Tuesday, December 24
Biden commutes dozens of death row sentences to life without parole
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Biden commutes dozens of death row sentences to life without parole

President of Washington,Only three individuals remain on execution row in federal prisons after Joe Biden revealed on Monday that he is commuting the death sentences of 37 convicts. According to the White House, the commuted sentences would be reclassified as life terms with no chance of release. "These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my Administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder," Biden stated in a press release. "Don't be misled: I abhor these killers, I hurt for all the families who have endured unspeakable and irreversible loss, and I grieve for the victims of their heinous crimes. However, Biden said in his statement, "I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the ...
House Ethics Committee says Matt Gaetz may have violated state laws about prostitution, statutory rape in final report
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House Ethics Committee says Matt Gaetz may have violated state laws about prostitution, statutory rape in final report

According to the House Ethics Committee's final report on its investigation of former Representative Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., he engaged in a number of behaviors that violated House Rules and several that would have been considered state-level crimes. Following a protracted investigation, the committee released its 42-page report Monday morning. According to the report, the Committee found strong evidence that Representative Gaetz had broken House Rules and other conduct standards that forbid prostitution, statutory rape, illegal drug use, unlawful gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress. Gaetz has denied any impropriety on numerous occasions, and he denied paying for sex in a series of posts on X on Monday. According to the committee's report, he disregarded its probe ...
Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to N.Y. state charges in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO
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Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to N.Y. state charges in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO

Luigi Mangione entered a not guilty plea on Monday to state charges in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. His defense team objected to the police putting him on well-planned, wholly political pity walks. At his arraignment before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro, Mangione donned light-colored slacks and a white shirt underneath a maroon sweater. The Supreme Court is New York's highest trial court. Last Thursday, Manhattan prosecutors unveiled an 11-count indictment accusing Mangione of a number of offenses related to the murder on December 4. First-degree murder, terrorist acts, unlawful gun possession, and forgery by using a phony identification document in the days prior to the murder are among the charges. During the brief hearing, when he spoke with defense...
Adnan Syed, whose conviction was overturned and then reinstated, seeks sentence reduction in ‘Serial’ murder case
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Adnan Syed, whose conviction was overturned and then reinstated, seeks sentence reduction in ‘Serial’ murder case

As he challenges his murder conviction, Adnan Syed, the star of the ground-breaking crime podcast "Serial," is asking for a sentence reduction, according to a statement released by his legal team on Monday. For killing his high school ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999 when he was just 17 years old, Syed received a life sentence plus 30 years in prison. After a Baltimore municipal judge reversed the verdict, he was released in 2022 after serving almost 24 years in jail. Syed's conviction was upheld last year, but he was basically permitted to stay free when Lee's family challenged the ruling, claiming they weren't given enough notice to present their case in court. His defense team is still working to have his conviction overturned. Under Maryland's Juvenile Restoration Act, which permits a...
Former D.C. police intel chief found guilty of tipping off Proud Boys leader ahead of Jan. 6 attack
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Former D.C. police intel chief found guilty of tipping off Proud Boys leader ahead of Jan. 6 attack

The former chief of the Metropolitan Police intelligence unit in Washington, Shane Lamond, was found guilty on Monday after being charged with providing information to a leader of the Proud Boys last year. Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, is serving a 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6. According to a U.S. Attorney's Office official, Lamond was found guilty on Monday of four charges, including obstruction of justice and three instances of lying to investigators, by U.S. Judge Amy Berman Jackson. The decision came after a bench trial in which Tarrio gave a scathing evidence, claiming that he had been lying to his fellow Proud Boys about getting information from a Metropolitan Police Department source at the same time...
174 people rescued by rope after being stuck on Colorado ski lift gondolas for hours
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174 people rescued by rope after being stuck on Colorado ski lift gondolas for hours

On Saturday, rope rescues rescued 174 people who had been stuck in their gondolas for hours due to a malfunctioning ski lift at a resort in Colorado. Winter Park Resort reports that just after noon, the chairlift system recognized a malfunction and immediately halted. Winter Park Ski Patrol took down riders trapped in the gondolas one at a time. Taylor Scotland, a rider, told KUSA of Denver, an NBC News station, that she and seven other passengers were stranded in their gondola for around four hours. She claimed that the ski patrol staff assisted in teaching her how to rappel down from the lift. Scotland remarked, "You have to push yourself around, so you don't get hit," Consequently, I pivoted. There, I felt somewhat afraid. On his TikTok account, Alexey Dmitriev posted a number of videos...
California wharf collapse sends 3 people into the ocean
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California wharf collapse sends 3 people into the ocean

A California wharf partially collapsed Monday, sending three people plummeting into the water. Following the incident at the Santa Cruz Wharf around 12:45 p.m. PT, officials reported that the individuals received minor injuries. According to a Santa Cruz official on Monday afternoon, two individuals were pulled out of the water, while a third managed to escape the ocean by themselves. The wharf fell because of severe storm seas in the area, according to Santa Cruz Fire Chief Rob Oatey. According to Oatey, the wharf's unaffected areas were evacuated. According to officials, damage from past storms had forced the closure of about 150 feet of the pier to the public. Project managers for the wharf building project were among those who fell into the water, and two contractors also fell into the...
Burt, beloved crocodile from ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ dies at over 90 years old
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Burt, beloved crocodile from ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ dies at over 90 years old

Over the weekend, Burt, the adored crocodile who starred in the Australian movie "Crocodile Dundee," passed away. He was thought to be older than ninety. He passed away, according to a Sunday Instagram post from the Australian crocodile park where he resided in his senior years. "Burt was genuinely unique. Crocosaurus Cove stated, "He was more than just a crocodile; he was a force of nature and a reminder of the majesty and power of these amazing creatures." After starring with Paul Hogan as the intrepid Australian crocodile hunter Michael J. "Crocodile" Dundee in Peter Fairmann's 1986 film "Crocodile Dundee," Burt became well-known. The croc's attack on an American reporter (Linda Kozlowski) near a riverbed stands out as the most memorable scene in the film. Two sequels were produced as a...
FDA approves generic version of Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 diabetes drug Victoza
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FDA approves generic version of Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 diabetes drug Victoza

The generic form of Novo Nordisk's diabetic medication Victoza, which is currently unavailable in the nation, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Monday by Hikma Pharmaceuticals. According to the government, reviewing generic versions of the medications that are in low supply is a top priority. Since 2023, Victoza, also known as liraglutide, has been on the FDA's shortage list. According to Iilun Murphy, head of the FDA's Office of Generic Drugs, generic medications provide patients more treatment alternatives that are typically more economical. In June, Hikma's generic medication was initially given provisional approval. A Reuters request for comment on the drug's price was not immediately answered by the firm. Teva Pharmaceuticals introduced an approved generic version of...
Podcasts are taking over TV screens as video formats grow increasingly popular
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Podcasts are taking over TV screens as video formats grow increasingly popular

Today's TV viewers may be more inclined to switch to a podcast than a prime-time chat show. Previously limited to earphones, audio chats are increasingly receiving more video views on digital platforms, expanding their reach and generating significant advertising money for the already well-liked format. More than 400 million hours of podcasts were viewed on TVs each month in 2024, according to YouTube, which has emerged as a top destination for podcast listeners in recent years. They have been listening to podcasts in a manner akin to that of late-night talk shows. This month, YouTube's senior director of product management, Kurt Wilms, authored a blog post. The platform has gained traction in TV viewership after initially finding success on computers and cellphones. According to data fro...