WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Keller Boothby's 16 points helped William & Mary defeat Navy 82-76 on Sunday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Keller Boothby's 16 points helped William & Mary defeat Navy 82-76 on Sunday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Keller Boothby’s 16 points helped William & Mary defeat Navy 82-76 on Sunday. Boothby went 6 of 8 from the field (4 for 6 from 3-point range) for the Tribe (6-7). Gabe Dorsey scored 16 points and added three steals. Noah Collier went 7 of 9 from the field to finish with 14 points, while adding seven rebounds. Austin Benigni finished with 16 points for the Midshipmen (3-10). Jinwoo Kim added 15 points for Navy. Donovan Draper had 14 points and seven rebounds. The loss was the Midshipmen’s sixth in a row. Collier scored 10 points in the first half for William & Mary, who led 41-33 at the break. William & Mary took the lead for good with 3:03 left in the second half on a layup from Dorsey to make it a 73-71 game. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Advertisement
Colorado's Judge Tymkovich moderates panel on public nuisance lawsuitsTAIPEI , Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cordyceps Sunshine Biotech Holdings Co., Ltd. 【C.S 】 Group , Taiwan's largest chain specializing in Taiwanofungus products, has officially announced its entry into the global pet medication market with a groundbreaking new drug. On November 30, 2024 , the company co-hosted the "Taiwanofungus Fungal Technology and Pharmacological Research Progress Seminar" in Taipei with the Chinese Herbal Fungi Industry Research and Development Association (CHFIRDA). During the seminar, 【C.S 】 Group revealed plans to produce a topical ointment using Antcin A , a key compound extracted from Taiwanofungus , aiming to address the demand in the global steroid-based pet medication market. Extraction and purification of the key compound in Taiwanofungus, Antcin A. Vincent Liu , director at 【C.S 】 Group , highlighted the company's unique position as one of the few biotech startups capable of vertically integrating the entire production chain-from fungal strain development, cultivation, extraction, and purification to large-scale production and distribution. It is expected that the active ingredients will be further extracted, making it an ideal candidate for the development of botanical new drugs. A report by Market Research Engine projects the global botanical drugs market to reach $47.4 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6%. Antcin A, a signature sterol compound derived from Taiwanofungus, serves as a precursor for many bioactive compounds but is challenging to extract due to its scarcity in wild strains. Leveraging proprietary breeding techniques and patent-protected cultivation methods, 【C.S 】 Group has successfully optimized the production of Antcin A, enabling scalable extraction and purification. (Left) Vincent Liu, Director of 【C.S】 Group; (Right) Dalan Huang, President of 【C.S】 Group Dr. Jia-Xin Huang , a renowned Taiwanofungus expert, The effects of Antcin A have been recognized by the industry for a long time. However, the extraction process requires a large amount of Taiwanofungus raw materials, which is very costly and few industry players can overcome it. As a result, the market demand far exceeds the supply. If it is to be commercialized in the short term, it is very suitable to be introduced into the pet external preparation market first. Dr. Chiao Li , a U.S. listing advisor for 【C.S 】 Group , emphasized the immense potential of the global pet market, particularly in North America . According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), as of 2017-2018, there were 84.6 million pet-owning households in the U.S., with 94.2 million cats and 89.7 million dogs. The pet industry is projected to reach $150 billion by 2024. Furthermore, Asia has emerged as a fast-growing pet market, with substantial growth momentum. In developed regions like Europe and the U.S., spending on pets-including medical care, medications, food, and insurance-is well-established. As pet ownership rises globally, fueled by aging populations and declining birth rates, demand for pet medications is expected to increase. Innovative Solutions for a Growing Market Dalan Huang , President of 【C.S 】 Group , cited a Research Nester report projecting the global pet medication market to reach $22.58 billion by 2024, with a CAGR exceeding 9.7% through 2036, potentially surpassing $69.8 billion . Steroids remain a common treatment option but are often stigmatized due to their side effects. With the anti-inflammatory efficacy of Antcin A, 【C.S 】 Group aims to introduce a novel steroid alternative that reduces reliance on conventional steroids while minimizing side effects, a solution likely to appeal to both veterinarians and pet owners. The Taiwanese pet medication market is valued at approximately NT$60 billion , with NT$12 billion attributed to livestock and NT$48 billion to pets. Taiwan's Institute for Economic Research (TIER) estimates that the pet population will reach 4 million by 2025, ensuring steady market growth. Promising Growth in the U.S. Capital Market In recent years, the U.S. capital market has introduced pet-themed ETFs, reflecting the long-term revenue potential of the pet industry, where the average pet lifespan of 10-15 years provides stable income streams resilient to economic fluctuations. 【C.S 】 Group 's classification in the U.S. stock market as a company specializing in medicinal plants is supported by its exclusive cultivation techniques for Taiwan's native Taiwanofungus . With large-scale production facilities in Taiwan , the company has achieved a CAGR of 41% in the Taiwanese market between 2023 and 2024. Building on the Asia pacific herbal health and pharmaceutical markets, 【C.S 】 Group 's expansion into the global pet steroid medication market is set to drive significant revenue growth with a bright outlook ahead.
President-elect John Dramani Mahama expressed profound gratitude to God for his victory in the 2024 presidential election, acknowledging the divine guidance he believes has been central to his journey. In his first address to the nation following the official declaration of the results, Mahama described how God has proven Himself mightily in his life, a sentiment he could not disprove. “I thank God for preparing a table before me in the presence of my enemies. We are all acquainted with this Bible verse, anointing my head with oil and making my cup runneth over,” Mahama said, while expressing heartfelt thanks to his family. He particularly acknowledged his wife, Lordina Mahama, and their children for their unwavering support during challenging times. “I give thanks to my family, my children, my siblings, and all my extended family for standing by me through all these difficult times when victory and success seemed out of sight.” The President-elect also paid tribute to his Vice President-elect, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, for her groundbreaking role in Ghana’s political history as the first female vice president. Mahama commended her for her decency, humility, and sense of responsibility, noting that her leadership has opened doors for women across the country. “Naana, your decency, your humility, and your sense of responsibility are overwhelming. You’ve not only opened the door but continue to keep it open for other women,” Mahama said. He further added that Opoku-Agyemang’s victory symbolizes a new era, celebrating the fact that Ghana has made history by electing its first female vice president. Mahama also confirmed that he will meet with outgoing President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on December 11, 2024, at the Jubilee House to discuss the transition process and ensure a smooth handover of power.Gender Reassignment Surgery Market to grow by USD 369 Million from 2024-2028, driven by more people opting for surgeries, Report on AI's role in market transformation - TechnavioAs school districts struggle to control the spread of cyberbullying, pornographic images and online exploitation among their students, Texas lawmakers could consider banning social media from minors, among other sweeping measures, in the upcoming legislative session. Over the last decade, Texas lawmakers have attempted to slow the spread of social media's harmful effects by criminalizing cyberbullying and preventing online platforms from collecting data on minors, the latter of which has faced court challenges by social media companies. While law enforcement and prosecutors have traditionally been responsible for cracking down on these online dangers, lack of resources in those agencies has meant enforcement has fallen onto educators, who already struggle to meet the demands of instruction, let alone stay knowledgeable on all the ways children use the internet. “Almost every kid comes to school these days, regardless of background, regardless of socioeconomic status, they have some type of smartphone device in their hand. So they will have access to unfettered content most of the time, no matter what we try to do,” said Zeph Capo, president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers. Lawmakers have suggested several initiatives next session to address the online dangers affecting Texas children, including a bill filed by Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, that would prohibit minors from creating accounts on social media sites and require age verification for new users. Other options include adding funds to internet crimes units in law enforcement agencies, banning the use of people’s likeness in artificially created pornographic images, and making people aware of the dangers of the internet. "Social media is the most dangerous thing our kids have legal access to in Texas," Patterson said in a news release. While they welcome any efforts to reduce harm to children, school officials and cybercrime investigators say more needs to be done to hold social media companies accountable for enforcement. “We need these businesses to be responsible business people and throttle some of this tremendously negative content, particularly when it comes to kids,” Capo said. “But, you know, they don’t want to do anything like that.” During a Senate Committee on State Affairs hearing in October, lawmakers listened to a litany of stories about how social media has affected young people in Texas: a middle school girl who developed an eating disorder after watching a TikTok video, a middle school boy addicted to cartoon pornography after his YouTube algorithm took him to a porn site, and a woman who testified to being groomed for sex work in high school as her images were posted on social media applications. Most of these incidents had a starting point at school where children have frequent access to technology and teachers and administrators are too busy to provide oversight. Add in the fact that they know ways to circumvent campus firewalls, students are being groomed via social media on school grounds, said Jacquelyn Alutto, president of Houston-based No Trafficking Zone, during the hearing. “Right now, schools are a hunting ground,” she said. The Texas Tribune requested interviews with several school districts about online dangers in schools, including the Austin, Round Rock, Katy and Eanes school districts, but they did not respond. The Plano school district declined to be interviewed. Last year, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Psychological Association, among other national organizations, called out social media platforms for undermining classroom learning, increasing costs for school systems, and being a “root cause” of the nationwide youth mental health crisis. The admonishment came after a report detailed how school districts across the country are experiencing significant burdens as they respond to tech’s predatory and prevalent influence in the classroom. The same year, in an attempt to hold social media companies more accountable, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 18, known as the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act. The SCOPE Act requires covered digital service providers to provide minors with certain data protections, prevent minors from accessing harmful content, and give parents tools to manage their child’s use of the service. It also required school districts to obtain parental consent for most software and social media applications used in the classroom and to look for alternatives to the internet for instruction. However, many of the family-friendly websites and games that children might use for entertainment are also rife with potential sexual predators who pretend to be children. “A little boy can be playing Robloxs in the cafeteria, and during that lunch break, a trafficker can target him, and he can be sexually groomed or exploited within a few weeks or months,” Alutto said. And even harder to control is when students share pornographic images of themselves online, a reason why some child welfare groups want social media platforms restricted or outright banned for minors. “This has also helped human traffickers groom and recruit children,” Alutto said. Studies show 95% of people aged 13 to 17 report using social media, with more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly.” Nearly 40% of children ages 8 to 12 use social media, even though most platforms require a minimum age of 13 to sign up, according to a study by the U.S. Surgeon General. This has created a generation of chronically online children, and the medical community is still unsure of their longterm effects. Although the SCOPE Act was passed to restrict kids from seeing harmful online content and give parents more control over what their children do online, social media companies have watered it down. A federal district court judge earlier this year temporarily blocked part of the law that required them to filter out harmful content, saying it was unconstitutional under the First Amendment free speech right. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced in October that he was suing TikTok for allowing its algorithm to affect minors. TikTok denied the state's allegations, pointing to online information about how parents in certain states, including Texas, can contact TikTok to request that their teen's account be deleted. This lawsuit, like dozens of others across the country, is playing out in court, forcing Texas lawmakers to wait and see what more they can do in the upcoming session to hold social media companies accountable. Australia recently banned social media for children under the age of 16. “The state needs to ensure that if technology providers want to do business, they must protect our children, stop the flow of (child pornography and child sexual assault) and report it,” Brent Dupre, director of law enforcement at the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, told The Texas Tribune. Dupre’s department is one of three Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces in the state, and his agency alone covers 134 counties. His office receives 2,500 cyber tips per month for investigation from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an overwhelming number of cases for an agency with only 11 officers. The problem is so persistent that Dupre said his office was conducting a live training session with law enforcement officers a few months ago on how to pose in chat rooms as a minor when the trainer noticed a real adult was already trying to solicit their fake minor for sex. “These proactive investigations aren’t done as frequently as we like because of the sheer caseload that we got,” Dupre said, noting how they work with other law enforcement agencies who are suffering with staff shortages. Christina Green, chief advancement and external relations officer for Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, said her agency serves more than 60,000 child victims yearly, with a majority of these connected to online incidents that happened in school while using social media applications. She said law enforcement agencies as well as hers need more resources to protect children. “This field is rapidly developing, and the tools needed to continue must also develop,” she said. Echoing school officials, Dupre said social media companies should enforce more restrictions on what minors can do on their platforms. He said companies should be required to track attempts to upload child pornography and other internet harm and be held accountable for allowing sexually explicit content to stay on their websites. Dupre suggested lawmakers require chat and social media companies to use artificial intelligence to scan for child pornography and child sexual assault material and block users from sending this kind of material on their platforms. “To me, children who try to upload self-produced material should automatically have their accounts disabled,” he said. “Many technology providers scan for these photos and videos, which are then quarantined and reported, but not all providers lockout or cancel that user end-to-end encryption.” However, the most essential place to stop cyberbullying, sexual exploitation and other internet-based crimes on minors is at home, Green said. She suggested teaching children in schools as early as the third grade about online risks and repeating training yearly. She also wants the same education extended to parents.“We have been talking to parents about when you drop your kid off at someone’s house, do you know if devices will be used there? It’s like asking if there is a pool in the backyard. These types of questions need to become commonplace,” Green said. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2024 / Kingfisher Metals Corp. (TSXV:KFR)(FSE:970)(OTCQB:KGFMF) ("Kingfisher" or the "Company") is pleased to report the voting results for the Company's annual general meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held on December 4, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Shareholders fixed the number of directors at six (6), and all five (5) of the nominees, as set forth in the Company's Management Information Circular dated November 4, 2024 (the "Circular"), were elected as directors of Kingfisher at the Meeting. At the Meeting, shareholders also approved: (1) the appointment of De Visser Gray LLP as auditor of the Company for the ensuing year and authorizing the board of directors to fix the remuneration of the auditor, and (2) the approval of the Company's stock option plan, as more particularly described in the Circular. For further information regarding the matters considered at the Meeting readers are encouraged to review the Circular, a copy of which is available under the profile for the Company on SEDAR+ ( www.sedarplus.ca ). About Kingfisher Metals Corp. Kingfisher Metals Corp. ( https://kingfishermetals.com/ ) is a Canadian based exploration company focused on underexplored district-scale projects in British Columbia, including the Golden Triangle region. Kingfisher has two 100% owned district-scale projects and an option to earn 100% of the HWY 37 Project, that offer potential exposure to gold, copper, silver, and zinc. The Company currently has 43,201,553 shares outstanding. For further information, please contact: Dustin Perry, P.Geo. CEO and Director Phone: +1 778 606 2507 E-Mail: info@kingfishermetals.com Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the Company's business plans and the outlook of the Company's industry. Although the Company believes, considering the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release and the Company assumes no responsibility to update them or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances other than as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE: Kingfisher Metals Corp. View the original on accesswire.comCo-founder of UK engineering giant Renishaw Sir David McMurtry dies at 84Significant milestones in life and career of Jimmy Carter
LU girl students get self-defence trainingA member of the federal appeals court based in Denver moderated a discussion earlier this fall about public nuisance lawsuits, including one pending before the Colorado Supreme Court seeking to hold oil and gas producers accountable for climate change. Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit appeared on Oct. 8 at the Judicial Symposium on Civil Justice Issues , hosted by the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. He opened the presentation by recalling his time as Colorado's solicitor general in the 1990s, in the lead-up to the multibillion-dollar tobacco master settlement agreement. "Colorado was approached, and Attorney General (Gale) Norton was very interested in that space. She thought it was a consumer protection issue and was persuaded it was the right way to go," Tymkovich said. "I said, 'Eh, I’m not sure that the courts ought to be in this space.' I was dubious about the ability of the courts really to render justice in this area." However, he continued, "I lost that discussion and Colorado agreed to get into the tobacco cases." Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. A public nuisance occurs when a private actor interferes with a right of the general public. Tymkovich said the legal concept of a public nuisance has been around for a long time, but "it’s really an innovation to see the kind of mass litigation that we see now, and it gets into more exotic areas of law." Zandra Foley, a Texas-based civil defense attorney, said public nuisance matters began in the 1200s as a form of criminal prosecution to halt harmful activity. The following century, public nuisances morphed into a civil complaint. "At that time, we’re talking about the pigsty's stinking and causing a lot of problems. The lime pit is smoking and it’s causing people problems," she said. In the United Sates, Foley said the first formal definition of a public nuisance emphasized the role of the government in bringing enforcement actions. In the 1970s, however, the definition broadened and lawyers began bringing suits that did not need to allege individual harms to a single plaintiff. An attempted class action suit on behalf of all Los Angeles County residents for smog pollution, however, failed after a state appellate court ruled the issues were "debated in the political arena and are being resolved by the action of those elected to serve in the legislative and executive branches." Foley said the fundamental problem, which repeats across attempted public nuisance lawsuits, is that the conduct creating the harm is not itself against the law. Lawsuits over tobacco sales, gun manufacturing and climate change have since cropped up alleging similar injuries. "Counties and states having to expend more funds for police, for public health, for public awareness, whatnot," she said. "There was a desire to file a lawsuit against somebody and try to get some money for this." Phil Goldberg, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney who focuses on liability issues, said that lawmakers or government agencies are typically responsible for managing the risks associated with the manufacture and use of certain products. "But the public nuisance cases seem to subject the manufacturers to liability for engaging in that commerce," he said. Goldberg raised a case that is pending before the Colorado Supreme Court in which Boulder County and the city of Boulder are seeking to make ExxonMobil liable for local damages resulting from climate change. It is one of many identical attempts across the country to hold oil and gas producers accountable for the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions. A pumpjack operates in the foreground as wind turbines at the Buckeye Wind Energy wind farm rise in the distance, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, near Hays, Kan. Goldberg said the premise of the lawsuits — making wrongdoers pay financially to remediate their damages — is an ill fit for the concept of a public nuisance. "There's no value to a public nuisance. It is inherently unlawful," he said. "You’re polluting a river. You’re blocking a road. There’s not a risk-benefit analysis that goes into that. That’s, again, why public nuisance law often hasn’t been very successful." "Is the objective ... a monetary result that would bankrupt these companies? Put them out of business?" asked Tymkovich. "In the climate change cases, is a state or federal judge going to (say), 'What, are we going to regulate emissions?'" Goldberg said money is the goal, generally going toward the cost of the alleged nuisance. The symposium covered other issues related to the civil justice system. Tymkovich disclosed that the organizers reimbursed him for his attendance.
The legal fray builds in a very close North Carolina Supreme Court electionNearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government's files on former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard , Donald Trump's pick to be national intelligence director. The former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said they were "alarmed" by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions "call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus." A spokesperson for Gabbard on the Trump transition team on Thursday denounced the appeal as an "unfounded" and "partisan" attack. Among those who signed the letter were former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, former NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller, former national security adviser Anthony Lake, and numerous retired ambassadors and high-ranking military officers. They wrote to current Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and incoming Republican Majority Leader John Thune on Wednesday to urge the closed briefings as part of the Senate's review of Trump's top appointments. They urged that Senate committees "consider in closed sessions all information available to the U.S. government when considering Ms. Gabbard's qualifications to manage our country's intelligence agencies, and more importantly, the protection of our intelligence sources and methods." The letter singles out Gabbard's 2017 meetings in Syria with President Bashar Assad, who is supported by Russian, Iranian and Iranian-allied forces in a now 13-year war against Syrian opposition forces seeking his overthrow. The U.S., which cut relations with Assad's government and imposed sanctions over his conduct of the war, maintains about 900 troops in opposition-controlled northeast Syria, saying they are needed to block a resurgence of extremist groups. Gabbard, a Democratic member of Congress from Hawaii at the time of her Syria trip, drew heavy criticism for her meetings with a U.S. adversary and brutal leader. As the letter notes, her statements on the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have aligned with Russian talking points, diverging from U.S. positions and policy. Gabbard, throughout her political career, has urged the U.S. to limit military engagement abroad other than combatting Islamic extremist groups. She has defended the Syria trip by saying it is necessary to engage with U.S. enemies. In postings on social media earlier this year, she confirmed that the U.S. had for a time placed her "on a secret terror watch list" as a "potential domestic terror threat." She blamed political retaliation. Neither she nor U.S. authorities have publicly detailed the circumstances involved. Alexa Henning, a spokesperson for Gabbard with the Trump team, called the letter sent to the Senate leaders "a perfect example" of why Trump chose Gabbard for this position. "These unfounded attacks are from the same geniuses who have blood on their hands from decades of faulty 'intelligence,'" and use classified government information as a "partisan weapon to smear and imply things about their political enemy," Henning said. A spokesperson for Thune did not immediately respond to questions about the request.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs ' lawyers tried for a third time Friday to persuade a judge to let the hip-hop mogul out of jail while he awaits his sex trafficking trial, but a decision won’t come until next week as prosecutors warned of his "concerted effort" from behind bars to disrupt the case. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said he'll rule promptly on Combs’ bail request after the defense and prosecution file letters by noon Monday fleshing out some of the arguments they made during at a two-hour hearing in Manhattan federal court. Combs’ lawyers pitched having him await trial under around-the-clock surveillance either at his mansion on an island near Miami Beach or — after the judge scoffed at that location — at an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Their $50 million bail proposal, secured by his Florida home, essentially amounts to keeping Combs on house arrest instead of in custody at the troubled Brooklyn federal jail where he’s been held for 67 days since his September arrest. Under their plan, Combs' lawyers said he'll be under near-total restrictions on his ability to see or contact anyone but them. But prosecutors argued that no bail conditions can mitigate Combs' “risk of obstruction and dangerousness to others.” Combs has routinely flouted jail rules while locked up at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, prosecutors said, accusing him of attempting to interfere with witnesses and taint the jury pool. “Really, this amounts to the defendant paying his way out of custody,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told Subramanian. Defense lawyer Anthony Ricco countered that the prosecution’s portrayal of Combs as "a lawless person who doesn’t follow instructions” or “an out-of-control individual who has to be detained” is inaccurate. Another Combs lawyer, Teny Geragos, added that given the strict release conditions they've proposed, “it would be impossible for him not to follow rules." Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years with help from a network of associates and employees while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings. His trial is slated to begin May 5. Two other judges previously concluded that the Bad Boy Records founder would be a danger to the community if he is freed, and an appeals court judge last month denied Combs’ immediate release while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighs his bail request. Friday's hearing was the second time Combs was in court this week. On Tuesday, a judge blocked prosecutors from using as evidence papers that were seized from his cell during a jail-wide sweep for contraband and weapons. As he entered through a side door, Combs waved to relatives including his mother and several of his children in the courtroom gallery, tapping his hand to his heart and blowing kisses at them. He then hugged his lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, before sitting at the defense table. Combs was not handcuffed or shackled and wore a beige jail uniform, occasionally pulling a pair of reading glasses from his pocket as he peered at papers in front of him. Prosecutors contend that while incarcerated the “I’ll Be Missing You” singer has orchestrated social media campaigns aimed at influencing potential jurors. They allege that he has also attempted to leak materials he believes would help his case and is contacting potential witnesses via third parties. “Simply put, the defendant cannot be trusted,” Slavik argued. In renewing their push for Combs' release, his lawyers sought to undercut the strength of a potential key piece of evidence: a March 2016 video showing him hitting and kicking his then-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie , in a Los Angeles hotel hallway. Prosecutors contend the assault happened during a “Freak Off," an event in which they allege Combs used his “power and prestige” to induce female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers. Combs' lawyers said in court papers that newly unearthed evidence refutes that, and that the video, which first aired on CNN in May, was “a minutes-long glimpse into a complex but decade-long consensual relationship” between Combs and Cassie. Slavik, responding to defense claims that the recording was manipulated or taken out of context, said prosecutors don’t have the full version because Combs paid hotel staff $100,000 “to make the original video go away.” “This is a case about violence," Slavik told Subramanian in a final plea to keep Combs locked up. “The defendant has engaged in physical, sexual and emotional abuse of his romantic partners for years. ... He’s hit. He’s kicked. He’s dragged.” Michael R. Sisak, The Associated Press
Former officials urge closed-door Senate hearings on Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick for intel chiefTop Japan defense firms saw revenue increase 35% in 2023: think tank
NoneWho Biden may be considering preemptive pardons for? CBS News has learned President Biden is considering issuing blanket preemptive pardons to some of President-elect Donald Trump's biggest critics. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe has the details.
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North Korea is only a "political decision" away from carrying out its seventh nuclear test, a senior U.S. official said Friday, at a time when the world is closely watching for any shifts in Pyongyang's policy direction in connection with Donald Trump's upcoming return to the White House. "The United States assesses that (North Korea) has prepared its Punggye-ri test site for its potential seventh explosive nuclear test," said Alexandra Bell, deputy assistant secretary of state for nuclear affairs. At a conference in Washington organized by the Korea Society, she said, "Such a test would constitute a grave escalation of tensions in the region and present a security risk to the entire world," warning also that Pyongyang's actions to date have shown that it is determined to advance its nuclear and missile development programs. In late October, South Korea's military intelligence agency said that North Korea had completed preparations for a nuclear test at the key site located in the northeast of the country for a possible test before the U.S. presidential election. In the days leading up to the Nov. 5 election, North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time in almost a year. The ICBM, which North Korea calls its new Hwasong-19, flew for about 85 minutes, the longest duration registered yet in any such test by Pyongyang. In addition to the ICBM, North Korea test-fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles just ahead of the election. Since Trump emerged as the decisive winner over Vice President Kamala Harris, however, North Korea has halted its saber-rattling. The president-elect has said he plans to "get along" with the country's leader Kim Jong Un as he sought to do in his first term. North Korea's previous nuclear test, conducted in September 2017, was by far its most powerful ever. It took place in the first year of Trump's presidency, before he and Kim held the inaugural summit between U.S. and North Korean leaders in Singapore in June the following year.
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