South Korean actor Park Min-jae died suddenly Friday while on a trip to China, New Delhi Television reported. The 32-year-old actor suffered a cardiac arrest.
Although his career was just beginning, Park Min-Jae clinched many respectable dramatic roles in his native country. His body of work included Call It Love, The Korea-Khitan War, True To Love, Snap And Spark, and Little Women.
A statement from Big Title, the agency that represented Park, noted that the actor did not have a known illness or condition until his sudden death. "A beautiful actor who loved acting and always did his best, Park Min-jae has gone to heaven," the statement said.
"We will no longer be able to see his acting, but we will always remember him with pride," it added. Park received tributes from others who were devastated by the loss.
The actor's brother, Park Jae-hyung, shared information about the star's final sendoff on his Instagram. The funeral was to be held on Wednesday, but it's clear that his family is already mourning him.
"Our beloved brother has gone to rest peacefully. We hope as many people as possible can come to see him off. We kindly ask for your understanding as we are unable to personally contact everyone," the actor's brother wrote in his post.
In a separate post, Hwang Ju Hye, CEO of Big Title, also posted a tribute. "The guy who said he would conquer China and go on a month-long trip has gone on a much longer journey," the executive began.
"It was so sudden and so shocking... The family must be feeling unimaginable sorrow..." Hwang Ju Hye continued.
"Min Jae, there's still so much we wanted to say and do together. I was grateful to have been your representative, even if only for a short time, and I'm deeply sorry. I will never forget the name, Actor Park Min Jae," he concluded. .
The news about the actor's passing comes at a time of upheaval for South Korea. The Associated Press reported that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law on his nation late Tuesday local time.
This marked the first time since 1980 that the nation made such a move. As the military rolled into place around the government buildings, lawmakers sprang into action to reverse the sudden order.
South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik put out a statement on his YouTube asking for a meeting of the government body. He asked law enforcement and military personnel deployed to "remain calm and hold their positions" as he worked it out.
By early Wednesday, the National Assembly vote lifted the order in a unanimous vote among the 190 members who heeded the leader's call. Yoon reportedly initiated the order after the opposition party attempted to impeach members of his cabinet over a budget deal.
The nation was pulled back from the brink, which means life will go on as usual for the people of South Korea. This is good news for all citizens, including those attending a beloved actor's funeral this week.
It's over and done with: President Joe Biden has pardoned his son Hunter Biden of any crimes he could possibly be charged with from his past actions, as well as granting him clemency from the two convictions he already faced.
All that's left now is to point out the fact that he and his mouthpiece, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, lied to the American people numerous times and said he wouldn't pardon his son--both when he was trying to get re-elected and after he stepped down as the Democrat nominee in 2024.
Jean-Pierre said as far back as July to Fox News reporter Mark Meredith that no pardon would happen.
At the time, the question was hypothetical, but when Hunter was indicted a few weeks later, she doubled down.
"So I've answered this question before. It was asked of me not too long ago — a couple of weeks ago — and I was very clear, and I said no," Jean-Pierre responded.
When nine counts of tax evasion came down from the DOJ, she got a little more vague.
"I mean, the president has said this before, and he will continue to say, which is that he loves his son and supports him as he continues to rebuild his life. And I'm going to be really careful to not comment on this and refer to Department of Justice or my colleagues at the White House counsel. But that's what I'm going to – I'm not going to go beyond telling you all what the president has said over and over again. He's proud of his son, and he is building his life back," Jean-Pierre said.
Going back to June, Biden said in his own words that he wouldn't pardon Hunter and would accept the federal gun trial against him.
Following up, Jean-Pierre said, "Yeah, so, look, as I stated at the top, I don’t have anything to say beyond — to your first question — beyond what the President’s statement was yesterday. He has been very clear. We’ve been very clear. You know, he — he loves his son. And he and the First Lady love their son, and they support their son. I just don’t have anything — certainly anything beyond that."
At the time, Biden was trying to get re-elected and didn't want it to look like he was trying to subvert justice.
In all likelihood, even if he did stay in the race and get re-elected, though, he would have pardoned Hunter anyway.
Hunter was set up on those charges to get the heat off his dad's alleged bribery and payoffs from foreign entities. He was clearly told to let the process play out and that he'd get pardoned at some point.
After all, Hunter knows exactly what his dad did, and could spill the beans if Dad let him hang out to dry.
As the Bidens fade into obscurity, will anyone even remember what the laptop and other witnesses like Tony Bobulinski say he did to the country he claims to have spent half a century serving?
Personal scandals and calls for resignation are par for the course in political life, but a scenario that unfolded in Britain in recent days was especially embarrassing for the individual involved.
As The Guardian reports, Louise Haigh resigned her role as transport secretary in Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Cabinet after a past fraud conviction came to light in the press, leaving officials in the U.K. -- as well as in Washington, D.C., -- shocked by the swiftness of developments.
Haigh stepped down from her role on Friday after reports began to circulate that she was convicted of a fraud offense in 2014 stemming from a phone that went missing from her place of employment.
News broke last week that Haigh pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation back in 2014 amid a probe conducted by her former employer into the aforementioned missing phone.
A statement from Haigh indicated that while she was working for the company as a young twenty-something, she was accosted and mugged while out one night, subsequently listing for police the items she believed were taken from her purse, with the work phone among them.
Haigh's company issued her a new phone for work purposes, but when she later found the old one and turned it on, further police questioning ensued.
As Haigh described the situation, “Under the advice of my solicitor, I pleaded guilty – despite the fact this was a genuine mistake from which I did not make any gain. The magistrates accepted all of these arguments and gave me the lowest possible outcome available.”
The controversy surrounding Haigh is just the latest difficulty to engulf Starmer's Labour government, with a recent online petition calling for a new general election to determine his fate garnering several million signatures, as the BBC notes.
Even so, Starmer's political allies are denying that Haigh's scandal is a reflection of anything broader amiss inside Labour's ranks, with Pat McFadden, chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster, declaring that the situation was handled “very quicky,” as Sky News reported.
Amid a host of other awkward recent revelations, including the receipt of free Taylor Swift tickets, clothing, and other goods for high-powered politicians, McFadden was asked whether his party was “just as tawdry and chaotic” as the opposition.
McFadden said, “I don't accept that for a minute. If you take this Louise Haigh situation, this story came to light, and it was dealt with very quickly.”
“This isn't something that dragged on for weeks. It isn't something where there happened to be endless stories about it before action was taken, and within 24 hours, we have a new transport secretary.”
Haigh is not the only high-ranking member of Starmer's government to experience a shameful public disclosure in recent weeks, with Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, coming under fire for what appeared to be a significant exaggeration in her own work history, as the Daily Mail reports.
Though Reeves' online CV initially boated of her time as an “economist” at the Bank of Scotland, further probing into her background forced her to correct her LinkedIn profile to reflect what was actually her work in “retail banking,” casting further doubt on the honest of those Starmer has chosen to include in his inner circle.
A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that Texas could secure its border using razor wire and other barriers, Breitbart reported. This decision came after the Biden administration cut razor wire installed under Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit sided with the Lone Star State because it was "seeking only to safeguard its property" with these measures. It found that President Joe Biden's administration was improper in its insistence on stopping that effort.
Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, who ordered the measures in the first place, celebrated the ruling with a post to X, formerly Twitter. "The federal court of appeals just ruled that Texas has the right to build the razor wire border wall that we have constructed to deny illegal entry into our state. Biden was wrong to cut our razor wire.”
BREAKING: the federal court of appeals just ruled that Texas has the right to build the razor wire border wall that we have constructed to deny illegal entry into our state.and that Biden was wrong to cut our razor wire.
We continue adding more razor wire border barrier. pic.twitter.com/a1jLPvceLf
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 27, 2024
The court granted a preliminary injunction so that the federal government could no longer meddle in border security measures Texas implemented. The judges ruled in a 2-1 decision that, contrary to claims made by the Biden administration, the state was not trying to "regulate" the Border Patrol.
The majority opinion was written by Circuit Judge Kyle Duncan, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump. He wrote that the law provides "clear protections for property rights from government intrusion and control."
Duncan added that federal immigration officials may not "unnecessarily intrude into the rights of countless property owners." He was joined in this opinion by another Trump appointee, Judge Don Willet, who previously served as a Texas Supreme Court justice.
Not surprisingly, Biden's Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez was the lone dissenter on the three-judge panel. She wrote in her opinion that Texas inappropriately asserted a "virtual power of review" over federal immigration enforcement by taking action where the administration failed.
This ruling will now ensure the state's right to secure the border as it sees fit. It also allows private property owners along the border to do the same.
Under Biden, the border was overrun with illegal immigrants in places like Eagle Pass, Texas. The state took the brunt of it as a border state, and Abbott implemented Operation Lone Star to stem the tide through methods such as installing razor wire.
However, after the Texas National Guard installed over 100 miles of wire along the border at key crossings, Border Patrol cut down the wire in September 2023, Fox News reported. "Biden should be thanking Texas, not obstructing our efforts to secure the border," Abbott said.
"Joe Biden completely abandoned his constitutional duty to secure the border. Texas stepped up in his absence to build the wall, repel illegal crossings, and protect our country," the governor added.
Experts have found that the razor wire is effective in stopping illegal immigration by the crossing point by several miles. This additional impediment to an easy journey deters all but the most motivated.
This was a win for Texas and all Americans concerned about the impact of illegal immigration. With Trump coming into office next year, this will likely be just the start of the change.
Famed female motorcycle racer Mary McGee passed away at 87 due to complications from a stroke, ESPN reported. McGee was recently the subject of the documentary, "Motorcycle Mary," about her life.
McGee's family announced her passing in a statement on Facebook Wednesday. "McGee's unparalleled achievements in off-road racing and motorcycle racing have inspired generations of athletes that followed in her footsteps," the family wrote.
"Mary embodied resilience, grace, and optimism. She was a historic athlete and a motorsports pioneer who embraced life's challenges, cared deeply for others, and made time to brighten the lives of those around her," the statement continued.
"While we are deeply saddened by this loss, we are comforted knowing that her light will continue to shine in everyone she touched," the family added. McGee's achievements confirmed her legacy as a trailblazer.
McGee stepped into the male-dominated worlds of auto and motorcycle racing in the middle part of the last century. In 1975, she became the first person to complete the Baja 500 race in Mexico alone, a feat never done before by any man or woman.
Notably, McGee's brother inspired her to pick up racing, but actor and racing fan Steve McQueen convinced her to compete in the grueling event that would be her crowing achievement. McGee had several other firsts for female racers, including sponsorship deals.
McGee was the first woman to race in the international motocross competition and inspired many other young woman to follow her lead. In 2018, McGee was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
A documentary for ESPN's 30 for 30 series featured McGee's life and legacy. The short film, produced by Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, debuted at the Tribeca Festival in June.
Hamilton paid tribute to McGee in a post to his Instagram. "I'm deeply saddened to hear that Mary McGee, the first woman to road race motorcycles in the U.S and the first person to solo the Baja 500 has passed on," he wrote.
"My condolences to her family and everyone who she's inspired. Her legacy will live on as a trailblazer in the world of motorsports and beyond," Hamilton added.
The documentary's director, Haley Watson, shared warm words about McGee. "I'm deeply saddened by this news, but I am comforted to know that Mary was surrounded by friends and family at the time of her passing," Watson said.
"In early 2022, I was researching stories when I came across Mary's. That discovery marked the tipping point into uncovering a much larger and truly incredible career in motorsports and life journey," Watson added.
Women in sports must be better than the men they compete against just to receive proper recognition. McGee rose to that challenge and will be remembered for her contribution to racing.
Rev. Michael Blake, a former aide to President Barack Obama, will run for mayor of New York City in 2025, the New York Post reported. Blake blasted Adams over legal woes and his friendliness toward the "incoming fascist president," Donald Trump.
Blake is the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and was a New York assemblyman from 2015 to 2021. The 41-year-old also ran unsuccessful campaigns for the House of Representatives and city public advocate.
Now, he joins the crowded field of hopefuls looking to unseat Adams. With his twin ambition to become chairman of the DNC, Blake posted to X, formerly Twitter, last week, "NYC. DNC. A New Day is coming."
NYC. DNC. A New Day is coming.
— Michael Blake (@MrMikeBlake) November 22, 2024
Blake's background includes a stint on Obama's public engagement team and other positions, though he has yet to clinch a role as high profile as the mayor's office. Instead, he railed against Adams over his federal indictment after allegedly taking bribes and campaign violations, court documents say.
Adams also has been accused of accepting "improper benefits" from a Turkish diplomat in exchange for favors from the city. "We deserve a leader who won’t have headlines about investigations but rather have headlines about jobs," Blake said of Adams.
"Never forget that on Nov. 2 of last year, when Mayor Adams literally landed in Washington, DC, for a meeting at the White House to address the migrant situation, he turned back around because his fundraiser was being raided. He decided that it was more important to protect himself than protect you," Blake went on.
Aside from the pending charges, Blake also hammered Adams on his friendliness to Trump. Blake said he will be a force against the "incoming fascist president" as opposed to Adams, who has been "literally spending every possible day" cozying up to Trump.
"Unlike Mayor Adams, I won’t use my Saturday nights trying to be close to him in a UFC fight, but I’ll actually use my nights to make sure that you are safe and secure," Blake promised. Adams had a brief exchange with Trump at Madison Square Garden earlier this month.
Blake has promised to entice businesses back to New York City with tax incentives. He's also committed to universal child care, which is typically a concept of the far left.
Others who have thrown their name in include Democratic NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, who similarly pledges many handouts and destructive leftist policies. He claims "democracy is in peril" because of Trump and plans to "fight back against any authoritarian attempts to rip away the rights of women, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, people of color, Jews, Muslims, or any other New Yorkers."
Attorney Jim Walden, who is running as an independent, sent shockwaves on Monday when his kick-off included former New York Gov. David Paterson. Until very recently, Paterson publicly defended Adams through his indictment.
Not only is he going against him, but Paterson is doing so for what many consider a long-shot candidate. "I don’t know what he’s thinking," an unnamed operative told the Post. It's likely several more announcements from other candidates are forthcoming.
New York is a deep blue city, and a more radical choice could very well throw out Adams. Unfortunately, that means the problems plaguing the city will only get worse.
Florida GOP Rep. Mike Waltz has resigned from Congress after being tapped to serve as incoming President Donald Trump's national security adviser, The Hill reported. Unfortunately, this could impact the balance of the House of Representatives.
Waltz's resignation takes effect when Trump takes the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2025. This ensures Waltz can vote for Speaker of the House on Jan. 3.
However, this news also comes on the heels of fellow Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz's resignation last week. Gaetz was initially picked to be Trump's attorney general, but he withdrew his name from consideration and later from his current and new terms in Congress.
Even before these registrations, Republicans had a narrow majority to pass Trump's agenda. Now, they will have to wait until April 1, when special elections will be held to elect replacements for the outgoing representatives.
On Monday, Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd accepted Waltz's resignation. Byrd said the primary election would occur on Jan. 28, with the general election commencing on April 1 to fill the vacancies.
Unlike other cabinet positions, the national security adviser role goes into effect as soon a candidate accepts the role rather than requiring Senate confirmation. Other Republican members of Congress tapped to staff Trump's cabinet include Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who lost her reelection, and New York Rep. Elise Stefanik.
According to Fox News, Trump has already begun endorsing some candidates for their replacements. In Florida, Trump presented the state's chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis Jr., and former state Sen. Randy Fine as possible candidates.
So far, Trump's cabinet picks have been popular with Americans, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Health and Human Services Secretary and Fox News host Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary, the New York Post reported. Surveys show that his new cabinet is well received.
There is considerable optimism for Trump when he takes the White House along with the people he's handpicked to help. However, he may run into a snag with the vacancies in Congress from those who will leave to join his administration.
Fox News noted that Republicans have 219 seats compared to Democrats' 213 seats in Congress. The majority could be in jeopardy with the departure of Gaetz, Stefanik, and Waltz.
Even in heavily Republican districts, the success of Republican candidates is not guaranteed, which is making some nervous. "I know he's already pulled a few really talented people out of the House – hopefully, no more for a little while until special elections come up, but it shows you the talent that we have and the ability we have," House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson similarly implored Trump to quit pulling talent from their ranks. "President Trump fully understands and appreciates the math here, and it's just a numbers game. You know, we believe we're going to have a larger majority than we had last time," Johnson said.
"It's too early to handicap it, but we are optimistic about that. But every single vote will count, because if someone gets ill or has a car accident or a late flight on their plane, then it affects the votes on the floor. So, I think he and the administration are well attuned to that. I don't expect that we will have more members leaving, but I'll leave that up to him," Johnson said.
There's a delicate balance between getting the best of the best in Trump's cabinet and leaving some solid Republicans in place. Trump will strike that balance as best he can, but the nation's future is looking bright with him at the helm no matter what.
Special counsel Jack Smith has moved to drop federal charges against President-elect Donald Trump, the UK Daily Mail reported. U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan granted Smith's request Thursday, marking another Trump legal victory.
Smith's charges involve Trump's alleged involvement in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, as well as separate charges for the classified documents case. Smith requested the judge grant a dismissal "without prejudice" for the former while dropping an appeal of the latter's dismissal.
The judge agreed to stop the prosecution while Trump is in office, but the government can pick them up again when Trump is no longer president. Chutkan agreed that was the best course of action given a prohibition on prosecuting a sitting president.
"Dismissal without prejudice is appropriate here," she wrote in her decision. Chutkan added that this "consistent with the Government’s understanding that the immunity afforded to a sitting President is temporary, expiring when they leave office."
Although Trump is out of the woods while in office, he could still face prosecution once his term is over. This comes after he's spent years defending himself against lawfare attacks since leaving office.
Not long after President Joe Biden was sworn in, the Department of Justice began pursuing every individual who participated in the demonstration on Jan. 6 in any way. That included Trump, who was the former president by then.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith to ascertain "whether any person or entity unlawfully interfered with the transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election or the certification of the Electoral College vote held on or about January 6, 2021." Smith was a war crimes prosecutor on a mission.
However, after spending $50 million of taxpayer money to prosecute Trump, all of that comes to an end for now. This comes as other lawfare against Trump begins falling apart as well.
Trump was convicted of 34 felonies in connection with a so-called hush money payment in New York. However, the judge has since moved to dismiss the case since the state cannot prosecute a sitting president. This all but negates the lawfare aimed at taking Trump out leading up to the election.
Steven Cheung, who will be Trump's White House communications director, championed the move as a return to justice. "The American People re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again," he noted in a statement.
"Today’s decision by the DOJ ends the unconstitutional federal cases against President Trump, and is a major victory for the rule of law. The American People and President Trump want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country," he added.
Trump also posted about the decision to his Truth Social. "Over $100 Million Dollars of Taxpayer Dollars has been wasted in the Democrat Party’s fight against their Political Opponent, ME," Trump said following the decision.
"Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before," he added. "It was a political hijacking, and a low point in the History of our Country that such a thing could have happened, and yet, I persevered, against all odds, and WON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump concluded.
This is great news that Trump is off the hook for now. As the president-elect noted, these cases should have never seen the light of day but at least the threat of imprisonment is off the table until he leaves office.
The Texas Supreme Court ruled on Friday that state Attorney General Ken Paxton did not have to testify in a whistleblower lawsuit brought by some of his employees, reversing a lower court decision.
Because Paxton's office does not dispute any of the issues in the suit, which is related to failed impeachment charges brought against him, and he agrees to any judgement in the case, there is not a compelling reason for his testimony.
“In a major win for the State of Texas, the state Supreme Court has sided with Attorney General Paxton against former OAG employees whose effort to prolong costly, politically-motivated litigation against the agency has wasted public resources for years,” a statement from Paxton’s office said.
The employees say they were improperly fired or forced out because they told the FBI that Paxton misused his office to protect a friend, who was also a campaign donor.
The donor was in turn helping Paxton hide an extramarital affair, they further allege.
Texas Governor and the legislature have said they want Paxton to testify before deciding on a settlement amount.
But the supreme court acknowledged that Paxton's testimony and that of others could be used improperly by the legislature.
A preliminary deal included an apology from Paxton to the employees for calling them "rogue employees" along with a $3.3 million settlement, but the sticking point was that Paxton wanted the state to pay the settlement.
The House balked at that plan, and started investigating him. Eventually, they impeached him, but he was acquitted in the Senate trial.
Paxton has consistently denied the charges against him and called them politically motivated.
The settlement, which Paxton agreed to in January, does not involve him admitting to any wrongdoing.
That should have been the end of the litigation, but the judge has let it drag on for almost a year.
Paxton's office slammed the lower court ruling that was overturned as an "effort to prolong costly, politically-motivated litigation against the Agency has wasted public resources for years."
The office characterized the judge's actions as an "apparent effort to prolong the political charade and interfere with the OAG’s day-to-day business."
President-elect Donald Trump has been naming prospective members of his new administration at a lightning-fast pace, and now it appears that the former -- and future -- first lady has also begun the process of choosing key personnel for her White House office.
As The Hill reports, Melania Trump announced on Friday the selection of longtime aide and confidante Hayley Harrison to serve as her chief of staff as she makes yet another transition to the East Wing.
Mrs. Trump's office made the announcement of Harrison's new role in a post on X, touting her longstanding ties to the incoming first lady.
“Mrs. Harrison has maintained an integral role and exceptional leadership on the First Lady's team over the past seven years,” the statement began.
Melania Trump's office continued, “She has a strong understanding of White House operations, and as Chief of Staff, Mrs. Harrison will oversee and manage the East Wing's team while strategically liaising with other parts of government.”
The appointment of Harrison to this key role in Mrs. Trump's office represents the first such hire following Donald Trump's Nov. 5 victory against Kamala Harris.
As USA Today notes, Harrison's tenure as a Trump insider includes Donald Trump's first term in office as well as the post-presidential period during which the family relocated to Palm Beach, Florida.
Harrison's involvement in Mrs. Trump's post-White House life was so substantial that she was later identified as “Trump Employee 1” in special counsel Jack Smith's classified documents indictment of Donald Trump.
The Washington Examiner reported that court filings indicated that Harrison had sent text messages to another Trump staffer in regard to the need to move the documents at issue out of the Mar-a-Lago business center to another location so that staff would have sufficient room to work.
Hayley Harrison's husband, William “Beau” Harrison, also has a history of strong ties to the Trump family, also having been the subject of a grand jury interview before charges were lodged against Donald Trump and his aide, Walt Nauta.
The questioning revolved around Harrison's prior role coordinating relocation logistics with the General Services Administration ahead of the Trumps' move back to Florida in 2021.
As the Examiner suggested, it is far from clear that Mrs. Trump has any plans to move back to the White House on a full-time basis, with all indications suggesting that she will split time between her homes in New York City and Palm Beach Florida, traveling to D.C. when official needs dictate.
Mrs. Trump has made it clear, however, that her prior experience as first lady has prepared her well to make critical personnel decisions such as the appointment of Harrison, explaining in late October, “So when you go in, you know exactly what to expect. You know what kind of people you need to get.” Hopefully, she can now rely on the sort of staff loyalty that all too often proved elusive last time around.