South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law for approximately six hours due to his frustration with the opposition-controlled parliament, citing a need to combat perceived “anti-state” forces. The declaration, swiftly met with widespread condemnation, was lifted after a parliamentary vote rejecting the measure. The opposition party immediately called for Yoon’s resignation or impeachment, while the US expressed serious concerns over the situation. This unprecedented action, the first since 1987, has deepened the political crisis within South Korea.
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Thieves in northern England stole a van containing approximately 2,500 pies, valued at £25,000, belonging to Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks. The van, en route to a York Christmas market, was later recovered by police with false license plates, though the pies’ condition and location remain unknown. Banks appealed to the thieves to donate the pies to a community center, highlighting the difficulty of reselling them due to his branding. The incident follows a recent large-scale cheese theft, highlighting a concerning trend of unusual food heists in Britain.
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After a weekslong communication blackout caused by Voyager 1’s dwindling power supply and an automatic switch to a weaker transmitter, NASA engineers successfully restored contact. The issue stemmed from a command to activate a heater, triggering a power-saving fault protection system that switched the probe to its less powerful S-band transmitter. Clever problem-solving allowed a return to the X-band transmitter, resuming data collection. This incident highlights the increasing challenges of maintaining the aging probes’ functionality as their power continues to decrease. The team is now working to fully restore the spacecraft’s systems to pre-outage condition.
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Ashley Benefield, a former ballerina, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 10 years probation for the manslaughter of her estranged husband. While the judge acknowledged Benefield’s claims of self-defense and remorse, he determined a reduced sentence was unwarranted. A jury found her guilty of manslaughter after a trial where conflicting accounts of the shooting were presented, with the prosecution arguing the self-defense claim was fabricated. A motion for a new trial based on alleged juror misconduct was denied by the judge.
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Judge Deborah Oakes Evans recused herself from the Robert Roberson case, delaying his impending execution for the murder of his two-year-old daughter. Roberson, convicted in 2003, maintains his innocence, claiming his daughter’s death resulted from a fall and medication side effects, not abuse. The case has drawn significant public attention and legal challenges, particularly concerning the diagnosis of “shaken baby syndrome.” With Judge Evans’ recusal, the district attorney will determine the next steps in the proceedings.
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Following anti-LGBTQ+ “propaganda” raids at three Moscow nightclubs, twelve patrons were convicted of “petty hooliganism” and detained. Authorities cited “obvious disrespect for society” and obscene language as justification, as detailed in court statements. These raids, reminiscent of similar crackdowns last year following a Supreme Court ruling labeling LGBTQ+ activism as extremist, underscore ongoing efforts to suppress LGBTQ+ rights in Russia. The incidents highlight the escalating restrictions imposed under President Putin’s leadership, including existing “gay propaganda” laws and recent legislation banning adoptions by nationals from countries permitting gender transitions.
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Christopher Collings was executed by lethal injection for the 2007 rape and murder of Rowan Ford, a fourth-grader he knew through her family. Collings confessed to the crime, detailing how he assaulted and strangled the child before disposing of her body. Despite his attorney’s plea for clemency, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence, and Governor Parson denied clemency. Collings expressed remorse in a final statement, while Governor Parson stated his hope that Rowan’s family could find peace.
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Sixty-four-year-old Elizabeth Pollard vanished while searching for her cat near a restaurant in Marguerite, Pennsylvania, leaving her five-year-old granddaughter unharmed in her car. Authorities suspect Pollard fell into a newly formed sinkhole, possibly caused by old coal mining activity, as a shoe was spotted approximately 30 feet down inside the expanding sinkhole. Rescue crews utilized various equipment to search the sinkhole, but initial attempts to locate Pollard yielded no results. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will investigate the sinkhole’s origin after the search concludes.
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The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld Idaho’s “abortion trafficking” law, reversing a lower court’s decision that had blocked its enforcement. While the court found the law’s prohibition on “recruiting” minors for abortions unconstitutionally broad, it upheld provisions against “harboring” and “transporting” them for abortions. The plaintiffs’ attorney expressed satisfaction with the partial block, emphasizing the protection of speech related to abortion care, while Idaho’s Attorney General celebrated the ruling as a victory for protecting the unborn. The case may proceed to the district court.
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Early Tuesday morning, a Secret Service agent protecting Treasury Secretary Yellen’s residence discharged their firearm after a confrontation with occupants of a sedan attempting to open car doors on the street. The incident, currently under investigation by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, resulted in the suspects fleeing the scene. No injuries were reported. The Secret Service is conducting an internal review.
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John Q. Hosedrinker