South Korean investigators seek arrest of wife of jailed ex-President Yoon

South Korean investigators seek arrest of wife of jailed ex-President Yoon

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean investigators on Thursday requested a warrant to arrest the wife of jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol, a day after questioning her over suspicions including bribery, stock manipulation and political influence-peddling. Yoon, for the second time in a week, resisted an attempt to compel him to appear for questioning in his wife's case, forcing prison officials to abandon their efforts after an hourlong struggle due to concerns of injury, the investigators said. The detention warrant for Yoon expires Thursday. The investigation targeting Yoon's wife, Kim Keon Hee, is one ofthree separate special prosecutor probeslaunched under the government of new liberal President Lee Jae Myung related to Yoon, who wasremoved from office in Aprilandrearrested last monthover his brief imposition of martial law in December. The investigation team questioned Kim for about seven hours on Wednesday on various allegations, including claims that Yoon and Kim exerted undue influence over the conservative party's candidate nominations for a parliamentary by-election in 2022. Kim is also suspected of receiving a necklace and other gifts through a fortuneteller acting as an intermediary for a Unification Church official seeking business favors, and of possible involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme. The team said they listed multiple charges in the warrant request for Kim, including violations of financial market and political funding laws and acceptance of bribes. In her brief comments to reporters as she appeared for questioning on Wednesday, Kim issued a vague apology for causing public concern but also hinted that she would deny the accusations against her, calling herself "someone insignificant." Yoon, who faces a high-stakes trial onrebellionandother charges, previously resisted an attempt by investigators on Friday last week to bring him to their office for questioning over his wife. Investigators saidhe took off his prison uniformand lay down on the floor of his cell in his underwear until they gave up. Investigators were less specific about Yoon's actions on Thursday but said he "strongly resisted" and that there were concerns that he might be injured if the struggle continued. Yoon's lawyers criticized the repeated attempts to force him to appear for questioning, stating that he has already made clear his intention to exercise his right to remain silent and accusing investigators of infringing upon his rights in order to publicly shame him. Yoon's ill-fatedimposition of martial law on Dec. 3came during a seemingly routine standoff with the liberals, whom he labeled as "anti-state" forces abusing their legislative majority to obstruct his agenda. Some political opponents have questioned whether the conservative leader's actions were at least partly motivated bygrowing allegations against his wife, which hurt his approval ratings and gave political ammunition to his rivals. While in office,Yoon repeatedly dismissed calls to investigate his wife, denouncing them as baseless political attacks. After winning the early presidential election in June, new liberal PresidentLee Jae Myungapproved legislation to launch sweeping special investigations into Yoon's martial law debacle, the allegations against his wife, and the 2023 drowning death of a marine during a flood rescue operation, an incident the liberals claim Yoon's government tried to cover up.

byAlpha World

in

August 07, 2025

South Korean investigators seek arrest of wife of jailed ex-President Yoon

South Korean investigators seek arrest of wife of jailed ex-President Yoon SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean investigators on Thursday ...

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Stanford student newspaper sues Trump officials over immigration law that they say led to chilling of free speech

Stanford student newspaper sues Trump officials over immigration law that they say led to chilling of free speech

Stanford University's student newspaper sued the Trump administration Wednesday over two provisions in federal immigration law that it says the officials have wielded against those with pro-Palestinian views. The Stanford Daily, in addition to two former college students, filed the lawsuit against Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing the administration of using the provisions to threaten deportation and the revocation of visas. They say the situation has led to censorship and violations of free speech rights. The paper's staff members who are on visas have self-censored and declined assignments related to the war in Gaza, fearful that their reporting could jeopardize their lawful immigration status, the lawsuit said. "In the United States of America, no one should fear a midnight knock on the door for voicing the wrong opinion," Conor Fitzpatrick, an attorney at theFoundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which is helping represent the plaintiffs, said in a statement. "Free speech isn't a privilege the government hands out. Under our Constitution it is the inalienable right of every man, woman, and child." A senior State Department official declined to comment and directed NBC News to comments Rubio has about visa holders and complying with U.S. law. In April,Rubio wrote in an opinion piecepublished on Fox News that he would be taking a "zero-tolerance approach to foreign nationals who abet terrorist organizations." "The Supreme Court has made clear for decades that visa holders or other aliens cannot use the First Amendment to shield otherwise impermissible actions taken to support designated foreign terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hizballah, or the Houthis, or violate other U.S. laws," Rubio said. Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, described the lawsuit as "baseless." "There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world's terrorist sympathizers, and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here," she said in a statement. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs take aim at the Deportation Provision and Revocation Provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act. The first provision allows the secretary of state to deport noncitizens if the secretary "personally determines that the alien's admission would compromise a compelling United States foreign policy interest." The second gives the secretary the power to revoke a visa or documentation at his or her discretion. As the lawsuit points out, the Trump administration has cited the Deportation Provision as the basis for trying to deport Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested and detained for more than three months. Similarly, the administration used the Revocation Provision to detain Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk, who has also since been released. Because of the administration's use of the statutes, the lawsuit said, the Stanford Daily has received a number of requests from lawfully present noncitizens to have their names, quotes or photos removed from articles. Many international students have stopped speaking to the paper's journalists, and current and former writers have asked for their opinion editorials to be taken down, the lawsuit said. "The First Amendment cements America's promise that the government may not subject a speaker to disfavored treatment because those in power do not like his or her message," the lawsuit said. "And when a federal statute collides with First Amendment rights, the Constitution prevails." One of the unnamed plaintiffs appeared on the Canary Mission, the suit said. The website, run by an anonymous group, has published a detailed database of students, professors and others who it says have shared anti-Israel and antisemitic viewpoints. It has been accusedof doxxingand harassment, in addition to launching personal attacks that depict pro-Palestinian activists as being in "support of terrorism," the Middle East Studies Association of North America said. The plaintiff has stopped publishing and "voicing her true opinions" on the Palestinian territories and Israel, the suit said. Canary Mission has told NBC News that it documents people and groups who "promote hatred of the USA, Israel and Jews" across the political spectrum. It did not respond to criticisms of its work. The plaintiffs are asking the court to issue preliminary and permanent injunctions that block the officials from using the provisions against them based on engaging in what they consider protected speech. "There's real fear on campus and it reaches into the newsroom,"Greta Reich, the Stanford Daily's editor-in-chief,said in a statement. "The Daily is losing the voices of a significant portion of our student population."

byAlpha World

in

August 07, 2025

Stanford student newspaper sues Trump officials over immigration law that they say led to chilling of free speech

Stanford student newspaper sues Trump officials over immigration law that they say led to chilling of free speech Stanford University's ...

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'Wednesday' Season 2 Is Secretly a Gift to Weird Adults

'Wednesday' Season 2 Is Secretly a Gift to Weird Adults

Steve Buscemi in Wednesday Season 2 Credit - Helen Sloan—Netflix When it comes to youth culture, nothing is more mainstream right now than outcasts. This is not an anecdotal observation—it's a fact, borne out by the immense popularity of the teen-focusedAddams FamilyspinoffWednesday, whose first seasontops Netflix's listof its most-watched English-language shows of all time, with more than 250 million views. (The next two titles,AdolescenceandStranger Things 4, lag by over 100 million views apiece.) Melding horror and mystery with YA drama, it has made a global star of its 22-year-old lead, Jenna Ortega, whose cannily placeddance sceneimmediatelybroke TikTok. Wednesday Addams cracked thetop 10 kids' Halloween costumesthe year after it debuted, second only toBarbieamong name-brand female characters. All of which might suggest to adults thatWednesdayis strictly for Gen Z. Itsfirst seasoncertainly supported that impression. The setting—Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for paranormally gifted misfits—recalledHarry Potter's Hogwarts. The plot put a dark but too rarely novel spin on standard coming-of-age tropes, as Ortega's icy, psychic Wednesday navigated roommate troubles and a supernatural love triangle (see also:Buffy,Twilight,The Vampire Diaries). While those elements remain in Season 2,Wednesday, having saturated the Gen Z market, now feels like it's working harder to entertain older viewers—particularly those of us who fondly remember '90s pop culture. Well, it worked on this elder millennial. Parents, don't tell your tweens, but the new episodes ofWednesdayare secretly a gift to weird adults. After a speed run through Wednesday's summer vacation, which she naturally spent taking out a creepy serial killer played by Y2K spooky-kid icon Haley Joel Osment, Season 2 (whose first four episodes are now streaming, with the last four to follow on Sept. 3) opens with her return to Nevermore. Having vanquished the murderous alliance of her love interest Tyler (Hunter Doohan) and teacher Marilyn Thornhill (Christina Ricci), who had been conspiring against the school's outcast denizens, she's hailed as a hero. Which only makes her grumpier than usual. Adding to Wednesday's foul mood is her family's increased presence on campus. Her little brother, Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), has matriculated as an awkward underclassman. And Addams matriarch Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) has been recruited to raise funds for the academy—meaning, of course, that Morticia's adoring husband, Gomez (Luis Guzmán), won't be far away. Eventually there's a spectacular grandmother in the mix. More on her later. Although Wednesday's perky werewolf roomie Enid (Emma Myers) inherits the love-triangle plot, while Pugsley andhisroommate Eugene (Moosa Mostafa) get wrapped up in a deeply silly storyline involving a pet zombie, the family stuff is a nice respite from a Nevermore social scene that was always the show's least inspired element. It also gives the wonderful Ortega, whose deadpan yet somehow tender performance carried the first season, a chance to play off of many talented older actors. This isn't an entirely new thing forWednesday, whose executive producer and directorTim Burtonhelped discover so many offbeat Gen X-ers. Season 1 also featured Zeta-Jones, Guzmán, and Ricci (a previous generation's Wednesday Addams in two cult-classic '90s movies), as well as Fred Armisen in the role of Uncle Fester andGwendoline Christieas Nevermore's principal. But this time, the adult Addamses are more integral to the story. Now that it is, by many measures, the biggest show on TV,Wednesdaycreators and showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar have the clout (also thebudget) to really go wild with their casting choices. So Christie's disgraced administrator is replaced bySteve Buscemi's Principal Barry Dort, an outcast-pride advocate who craves Wednesday's approval. Buscemi is, of course, famous for playing weirdos and alternative types; in one of his most beloved roles, he starred opposite Ricci as a lonely record collector in the 2001 film adaptation of Daniel Clowes' sardonic coming-of-age comicGhost World. The fantastically versatile Billie Piper, who has charmed geeks inDoctor Whoand goths inPenny Dreadful, makes an intriguing foil for cello phenom Wednesday as the school's new head of music. Her relatively minor role in the early episodes of the season seems likely to anticipate an increased presence in its second half. Gough and Millar have moved to liberate the show from teen-drama clichés by expanding its world beyond the dating woes and questionable authority figures of Nevermore. Tyler's imprisonment at the nearby Willow Hill Psychiatric Facility—whose grimy environs recall Batman's Arkham Asylum,One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and so many other fictional houses of psychological horrors—is the site of a promising new (but easily spoiled) subplot. There, Wednesday meets the unorthodox doctor overseeing his treatment, Rachael Fairburn, played byWestworldstandoutThandiwe Newton. Appearing as Dr. Fairburn's officious assistant, Judi, is none other than Heather Matarazzo, who entered the oddball hall of fame in 1995 with her portrayal ofWelcome to the Dollhouse'smiddle-school reject Dawn Wiener. It's all pretty delightful for those of us who are old enough to appreciate not just the referential casting, but also the just-campy-enough performances that Buscemi, Matarazzo, and the rest deliver. In that respect (and with apologies toLady Gaga, who's slated to appear in the back half of the season), no guest star is more apt than Joanna Lumley. Best known for her long-running role as the debauched, aging fashion victim Patsy Stone in the era-defining '90s British sitcomAbsolutely Fabulous, Lumley turns the diva dial to 11 as Morticia's mortuary-mogul mother, Hester Frump. (Fun fact: Her Burton connection dates back to his 1996 adaptation of Roald Dahl's ooky children's bookJames and the Giant Peach.) Not that the performance is pure fluff. One of the season's more resonant themes is mother-daughter strife; Grandmama's estrangement from her daughter and affinity for Wednesday adds another layer of intergenerational mess. Also? For Patsy fans, it's also nice to see Lumley back in a beehive. Speaking of camp, the most enjoyable of the four episodes that dropped this week is one bigAddams Family ValuesEaster egg. Riffing on Wednesday and Pugsley's gloriously destructive journey to sleepaway camp in that 1993 movie, "Call of the Woe" sees Principal Dort shepherd his students to an overnight wilderness retreat he dubs Camp Outcast. (Gomez and Morticia are also present, as chaperones. You have never seen a tent like the one they construct.) The Nevermore kids soon encounter their ideal nemeses in a troop of normie paramilitary Boy Scout types who've reserved the camp for the same days. The only possible resolution to the double booking—because the two groups have no intention of sharing space—will be obvious to anyone who's ever seen a summer-camp movie from the late 20th century: a color war. I have no doubt that plenty of Gen ZWednesdayviewers have already devouredAddams Family Valuesand its predecessor and will get the callback. I'm sure they'll also eat up all the new characters and settings, whether they recognize them or not. At the same time, I don't think the new season quite resolves Gough and Millar's confusion about what they want their series, which has its fingers in crime and horror and teen soap and family drama and dark comedy, to be; with such an overcrowded surface, it's hard to achieve much depth. In its second season, however, what was once a show that relied almost exclusively on Ortega now has many more things going for it—one of the most welcome of which is genuine cross-generational appeal. Contact usatletters@time.com.

byAlpha World

in

August 06, 2025

'Wednesday' Season 2 Is Secretly a Gift to Weird Adults

'Wednesday' Season 2 Is Secretly a Gift to Weird Adults Steve Buscemi in Wednesday Season 2 Credit - Helen Sloan—Netflix When it co...

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Actor Dean Cain, who played Superman in the '90s, reveals he joined ICE

Actor Dean Cain, who played Superman in the '90s, reveals he joined ICE

Dean Cain was once the Man of Steel, but the TVsuperhero iconhas a new title. Cain, who playedSupermanin the 1990s series "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," revealed to fans that he enlisted as an officer in the federal agency U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to anAug. 5 videoshared to Cain's social media channels. "For those who don't know, I am a sworn law enforcement officer, as well as being a filmmaker, and I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans, not just talk about it," Cain, 59, said. "So, I joined up." USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Cain and ICE for comment. JOIN ICE!!We need your help to protect 🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/cXcUaDcDhY — Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain)August 5, 2025 Cain also used the minute-and-a-half clip as an informal recruitment ad to tout the "great benefits" of working for ICE, which reportedly include a $50,000 signing bonus, student loan repayment, enhanced retirement benefits and special pay for individuals working in field operations and law enforcement roles. "So, if you want to help save America, ICE is arresting the worst of the worst and removing them from America's streets. I like that. I voted for that," Cain said. "They need your help. We need your help, to protect our homeland and our families." Cain's comments come amid increased scrutiny of ICE in recent months. In June, several demonstrationserupted in Los Angelesin response to a series of immigration raids carried out by the federal agency. The raids, whichsparked nationwide protests, took place as part of a directive fromPresident Donald Trumpto find immigrants living in the United States without legal status. Several celebrities, includingJimmy Kimmel,Kim Kardashian,Cardi BandMark Ruffalo, havespoken out against the ICE raidsand the Trump administration's involvement. Cain portrayed DC Comics legend Clark Kent and his superhero alias, Superman, on "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" from 1993-1997. The ABC dramedy, which also starred Teri Hatcher and Lane Smith, earnedfive Primetime Emmy nominationsduring its four-year run. 'A little late now':Mark Ruffalo criticizes Joe Rogan for shock over Trump's ICE raids Cain's announcement of his ICE employment did not sit well with some fans, who took to the comments section onInstagramto share their dismay over the actor's affiliation with the controversial agency. "Shame on you Dean — that's the most un-Superman thing you could possibly advocate," @supergirl_titans wrote. "You are such a massive disappointment and only bring shame to the red cape. I trusted you," @imaginairycloud commented. Stars speak out against ICE raids in LA:Jimmy Kimmel slams Trump, calls him 'arsonist with a hose' While @gomdiaz said "it's a free country," the user added: "I hope one (day) I'll understand how a person can watch the now standard footage of HOW they 'handle' human beings and not only not be sad and morally disgusted but also promote it." Despite the criticism, some fans came to Cain's defense. "Wow, you really are Superman - that is so cool!!!" @jmcmahon0278 wrote, while @anthonyhershko commented: "LEGEND!!!!!!!!!👏🫡" Meanwhile, user @jlenagha pointed out the irony of Cain's professional relationship with ICE, given the actor's Japanese heritage (Cain was born in Michigan, but hisbiological father is Japanese). "Immigrants that come to this country, whether they're undocumented or not, should be given due process," the user added. "Trump said he was going after gang members, criminals etc. That's not been the case. He's been going after regular people. This tarnishes my view of Dean. I'm shocked he's endorsing ICE." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Superman actor Dean Cain says he joined ICE for Americans' safety

byAlpha World

in

August 06, 2025

Actor Dean Cain, who played Superman in the '90s, reveals he joined ICE

Actor Dean Cain, who played Superman in the '90s, reveals he joined ICE Dean Cain was once the Man of Steel, but the TVsuperhero iconhas...

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Man accused of killing Israeli Embassy staffers indicted on federal hate crime and murder charges

Man accused of killing Israeli Embassy staffers indicted on federal hate crime and murder charges

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man accused offatally shooting two staff membersof the Israeli Embassy in Washington outside a Jewish museum has been indicted on federal hate crime and murder charges, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday. The indictment, filed in federal court in Washington, charges Elias Rodriguez with nine counts, including a hate crime resulting in death. The indictment also includes notice of special findings, which would allow the Justice Department to potentially pursue the death penalty. Elias Rodriguez is accused of gunning down Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim as they left an event at the museum in May. He was heard shouting "Free Palestine" as he was led away after his arrest. He told police, "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza," federal authorities have said. Rodriguez had previously been charged with murder of foreign officials and other crimes, and the hate crimes charges were added after prosecutors brought the case to a grand jury. It means prosecutors will be tasked with proving Rodriguez was motivated by antisemitism when he opened fire on Lischinsky and Milgrim, a young couple who were about to become engaged. Prosecutors have described the killing as calculated and planned, saying Rodriguez flew to the Washington region from Chicago ahead of the Capital Jewish Museum event with a handgun in his checked luggage. He purchased a ticket for the event about three hours before it started, authorities have said in court papers. An attorney for Rodriguez didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday. Witnesses described him pacing outside before approaching a group of four people and opening fire. Surveillance video showed Rodriguez advancing closer to Lischinsky and Milgrim as they fell to the ground, leaning over them and firing additional shots. He appeared to reload before jogging off, officials have said. After the shooting, authorities say Rodriguez went inside the museum and stated that he "did it." "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed," he spontaneously said, according to court documents. He also told detectives that he admiredan active-duty Air Force memberwho set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in February 2024, describing the man as "courageous" and a "martyr."

byAlpha World

in

August 06, 2025

Man accused of killing Israeli Embassy staffers indicted on federal hate crime and murder charges

Man accused of killing Israeli Embassy staffers indicted on federal hate crime and murder charges WASHINGTON (AP) — The man accused offatall...

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