card defaults jump to highest level since 2010
Consumers are ‘tapped out’ after years of high inflation and as pandemic-era savings have evaporated.
Defaults on US credit card loans have hit the highest level since the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, in a sign that lower-income consumers’ financial health is waning after years of high inflation.
Credit card lenders wrote off $46bn in seriously delinquent loan balances in the first nine months of 2024, up 50 per cent from the same period in the year prior and the highest level in 14 years, according to industry data collated by BankRegData. Write-offs, which occur when lenders decide it is unlikely a borrower will make good on their debts, are a closely watched measure of significant loan distress.
“High-income households are fine, but the bottom third of US consumers are tapped out,” said Mark Zandi, the head of Moody’s Analytics. “Their savings rate right now is zero.”
The sharp rise in defaults is a sign of how consumers’ personal finances are becoming increasingly stretched after years of high inflation, and as the Federal Reserve has left borrowing costs at elevated levels.
Banks have yet to report their fourth-quarter numbers but the early signs are that more consumers are falling significantly behind on what they owe. Capital One, the US’s third-largest credit card lender, after JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup, recently said that as of November its annualised credit card write-off rate, which is the percentage of its overall loans that are marked as unrecoverable, hit 6.1 per cent, up from 5.2 per cent a year ago.
“Consumer spending power has been diminished,” said Odysseas Papadimitriou, head of consumer credit research firm WalletHub.
US consumers exited pandemic-era lockdowns flush with cash and ready to spend. Credit card lenders were happy to help, signing up customers who might not have qualified in the past based on income, but looked like safe debtors because their bank accounts were flush with cash.
Credit card balances soared, rising a combined $270bn in 2022 and 2023, and pushing the total US consumers owed on credit cards above $1tn for the first time in mid-2023.
That spending along with coronavirus-induced supply chain bottlenecks led to a burst of inflation, prompting the Fed to boost borrowing costs starting in 2022.
Higher balances and interest rates have left Americans who cannot pay off their credit card bills in full paying $170bn in interest in the past 12 months ending in September.
That sucked up a portion of the excess cash that was in consumers’ bank accounts, particularly those of low-income consumers, and as a result, more of those borrowers are struggling to pay back their credit card debts.
Hopes that the US central bank will rapidly slash interest rates in 2025 after cuts this year were dashed last week, when officials predicted only half a percentage point of rate cuts next year, compared with a forecast of 1 percentage point three months earlier.
In a sign of how consumers are struggling, even after writing off nearly $60bn in consumer credit card debt in the past year, another $37bn remains in consumers’ cards that is at least one month overdue.
Credit card delinquency rates, which are seen as a precursor to write-offs, peaked in July, according to data from Moody’s, but have only fallen slightly and remain nearly a percentage point higher than they were on average in the year before the pandemic.
“Delinquencies are pointing to more pain ahead,” said WalletHub’s Papadimitriou.
US president-elect Donald Trump’s threat of wide-ranging tariffs, which could increase inflation and interest rates, would be “two problematic things for the consumer in 2025”, he added.
https://archive.is/N59nk#selection-2435.0-2497.186
DATA: H1-B Visa ‘Caps’ Exceeded, 99.9% Approval Rate, Chain Migration Increasing
Data analysis by The National Pulse has revealed that industries and companies relying on cheap, foreign labor supplied by the H1-B visa program have grossly undercounted the number of visa holders admitted to the United States each year and its impact on the wages of native-born Americans.Those supporting cheap, foreign labor visas insist the United States abides by the statutory cap of 65,000 H1-B visas awarded through a lottery system each year—and an additional 20,000 visas reserved for immigrants with advanced secondary degrees created through the 2004 Omnibus. That means, statutorily, 85,000 H1-B visas can theoretically be granted to foreign workers each year. However, according to the U.S. federal government’s mandated reports to Congress, this number is significantly higher.
According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’s (USCIS) FY 2023 report to Congress—currently the most recent public data—the number of H1-B’s filed in the fiscal year was 386,318. These are the total number of visas approved by the federal government. The USCIS report indicates that about one-third of the visas issued in FY 2023 were new—indicating the statutory cap of 85,000 was exceeded, with potentially over 100,000 new H1-Bs being granted. Specific nonprofits and government contractors working in areas deemed critical to American interests can attain unlimited H1-Bs, which is how the newly issued visas in FY 2023 exceeded the statutory cap.The USCIS report also reveals that only 75,843 H1-B visa workers filed a change of employer petition, suggesting that over 80 percent are essentially handcuffed to their corporate employer. This is significant as it adds credence to critics’ claim that the visa partially suppresses wages by removing negotiating leverage from foreign workers to increase their salary through other job offers.The average age of an H1-B worker is just 33. Over a third of accepted H1-B visa workers only hold a bachelor’s degree. Only 22 percent held a master’s degree, while just eight percent had a PhD.The median income of an H1-B worker was $118,000 in FY 2023. According to the Silicon Valley Index, in 2024, the average compensation of workers in Big Tech was around $189,000.
The number of H1-Bs in the United States decreased between FY 2022 and 2023. The report states that 442,043 visas were approved in FY 2022, while 386,318 were approved in FY 2023. This is a 13 percent decrease.The USCIS data suggests that 99.9 percent of H1-B visa applications were approved in FY 2023.The report states that 386,559 new or continuing visa applications were filed, and 386,318 were approved. Given the numerous U.S. Department of Justice prosecutions against companies like Cognizant, Infosys, and other H1-B “mills” that essentially outsource American jobs to foreign contractors, the near-100 percent approval rate is worthy of immediate attention.
Many approved H1-B workers aren’t coming to the United States by themselves. According to USCIS data, over 55,000 nonimmigrant visa holders—students, tourists, and others–applied for a change in their nonimmigration status in FY 2023. USCIS notes these are primarily spouses or children of H1-B workers.It is believed that around 200,000 or more family members have accompanied H1-B visa holders to the United States overall. While in theory, the H1-B is not intended to be a dual-track visa program, allowing the holders to attain green card status and a pathway to citizenship eventually, it has increasingly become such a scheme.In essence, the H1-B has not just become a source of cheap labor but one of several U.S. visa programs that—through abuse and manipulation—serve as a pipeline for mass immigration into America.
https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/12/30/data-h1-b-visa-caps-exceeded-99-9-approval-rate-chain-migration-increasing/
11 facts about Jimmy Carter that may surprise you
-Jimmy Carter was the first future president born in a hospital
-He was the first president to be inaugurated by a nickname
-Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were married longer than any other presidential couple
-He installed solar water-heating panels on the roof of the White House West Wing
-Peanut One set the technological standard for campaign jets
-Mr. Carter’s judicial appointments were the most racially and gender-diverse at the time
-A devout Christian, he struggled with abortion but later supported same-sex marriage
-He made eradicating the Guinea worm a personal mission
-He spent 89 seconds inside a nuclear reactor in meltdown
-Elvis Presley called Mr. Carter but was too high for the president to understand him
-British tabloids accused Mr. Carter of breaching royal protocol by kissing the Queen Mother on the lips
https://archive.is/sRWjn#selection-539.0-539.49
NYSE to close on Jan. 9 in honor of the late former President Jimmy Carter
The New York Stock Exchange
will close trading on Thursday, Jan. 9, in accordance with a national day of mourning for the death of former President Jimmy Carter.
It is customary for the NYSE to close trading to honor the passing of a president. The last such occasion was in December 2018 for the death of former President George Herbert Walker Bush.
The Nasdaq
exchange will also close trading that day. Bond market trading will end early at 2 p.m. ET, per the recommendation of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.
Carter, the nation’s 39th president known for his post-presidency peacekeeping and humanitarian work, died Sunday at the age of 100. President Joe Biden on Sunday declared Jan. 9 as a day of mourning for the nation. Carter’s funeral will be held that day at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Biden also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff for the next 30 days beginning Sunday.
The practice by the NYSE, founded in the late 1700s, dates back to 1885 when the Big Board closed to honor 18th President Ulysses S. Grant, according to The Wall Street Journal. It is rare for the exchange to close on nonholidays since it is a symbol of America’s leading capital markets position in the world. Along with honoring former presidents, the exchange also closed trading in 1968 following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/30/nyse-to-close-on-january-9-in-honor-of-former-president-jimmy-carter.html
Appeals court upholds $5 million E. Jean Carroll verdict against Trump
A federal appeals court has upheld writer E. Jean Carroll's $5 million civil judgment against President-elect Donald Trump.
A jury awarded Carroll the sum last year after it found Trump liable for sexual abusing her in the 1990s and then defaming her after she went public with her allegations.
Trump has denied the allegations and appealed the verdict, charging it was "grossly excessive" and saying it should be tossed out because of what he claimed were unfair rulings by the judge who presided over the nine-day trial.
A panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed.
"We conclude that Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings. Further, he has not carried his burden to show that any claimed error or combination of claimed errors affected his substantial rights as required to warrant a new trial," the judges' ruling said.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, said in response to the ruling: “The American People have re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate, and they demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and a swift dismissal of all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded Carroll Hoax, which will continue to be appealed."
Carroll attorney Roberta Kaplan said in a statement that she and her client “are gratified by today’s decision. We thank the Second Circuit for its careful consideration of the parties’ arguments.”
Carroll later posted a link to a news story about the ruling on Facebook, adding, "Thank you, Robbie Kaplan!"
Carroll's suit alleged that Trump sexually assaulted her in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store in 1996 and that he defamed her by calling her claim a "hoax" and a "con job" after he left office in 2021.
Trump did not testify or put on a defense case. His appeal focused on what he said were critical errors by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, including allowing testimony from two other women who claimed they had been sexually accosted by Trump.
Jessica Leeds alleged that Trump started to grope her out of the blue while they were sitting next to each other on a flight to New York in the late 1970s, while Natasha Stoynoff testified that Trump pushed her against a wall and started kissing her in 2005, when she was at his Mar-a-Lago resort to interview him and Melania Trump for a story about their first wedding anniversary. Trump has denied their allegations.
His attorneys also cited Kaplan's decision to allow the jury to hear the so-called "Access Hollywood" tape as another error. The 2005 recording caught Trump on a hot mic bragging that he can grope women without their consent because "when you’re a star, they let you do it."
The appeals court found Judge Kaplan had not "abused his discretion" by letting that evidence into the case. The "evidence of other conduct was relevant to show a pattern tending to directly corroborate witness testimony and to confirm that the alleged sexual assault actually occurred," the ruling said.
Trump is also appealing Carroll's $83 million defamation judgment against him in a separate but related case centering on defamatory comments he made about her while he was president and then after the $5 million verdict.
That case was actually the first suit she filed against Trump, but it was stalled while Trump argued that his comments were protected by presidential immunity, a claim the judge rejected.
Trump is appealing that verdict to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, as well.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/appeals-court-upholds-5-million-e-jean-carroll-verdict-trump-rcna185745
Volkswagen has exposed the data of 800,000 owners of electric vehicles via a flaw in Cariad, its software subsidiary
Discovered by the Chaos Computer Club in Germany, the leak, which included GPS information, raises alarm bells about data management in the automotive industry. The story comes two years after the Mozilla Foundation's catastrophic report on car data.
Just imagine: the smallest details of your life, meticulously recorded and accessible at the click of a button. Where you're going, how fast you're driving, your private conversations, even your state of health or sexual practices - all potentially available not only to car manufacturers, but also to hackers. This is the nightmare scenario highlighted by the recent data breach at the Volkswagen Group (VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat).
GPS data, contact information, and potentially much more—all of it is now potentially in the hands of malicious actors. This scandal is a stark reminder of the warnings issued by the Mozilla Foundation in 2023: modern cars have become veritable "surveillance machines on wheels.”
Four out of five brands sell your data
In 2023, Mozilla published a damning report on the "nightmarish" privacy practices of the car industry. The Volkswagen Group, despite adhering to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation's consumer protection principles of data minimisation, transparency and choice, had failed to live up to these principles. The Mozilla study found that 25 car brands were collecting more data than necessary and 84% were sharing or selling driver data.
Worse still, 68% of the brands had suffered hacks, security incidents or data leaks in the previous three years.
The Volkswagen data breach, which exposed the personal information of 800,000 electric car owners, mainly in Germany, confirmed these fears. Caused by a misconfiguration of systems at Cariad, Volkswagen's software subsidiary, the breach allowed public access to sensitive data stored on Amazon Cloud for months. The compromised data included precise GPS information, allowing detailed movement profiles of vehicles and their owners to be created. What is particularly worrying is that the breach affected not only ordinary citizens, but also high-ranking figures, including politicians, business leaders and law enforcement officers.
BMW, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Jeep already under attack
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC), a group of German hackers, discovered the flaw and alerted Volkswagen, enabling the company to fix the problem before it could be exploited maliciously. This incident adds to a long list of security scandals in the automotive industry. Security researchers have demonstrated vulnerabilities in systems at BMW and Kia, while Mercedes-Benz displayed a compromised internal chat system. The 2015 Jeep hack, in which IT specialists could take control of a Jeep via its cellular module, remains an emblematic example of the vulnerability of connected cars.
The Volkswagen data breach is a wake-up call for the automotive industry. It highlights the urgent need for robust cyber security measures to protect consumer data. It is imperative that car manufacturers prioritise data privacy and security, and that consumers demand greater transparency and control over their data. The future of the car is connected, but it must not be at the expense of privacy. And perhaps European or national regulators in Europe would be wise to take up these practices.
https://delano.lu/article/volkswagen-another-chapter-in-the-nightmare-of-connected-cars
‘Infidel car burning festival’ kicks off early in France
https://x.com/AmyMek/status/1873610800465936444
Biden marks Jimmy Carter's death with National Day of Mourning, amid sweeping tributes
Reactions to the death of former President Jimmy Carter paid tribute to his service to the country and his contributions around the world after his time in the White House.
President Joe Biden on Sunday issued a proclamation on Carter's death, ordering American flags to be flown at half-mast for 30 days. He also marked Jan. 9, 2025, as a National Day of Mourning.
Earlier in the evening, he made a televised appearance from St. Croix, a part of the U.S. Virgin Islands where he and his family were spending the holidays, to remember the accomplished man both politically and personally, noting, "Jill and I lost a dear friend."
However, he added, what he found most extraordinary about Carter was the fact that millions of people around the world currently shared that feeling – whether they'd met him or not.
"Cancer was a common bond between our two families," Biden confided, and he said that they had shared the belief that America has "the talent and the resources to one day end cancer as we know it if we make the investments."
Biden praised the renowned humanitarian for being a man of both word and deed, suggesting, "We should all do well to be a bit more like Jimmy Carter."
On behalf of the nation, to Carter's family, he said, "We send our whole heartfelt sympathies, in gratitude" for that life of service – both in the Oval Office and in the decades beyond.
In closing, Biden noted, of Carter being laid to rest: "I think he's happy, and he's happy with Rosie" – referencing Carter's beloved late wife Rosalynn Carter, who died one year prior in November 2023.
He had previously released a statement calling Carter "a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism."
"With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us," Biden's statement said. "He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe."
Vice President Kamala Harris mourned Carter's passing on Sunday, saying in a statement that the former president, "was guided by a deep and abiding faith – in God, in America, and in humanity."
"I had the privilege of knowing President Carter for years. I will always remember his kindness, wisdom, and profound grace. His life and legacy continue to inspire me — and will inspire generations to come. Our world is a better place because of President Carter," Harris added.
In a statement posted to X, Secretary of State Antony Blinken remembered former President Jimmy Carter for demonstrating “what could be achieved through tireless diplomacy and dedication to the pursuit of peace, democracy, and human rights.”
Listing Carter’s foreign policy achievements, Blinken included “negotiating the return of the Panama Canal to its host nation” and “developing arms control agreements with the Soviet Union.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin wrote in a statement that "Americans will remember President Carter for his leadership in office and his distinguished post-presidency, but the Department also honors his sterling service in uniform."
Austin said, "We also honor President Carter for his contributions to global security. The Carter Doctrine still helps undergird our commitment to stability and security in the Gulf."
He added, on a personal note, "Charlene and I send our deepest condolences to the Carter family."
As Biden mentioned in his televised tribute, many political leaders had close personal ties and friendships with the former president, and their remembrances were often heartfelt – even as they recognized Carter's many efforts to decentralize himself and put other people and good work first.
Former President Bill Clinton said in a statement on X that he and his wife Hillary Clinton "mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life." He also wrote, "Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others—until the very end."
President-elect Donald Trump wrote of Carter on Truth Social, "The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude."
In his statement, former President Barack Obama paid tribute to the former president's honesty, especially in the wake of Watergate saying in a statement that Carter "promised voters that he would always tell the truth. And he did – advocating for the public good, consequences be damned. He believed some things were more important than reelection – things like integrity, respect, and compassion. Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God's image."
House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi also recognized the times in which Carter was elected to the White House, in a statement to ABC News:
"As President, his work to restore integrity to the political arena during a difficult chapter in our history was a testament to his firm faith in the sanctity of the public good, which he always placed above his own," she said in a statement. "After leaving the White House, he carried on his service — leading perhaps the most impactful post-presidency in history."
Former President George W. Bush posted on X, calling Carter "a man of deeply held convictions. He was loyal to his family, his community, and his country. President Carter dignified the office. And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn't end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's statement said, "President Carter lived a truly American dream. A devoutly religious peanut farmer from small-town Georgia volunteered to serve his country in uniform. He found himself manning cutting-edge submarines hundreds of feet beneath the ocean. He returned home and saved the family farm before feeling drawn to a different sort of public service. And less than 15 years after his first campaign for the state Senate, his fellow Americans elected him leader of the free world."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer released a statement calling Carter "one of our most humble and devoted public servants."
"President Carter personified the true meaning of leadership through service, through compassion, and through integrity," Schumer said in a statement.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called him a "great man, role model and humanitarian" and said in a statement that "his incredible life, legacy and leadership are a testament to the power of the American dream."
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said in a statement that Carter "set the standard for post-presidential service through his work with Habitat for Humanity."
The Clintons' statement summarized Carter's impact:
"From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as President to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David; to his post-Presidential efforts at the Carter Center supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn's devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity–he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world."
Former Vice President Al Gore said on Sunday that Carter had "lived a life full of purpose, humility, and kindness" and that "he led with heart, faith in God, and courage."
"He had an unyielding commitment to building a more peaceful, safer, and more just world and a cleaner environment," Gore said in a statement posted on social media. "He is also remembered around the world for the work he did over the 42 years after he left office."
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement that Carter was a "good and decent man" who "represented the heart of this country." And Former Attorney General Eric Holder said Carter "consistently showed that he was the best of us."
"History will look fondly on his many achievements, from the creation of the Department of Education to the Camp David Accords to his prescient focus on climate concerns," Holder said in a statement posted on X. "He is a President whose accomplishments will be seen for their true significance and lasting value in the years to come."
Jaime Harrison, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, praised Carter for "leading by example" during his presidency and during his time as governor of Georgia, where he enacted environmental policies "and stood up for civil rights and desegregation" in the state.
"Throughout his presidency, he was guided by his faith, his selfless commitment to others, and his empathy," Harrison said in a statement. "President Carter aspired to build a government grounded in competence and compassion and leave behind a country where dreams are achievable, and hope is more than an aspiration."
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/political-leaders-pay-tribute-carters-character-compassion/story?id=117182871
Exceptionally well-preserved 1,500-year-old sword unearthed in Anglo-Saxon cemetery
Archaeologists have unearthed a remarkably well-preserved elite sword from a newly discovered Anglo-Saxon cemetery near Canterbury. This rare find provides valuable insights into early Medieval burial practices.
This incredibly rare sword, excavated from an "extraordinary Anglo-Saxon cemetery," has been compared to the famed swords of Dover and Sutton Hoo.
Exquisitely crafted and featuring runic script along its blade, the sword will soon be featured on the television show "Digging for Britain." It is considered one of the most remarkable finds in the show's 12-season run.
However, the exact location of this significant archaeological site is being kept secret. The sword was recovered from one of 12 "beautifully decorated" graves, which are just a few of the 200 yet to be explored at the site. The gravesite and the exquisite sword offer experts an unprecedented window into the early Medieval past.
Unearthing a 6th-century sword from a grave
The sword, dating back to the 6th century, was found in a Medieval cemetery near Canterbury. To protect the site, archaeologists are not disclosing its exact location. They fear that publicity could disrupt the ongoing excavation, which is expected to continue for years.
This cemetery “is right at the cutting-edge of that work,” Duncan Sayer, lead archaeologist, told The Guardian. The dig is part of a larger project investigating a significant migration period that may have introduced new genetic influences to Britain after the Roman era.
The discovery that stunned archaeologists was a silver-and-gilt hilt sword in remarkably good condition. It even retains traces of its leather-and-wood scabbard and beaver fur lining.
A significant ring attached to its pommel (the cap at the end of the hilt) may indicate an oath made to a king. All evidence suggests that this sword belonged to a high-ranking individual who died between the 5th and 6th centuries.
The grave contained further clues about the status of the buried swordsman. A gold pendant inscribed with a serpent and dragon suggests he was buried with an heirloom from a wealthy female ancestor.
Using a microscope, researchers were able to examine the sword in extraordinary detail, with up to 10x magnification. They discovered pupae on the sword, indicating that the body was not buried immediately. This suggests a previously unknown early Medieval burial practice in the 5th and 6th centuries, possibly similar to an "open casket."
A Medieval cemetery of 200 graves
In addition to revealing new information about funerary practices, the 12 “beautifully furnished graves” (with 200 more expected to be uncovered) have yielded artifacts from foreign cultures like the Scandinavians and Franks, suggesting cultural exchange.
According to The Guardian, these graves provide evidence of a shifting political landscape during this period. This may be connected to the researchers' broader investigation into migration patterns that may have influenced British DNA.
Professor Alice Roberts, who will present the find on television, told The Guardian, "It’s an extraordinary Anglo-Saxon cemetery, with really beautifully furnished graves, a lot of weapon burials where you find things like iron spear-points and seaxes, which are Anglo-Saxon knives – and then there’s this astonishing sword.”
After undergoing conservation, which is expected to take some time, the sword will be displayed at the Folkestone Museum.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/exceptionally-well-preserved-1-500-124314681.html
Jimmy Carter to be honored with a state funeral before being buried next to Rosalynn
Jimmy Carter will be be honored with a state funeral before being laid to rest in his hometown of Plains, Ga. — buried next to his wife, Rosalynn, beside a willow tree.
Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died in Plains on Sunday at age 100.
Carter was president from 1977 to 1981, but he was perhaps more famous for the life he led after leaving office. Carter was one of the biggest advocates for peace, democracy and international human rights.
James "Jimmy" Earl Carter Jr. was born on Oct. 1, 1924, and spent his childhood on a farm just outside Plains, a tiny southwest Georgia community. His father was a peanut farmer; his mother, "Miss Lillian," was a nurse. He was the first president of the United States to be born in a hospital.
"Other than Jimmy Carter, no person from the Deep South since the American Civil War had been elected president," said Steven Hochman, a longtime assistant to the former president who works for the Carter Center.
Jimmy who?
Growing up on the farm, Carter learned the value of hard work and determination. He qualified for the U.S. Naval Academy and became an engineer, working on submarines. But Carter resigned from the Navy in 1953 after his father died.
Back in Plains, he was elected to the Georgia Senate and became the first Georgia governor to speak out against racial discrimination.
A lifelong Democrat like most Southerners at the time, Carter was a political unknown when he began a national campaign in 1974 and was first referred to as "Jimmy Who?"
But a grassroots effort changed that, Hochman said. "He would campaign on the street corners and go to radio stations. Nobody knew who he was except that he was running for president."
Carter's friends and family from Georgia, called the Peanut Brigade, traveled to New Hampshire, Iowa and all over the country talking to voters and campaigning for Carter, the dependable Southerner who wanted to be president.
During the campaign, Carter told audiences, "I'll never tell a lie. I'll never make a misleading statement. I'll never betray the trust of those who have confidence in me, and I will never avoid a controversial issue."
Carter was elected when the mood of the country was bitter and cynical in the wake of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. The man from Georgia struck out on a different course on his inauguration day: Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, stepped out of the bulletproof limousine and walked to the White House to demonstrate their connection with the American people.
"It was mainly an attempt to draw a distinction between what he saw as the people's presidency and the more imperial presidency of Richard Nixon," said historian Dan Carter (no relation to Jimmy Carter).
The Carter White House
Among Jimmy Carter's accomplishments were the Camp David Accords, which brought together the prime minister of Israel and the president of Egypt in 1978. They signed peace agreements on the White House lawn, and Carter spoke about the dedication and determination of the leaders who had been enemies for so many years.
The accords led to a peace treaty, but the relationship between the two Mideast countries remained tenuous. While in office, Carter also worked on the SALT II nuclear weapons agreement and signed the Panama Canal treaties, giving control of the canal to Panama.
But Carter's most difficult challenge was the Iran hostage crisis. Militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Iran in 1979 and took dozens of Americans hostage. People were glued to reports on the crisis for more than a year, as Carter continued to negotiate for the release of the hostages. In 1980, a failed rescue attempt led to the deaths of eight American servicemen.
The administration also battled domestic problems, including an energy crisis and double-digit inflation. Carter held a series of meetings among his Cabinet members that resulted in a blunt television address in 1979 that came to be known as the "malaise" speech.
"It's clear that the true problems of our nation are much deeper — deeper than gasoline lines or energy shortages, deeper even than inflation or recession. And I realize more than ever that as president, I need your help," Carter pleaded.
Carter established a federal energy policy. He created the departments of Energy and Education. Still, he lost his bid for reelection by a landslide to Republican Ronald Reagan. And it wasn't until moments after Reagan was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, 1981, that the 52 remaining hostages were released. Carter was allowed to welcome them home.
"I had received word officially for the first time that the aircraft carrying the 52 American hostages had cleared Iranian airspace on the first leg of the journey home and that every one of the 52 hostages was alive, was well and free," Carter said as his voice broke.
Life after Washington
After leaving office, Carter became dedicated to promoting democracy, monitoring elections, building homes with Habitat for Humanity and eradicating disease in some of the world's poorest countries. In 1982, the president and his wife opened the Carter Center in Atlanta.
In an interview with NPR in 2007, Carter talked about his experiences. "And for the last 25 years, my life could not have been more expansive and unpredictable and adventurous and gratifying," he said.
In 2002, Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor some said he had earned a quarter century earlier when he negotiated the Camp David Accords. He ended his acceptance speech with a plea for peace.
"War may sometimes be a necessary evil, but no matter how necessary, it is always evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children," Carter said.
The former president continued international peace missions throughout his lifetime, meeting with the leaders of countries that some U.S. presidents refused to acknowledge, including North Korea, Nicaragua and Cuba. In 2008, he met with the exiled leader of the militant Islamist group Hamas, despite harsh criticism from the U.S. government.
Historian Dan Carter said that the former president did prove to be a kind of honest broker for peace in many cases and that as Jimmy Carter grew older, he was less afraid of speaking out.
"And his meeting with Hamas, sure it was a provocative thing, but he felt it was the right thing to do," said Dan Carter.
Jimmy Carter wrote more than 20 books, the most controversial titled Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. He was a religious man, attending a Baptist church and teaching Bible school for many years. And he was a statesman — hardworking and plain talking.
The Carter Center's Hochman said the 39th president was one of the most remarkable leaders in U.S. history. "I think he'll be remembered as a champion of human rights and peace, both as president and as a former president," Hochman said.
Carter entered hospice care in February 2023. The longest-lived former president had suffered from a series of health challenges in recent years, including surviving cancer, a broken hip and other recent hospitalizations for a fractured pelvis and a urinary tract infection.
He and Rosalynn celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary in 2023, a few months before she died at the age of 96.
Carter's wishes were to be buried next to Rosalynn in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
https://www.npr.org/2024/12/29/130189535/jimmy-carter-former-president-dead-at-100
-27 below zero and no electricity in Greenland capitol
https://x.com/OJoelsen/status/1873089995751473382
Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case
ATLANTA – A judge has ruled that the Georgia state Senate can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as part of a inquiry into whether she has engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump but is giving Willis the chance to contest whether lawmakers' demands are overly broad.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram filed the order Monday, telling Willis she has until Jan. 13 to submit arguments over whether the subpoenas seek legally shielded or confidential information. Ingram wrote that the would issue a final order later saying what Willis had to respond to.
A state appeals court earlier this month removed Willis from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others, citing an “appearance of impropriety” that might not typically warrant such a removal. The Georgia Court of Appeals panel said in a 2-1 ruling that because of the romantic relationship Willis had with special prosecutor Nathan Wade “this is the rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings.”
Willis’ office immediately filed a notice of intent to ask the Georgia Supreme Court to review the decision.
The Republican-led Senate committee sent subpoenas to Willis in August seeking to compel her to testify during its September meeting and to produce scores of documents. The committee was formed earlier this year to examine allegations of “various forms of misconduct” by Willis, an elected Democrat, during her prosecution of Trump and others over their efforts to overturn the former president’s 2020 election loss in Georgia.
The resolution creating the committee focused in particular on Willis’ hiring of Wade to lead the prosecution against Trump and others. The resolution said the relationship amounted to a “clear conflict of interest and a fraud upon the taxpayers” of the county and state.
Willis' attorney, former Democratic Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, argued that the Senate committee did not have the power to subpoena her. He also argued that the subpoenas were overly broad and not related to a legitimate legislative need, saying the committee is seeking confidential and privileged information, as well as private and personal information.
Willis’ challenge was pending in mid-September when she skipped a hearing during which the committee members had hoped to question her.
In October, the committee asked Ingram to require Willis to comply with the subpoenas. The committee’s lawyers wrote in a court filing that Willis’ failure to do so had delayed its ability to finish its inquiry and to provide recommendations for any legislation or changes in appropriations that might result.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled in March that Willis’ actions showed a “tremendous lapse in judgment,” but he did not find a conflict of interest that would disqualify Willis. He said she could continue her prosecution as long as Wade stepped aside, which he did.
Willis and Wade have acknowledged the relationship but have said it began after he was hired and ended before the indictment against Trump was filed.
One wrinkle in the proceedings is that the current Georgia legislative term will end when lawmakers are sworn in for their new term on Jan. 13. However, Republican state Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming said last week that he will file legislation to reestablish the committee at the beginning of the 2025 legislative session.
“Despite our committee’s lawful subpoena, DA Willis has refused to testify,” Dolezal said in a statement. “This, coupled with troubling revelations of apparent violations of Georgia’s open records laws, paints a disturbing picture of an office operating as though it is above the law. This behavior undermines public trust and raises serious questions about the integrity of her office.”
Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said he would support Dolezal's move, saying Willis' “refusal to come before the committee is unacceptable and addressing these issues to require accountability will be a priority for the Senate.”
https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/wireStory/court-rules-georgia-lawmakers-subpoena-fani-willis-information-117145139
Flawless Victory
Trump vows to give America’s tallest mountain its old name back, defying Obama change
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to return the old name of America’s tallest mountain, nine years after then-President Barack Obama changed it in honor of Alaska’s native community.
The 20,000-foot peak in Denali National Park and Preserve in south-central Alaska had since 1917 been known as Mount McKinley, in honor of 25th president William McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901.
But Obama in 2015 renamed it Denali — the name the local native community preferred — a decision Trump said he plans to reverse.
“They took his name off Mount McKinley,” Trump told supporters in Phoenix Sunday.
“He was a great president,” Trump said McKinley. “That’s one of the reasons that we’re going to bring back the name of Mount McKinley because I think he deserves it.”
McKinley, known for raising protective tariffs to promote US industry, also led the country to victory in the Spanish-American War after becoming president in 1897, according to the White House.
The 2015 order, signed by Obama to change the mountain’s name, stated that McKinley had never visited the mountain and had no “significant historical connection to the mountain or to Alaska.”
Denali, the local Athabascan name, meaning “the High One,” was officially designated as the peak’s name in 1975 by the state of Alaska, which pressed the federal government to adopt it.
During Trump’s first term, he met with two of Alaska’s Republican senators in a private meeting in March 2017 to ask if they’d consider reversing Obama’s name, according to CNN.
However, the senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, told Trump to keep Denali’s name intact.
“Lisa – Sen. Murkowski – and I jumped over the desk,” Sullivan said, according to the outlet. “We said no, no!”
https://nypost.com/2024/12/23/us-news/trump-vows-to-give-tallest-mountain-its-old-name-back/