Friday, December 13, 2024
It is Friday, December 13, 2024. Here are today’s top stories.
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Mysterious drones over New Jersey
There have been mysterious drones spotted in the sky above New Jersey and nearby states for about a month now. Witnesses said they were large drones and the size of vehicles -- not your typical hobbyist drone. Some of them were seen flying above critical infrastructure such as water reservoirs, electric lines, rail stations, or police/military facilities. The U.S. military said they didn't deploy the drones and are investigating. There are some concerns that the drones are from a foreign enemy, such as Iran, but there's no evidence of this. Several political leaders have called for the drones to be shot down.
https://www.axios.com/2024/12/11/new-jersey-drone-sightings-pentagon
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Biden pardons 39, commutes 1,500
President Joe Biden on Thursday did the most acts of presidential clemency issued on a single day when he pardoned 39 Americans convicted of non-violent crimes and commuted almost 1,500 people's sentences.
A pardon is a complete forgiveness of a crime and restores full rights of citizenship. The person's criminal conviction is erased.
A commutation is when someone has their sentence end "today" or has it reduced, however, the person would still have a conviction on their record.
BBC News said some of those commuted were convicted of multi-million fraud schemes.
Of course, Biden's most infamous pardon is the recent one for his son, Hunter, who faced sentencing for tax fraud and gun crimes.
BBC said Trump has pledged to issue pardons on his first day in office in January to people who were convicted for participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, but for those who were non-violent.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c30nq7r0v2mo
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Trump invites Chinese President Xi to inauguration
Donald Trump's spokesperson said Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration in January. The spokesperson said this is an example of Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies but our adversaries and our competitors. It is not known if Xi will be coming. An analyst told ABC News that it would be politically risky for Xi to attend the inauguration because it could make him look weak to some in China. if Xi doesn't attend, he may send a high-ranking Chinese official to represent him.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-invited-chinas-xi-inauguration-spokesperson/story?id=116716811
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Woman arrested for threatening her health insurance after claim denied
A woman in Florida, Briana Boston, was arrested after she allegedly made a threat to her health insurance provider after her medical claim was denied. Police said she told the insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, "Delay, deny, depose. You people are next." These words are what were written on the bullets that killed UnitedHealthcare CEO. When police talked to her about it, she apologized and explained that she doesn't own any guns and is not a threat but said health care companies deserve karma and they are evil. Police charged Boston with threats to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism and took her to jail.
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Bill Belichick to coach at UNC
Bill Belichick, the former New England Patriots coach that won the Super Bowl six times, will be the coach of the University of North Carolina's football team.
Belichick said it was always his dream to coach in college football. His father was an assistant coach at UNC in the 1950s so he grew up in that environment.
UNC is paying him $10 million per season for a five-year deal.
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That is all the top stories for this week. Have a nice weekend and stay with the light.