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Opinion: Before Trump indictment, there was VP Spiro Agnew’s plea in 1973

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:25:01 GMT

The news has been full of concerns about the fate of our republic following the indictment of former President Donald Trump. There have been questions about the politicization of criminal laws and the credibility of the judiciary, the polarization of the electorate and threats of violent domestic reaction.But these concerns pale in comparison to the threat to the democratic system posed 50 years ago this summer, when it became shockingly clear that the country was being run by a president, Richard Nixon, and a vice president, Spiro Agnew, who were both simultaneously under criminal investigation for wholly unrelated conduct.What is now the controversy buzzword “obstruction of justice” was then the more mysterious buzzword “nolo contendere.” Where the first one refers to a provision of criminal law, the second refers to a rarely applied pleading device. And those distinctions make a difference.For one involves criminal allegations involving a former president outside of power yet see...

Disneyland crowds return to 90% of 2019 levels, report says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:25:01 GMT

Attendance at Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood and other Southern California theme parks has not quite reached pre-pandemic levels despite crowds and lines that might make visitors think otherwise.Southern California theme park attendance in 2022 nearly bounced back to pre-pandemic 2019 crowd levels, according to a new report from the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM.Southern California attendance in 2022 (90% vs. 2019) was on par with U.S. theme parks (88% vs. 2019) and well ahead of parks worldwide (79% vs. 2019) compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to the TEA/AECOM report.Disneyland’s 16.9 million visitors in 2022 was 90% of the 18.7 million that came to the park in 2019, according to the TEA/AECOM report. Disney California Adventure did slightly better at 91% — tallying 9 million visitors in 2022 compared to 9.9 million in 2019.Universal Studios Hollywood and Knott’s Berry Farm did slightly better than the Disney parks — each reaching 92% of 2019 attendanc...

Titan rescue: A look inside the Titan submersible

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:25:01 GMT

With few hours of oxygen left in the missing Titan submersible, rescue efforts continue of the five passengers who have been trapped inside since it submerged Sunday morning. Here’s a close-up look at the Titan:Pilot: The sub is steered using a modified video game controller that costs about $40.Hull: Is 5 inches thick made of carbon fiber, allowing it to withstand high pressures at the wreck of the Titanic.Electric thrusters: Two horizontal and two vertical thrusters allow it to travel at speeds of up to 3.45 mph.Weights: Allow the Titan to sink 2.4 miles below sea level.Toilet: Is located at the front separated from the rest of the crew by a thin curtain.Viewport: Is 21 inches of thick glass.Titanium cap: Is bolted on the hull before the expedition, sealing the passengers inside until they return to the surface.Download a pdf copy of the graphic.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | CEO of company that owns missing Titanic tour sub faces fraud lawsuit by Florida coupl...

California man convicted of execution-style slaying of German tourist in 1996 to be released from prison

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:25:01 GMT

A 46-year-old man who has spent nearly 28 years in prison for the headline-grabbing, execution-style slaying of a German tourist near Idyllwild may soon be free.The California Board of Parole Hearings on Tuesday, June 20, reaffirmed a two-member panel’s December recommendation to parole Thongxay Nilakout, who in 1994 fatally shot and robbed 64-year-old Gisela Pfleger and wounded her husband, Klaus Pfleger, who was 62 at the time.In May, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the full parole board to review the panel’s recommendation to ensure Nilakout’s release doesn’t pose a public safety danger.Newsom cited Nilakout’s prison psychological evaluation as the reason for the review.“The psychologist found that Mr. Nilakout’s deficits in awareness and understanding related to the … crime and other more recent negative behavior remain present, but seem to be decreasing,” Newsom said in ordering the full board review. “While this is an encouraging sign that Mr. Nilakout has made progress in rehabilit...

Opinion: Why is Biden silent on Modi and India’s slide toward autocracy?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:25:01 GMT

India’s democracy is in danger. There is no sound moral, political or economic case for President Joe Biden and other democratic leaders to pretend this isn’t happening.Yet the red carpets keep being rolled out. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be welcomed for a lavish state dinner at the White House on Thursday aimed at fostering a “free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific” region.On India’s current trajectory toward repression, this will be impossible to achieve, in the Indo-Pacific or in India itself. The country now ranks 161st on the World Press Freedom Index. Freedom House and the Economist Intelligence Unit say it is no longer a fully free democracy.This matters to us all. India is in effect the world’s biggest swing state in the struggle between democracies and autocracies. It is both the world’s largest democracy and a vital ally of the West in its rivalry with China.The challenge for Biden and other world leaders is how to get a genuine win for democrac...

Correction: Lebanon-UNRWA story

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:25:01 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — In a story published June 20, 2023, about the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians, The Associated Press erroneously reported that donors at a pledging conference earlier this month provided only $107 million in new funds. The donors actually pledged $115.2 million, of which only $13.2 million were new funds.Source

Swiss central bank urges review of ‘too big to fail’ bank safeguards after Credit Suisse debacle

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:25:01 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Switzerland’s central bank said the government and regulators should carry out an in-depth review of rules aimed at preventing disastrous bank collapses, saying key guardrails failed to prevent Credit Suisse from needing to be rescued by Swiss competitor UBS.The Swiss National Bank scrutinized several of the safeguards imposed in the wake of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis that were aimed at preventing a repeat. The central bank concluded that several “too big to fail” rules designed to avoid the collapse of a major global bank were inadequate and may even have delayed action to ward off disaster.“Looking forward, the experience with Credit Suisse shows the need for a review of the TBTF framework in order to facilitate early intervention,” the central bank said in its annual financial stability report published Thursday. “It is now up to the authorities to carry out an in-depth review and draw lessons, also in view of the higher systemic importa...

IOC banishes boxing governing body from Olympics, but the sport will still be at the Paris Games

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:25:01 GMT

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The International Boxing Association was banished from the Olympic family on Thursday, ending a years-long dispute fueled by defying advice and instructions from the IOC. Boxing, however, will keep its status as an Olympic sport at the 2024 Paris Games.The International Olympic Committee voted to derecognize the IBA at a specially called meeting — an outcome that was inevitable after being recommended two weeks ago by the executive board, a body chaired by IOC president Thomas Bach.The vote was 69-1, with 10 members abstaining.Boxing was never really in danger of being kicked out of the Olympics over the four years since the IOC suspended the sport’s governing body in an effort to force changes.“We highly value the sport of boxing. We have an extremely serious problem with IBA because of their governance,” Bach told IOC members during their online meeting.The dispute centered on the IBA’s management under presidents from Uzbekistan and Russia who t...

Una mujer acusada de matar a sus dos hijos recién nacidos, los mantuvo en el congelador durante años

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:25:01 GMT

Corea del Sur (CNN) — La Policía de Corea del Sur dice que solicitó una orden de arresto para una mujer acusada de matar a dos de sus hijos recién nacidos y mantener sus cuerpos en su congelador durante años.Un agente de la Policía Provincial de Gyeonggi Nambu le dijo a CNN que la mujer, de unos 30 años, admitió haber matado a los bebés y dijo que lo hizo porque enfrentaba dificultades económicas para cuidar a sus otros tres hijos, de 12, 10 y 8 años.Los recién nacidos tenían solo un día cuando murieron, agregó el funcionario.Su primera presunta víctima fue su cuarto hijo, nacido en un hospital en noviembre de 2018. La Policía alega que estranguló a la niña al día siguiente de dar a luz y puso el cuerpo en el congelador de su casa. Está acusada de hacer lo mismo con su quinto hijo, un niño nacido en noviembre de 2019.Indultan a Kathleen Folbigg, una mujer de Australia que cumplió 20 años en prisión por matar a sus cuatro bebésSu esposo dijo que le habían dicho que los dos niño...

NHLPA launches a new program to help players prepare for retirement, life after hockey

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:25:01 GMT

Early in his time in the NHL, Darnell Nurse says he did not notice a lot of players talking about what to do after hockey. Going into his ninth season, the chatter is now normal.“People are curious as to what there is outside the game and what you can do to prepare yourself,” Nurse said.Plenty of players have taken it upon themselves to prepare for the future, like Zdeno Chara getting his real estate license and others finishing college degrees or exploring business opportunities. The NHL Players’ Association on Thursday launched a program that gives its members the chance to do a personality analysis and delve into real estate, business or other avenues while still in the league.The hope is to ease what the transition to life after playing.“It’s something that’s been missing a little bit,” veteran center Lars Eller told The Associated Press. “It’s kind of well known that one of the struggles for a professional athlete is the transition on to the next thing once he...