fortune gems jili

Richard Parsons, prominent executive who led Time Warner and Citigroup, dies at 76

National debt in way of Trump’s economic plan

Bears interim coach Thomas Brown insists he's focused on task at hand and not what his future holdsA Weflo official inspects one of the drones owned by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Government by placing it atop the company’s contactless maintenance pad at an airfield in Jeju Island on Dec. 5. Weflo conducted a check for possible defects across the entire fleet of drones owned by the authority using the pad. Courtesy of Weflo Weflo's detection system replaces human labor By Ko Dong-hwan Weflo CEO Kim Yee-jung / Courtesy of Weflo JEONJU, North Jeolla Province — Troubleshooting mechanical defects in drones and air taxis must shift to robotic automation, rather than relying on human technicians’ sensory-based decisions, to ensure more time-efficient and error-free operations of future mobility, according to the head of Weflo, a startup specializing in technical solutions for the maintenance of advanced aerial mobility (AAM). Kim Yee-jung, CEO of the Jeonju-based company, has invested this year in designing the solution's concept models, building prototypes, and promoting it worldwide. He expects the company to start generating revenues next year. However, his more ambitious goal is to expand what he believes to be the world’s first technology of this type across the global AAM industry and dominate the maintenance market within the sector. Weflo’s technology, applicable to both drones and air taxis, centers on a "fusion sensor." This sensor scans the machines’ driving motor, electronic speed controller, and blades, checking for irregularities based on electromagnetic waves, noise, and vibration. By analyzing the results of the scan, which takes just seconds, the system can detect issues such as worn-out bearings, broken coils, or twisted axles. According to Kim, the predictive maintenance system boasts an accuracy rate of at least 98 percent. Checking for mechanical defects in these machines has traditionally been the job of human experts. “They would put their hands on the blade and give it a few spins. Depending on how that spinning feels like, they would give out a verdict. It is same with other critical parts of drones or air taxis. They would take a close look but it all depends on the technician’s job experience and physical condition that day,” Kim said in his interview with The Korea Times at GroundX which is Weflo’s research and development facility in Jeonju. “We cannot rely on human decisions. What if that technician was sick that day? Would his decision be trustworthy? What if there were like a hundred drones to inspect? That will take hours or even days.” The contactless technology can take various forms, from a portable tripod-like scanner for drones (called Portable Verti-Pit) to a built-in scanner inside a drone maintenance pad (Verti-Pit), and even a scanner for slowly-moving automobiles in parking lots (HUMs). At a vertiport, which serves as a platform for vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (VTOL), a dedicated maintenance section can scan air taxis shortly before or after each flight. Weflo refers to this as the Intelligent AAM Inspection (IAI) Platform, which the company is currently placing its biggest bet on. Weflo's Verti-Pit mini won the Innovation Award in the Drone Category at CES 2025. The Verti-Pit mini, a miniature version of the company’s drone maintenance pad Verti-Pit, is designed to scan small-size drones for possible defects, offering a compact and efficient solution for drone inspections. Courtesy of Weflo At GroundX, four Hums are currently being tested in an outdoor parking lot, scanning vehicles in motion — such as during a carwash — for defects across the body and tires. The results are simultaneously transmitted to computers housed in a container booth next to the cameras for analysis and monitoring. Weflo has so far progressed furthest with drones. Under the project commissioned this year by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the company is building Verti-Pit maintenance pads for a network of delivery drone platforms nationwide. The drone network is scheduled for commercialization in 2027. Nine cities and counties, including Incheon, Busan, Jeju Island, and Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province, are part of the project. The network, which will connect both within and outside these areas, will consist of vertiports, maintenance/command centers, and delivery destinations. In total, around 150 infrastructure elements are planned, with 100 already completed. While different consortiums handle the construction of infrastructure, logistics operations, and drone control systems for the project, Weflo is solely responsible for drone maintenance. “Once a drone parks itself atop Verti-Pit, fusion sensors installed inside the pad scans for possible defects,” Kim said, showing Verti-Pit's prototype at GroundX. While the pad scans the drone with all four blades spinning at full-speed, sensor-connected computers show uptick movements indicating the flyer’s condition. “Each pad is an assembled module. We can adjust each pad’s size and how many or where exactly we want fusion sensors inside the pad depending on which drone to inspect.” IAI Weflo’s technologies culminate in the IAI Platform, currently a concept model that specializes in inspecting air taxis between flights. Kim promoted the platform at the Air Taxi World Congress in London earlier this month. He highlighted that the platform would enable vertiport operators to reduce pre-flight inspection time, ultimately shortening turnaround time for each flight and allowing for more air taxis to be operated. Airlines can also implement the platform in their hangars for more precise aircraft inspections, while air taxi manufacturers could introduce it to their end-of-line (EOL) process to significantly reduce plane testing time, he added. “While the IAI is still in the design phase, it shares its core technology with Verti-Pit. I hope that the transport ministry's delivery drone network will eventually expand to include the IAI feature as well,” Kim anticipated. “For air taxi passengers, the improved maintenance will save enough time to ensure no wait for their flight.” Weflo's concept model for the IAI Platform garnered attention at the Air Taxi World Congress in London, held from Nov. 25-28. Courtesy of Weflo Kim targets the United States as Weflo’s largest market for IAI. Most globally renowned companies specializing in the AAM industry, such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, are based there. Europe, on the other hand, has recently witnessed many companies in the industry going bankrupt. Kim believes that his company must make a breakthrough in the U.S. to effectively showcase its technological capabilities. In November, Weflo established its American subsidiary in Silicon Valley. The company is also currently engaged in "working groups" with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Within these groups, Weflo has proposed ideas — including those involving the IAI platform — to advance the global AAM industry. U.S. counterparts, along with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), are now considering developing Weflo's proposals into official regulations. "Georgia is witnessing the most active AAM industry in the U.S., so we have been focusing our efforts there. Next year, we plan to expand our influence and impress other U.S. states as well," Kim said. “AAM planes, each costing hundreds of billions of won to build, must find ways to increase revenues as a form of public transit. What we (the working groups) have been discussing is how to save time, workforce, and costs when operating AAM for public passengers and determining what rate their service fare should be set at. I have been persuading them that IAI will help launch such services at a commercially viable level.” Kim plans to further develop Weflo’s AAM maintenance technologies by making them applicable to a wider range of aircraft and equipment, including medium- to large-sized drones and electric VTOLs. The company is currently working to sell its technologies to Korean drone manufacturers so they can integrate the system into their EOL processes. According to Kim, this will save these companies time and effort by eliminating the need for separate flight tests. “We have seen a series of disasters caused by electric vehicles' lithium battery explosions this year, raising concerns over the vehicles and increasing awareness of the batteries’ safety,” Kim said. “These incidents have underscored the importance of pre-flight inspections for drones and air taxis. I believe this will present an opportunity for our company to highlight our technologies.”Telangana HC Jails SI for Contempt; Suspends Sentence for Appeal

AmBase Co. (OTCMKTS:ABCP) Sees Large Increase in Short InterestLAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Thomas Brown insists he's focused on the job at hand and not the one he might have down the line. His immediate task as the interim coach of the Chicago Bears is helping the team finish strong over the final five games, starting this weekend at San Francisco. The rest of his life can wait. “I think about just the moment. ... I obviously understand the role that I'm in, understand what might come with it," he said Wednesday. "But I also understand that we make most situations bigger than what it has to be because of the outside noise, what everybody else puts a value on it.” The Bears are in a moment unlike any other in the history of the founding NFL franchise. on Friday with a 4-8 record and the team in a six-game losing streak marked by head-scratching decisions. They promoted Brown, who in a span of three weeks went from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator and now the person in charge. The tipping point was a on Thanksgiving, when the Bears let the clock run down rather than call a timeout following a sack. It led to Caleb Williams throwing an incomplete pass from the Lions 41 as time expired when Chicago should have been able to run more than one play. Star cornerback Jaylon Johnson interrupted Eberflus' postgame speech and made his feelings clear. Other players had gone public in recent weeks with their frustrations over the coaching decisions, and they didn't exactly hide their emotions following the Detroit game. On Wednesday, defensive end DeMarcus Walker said he sensed a change was coming after the loss to the Lions. “You guys just look at the whole turnaround, how everything had been going, we just knew some changes were going to be made,” he said. The 38-year-old Brown now has a huge opportunity. He spent last season as Carolina's offensive coordinator and the previous three on Sean McVay's staff with the Los Angeles Rams — the final two as assistant head coach. Prior to that, he spent nine years as a college assistant, including stops at Wisconsin, Georgia, Miami and South Carolina. It's his job to help right a team that came into the season thinking a playoff spot was in reach. Williams' development obviously will be front and center. To that end, the No. 1 overall draft pick has looked more comfortable in the three games since Brown took over for the fired Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator, completing 75 of 117 passes for 827 yards with five touchdowns, no interceptions and a rating of 99.2. Though Brown will continue to call plays, the Bears have another new offensive coordinator in wide receivers coach Chris Beatty. “I think it is a stepping stone actually with my development because I think down the line I’ll have different OCs or different head coaches or whatever the case may be,” Williams said. “And so being able to handle it my first year, handle a new playbook, handle all these different changes, handle all of this I think it definitely will help the development instead of hurting it or anything like that.” Beyond the development of the prized quarterback, Brown also will be judged during his audition for the regular job on his preparation, decisions during games and command of the locker room. He said he reached out to each player individually on Friday and Saturday and tried to set a tone when the team met on Monday. “I want them to be excellent,” Brown said. “I can nitpick at every single play and tell a guy how he wasn’t perfect. And, so, perfection’s not the goal. It’s to excel at your craft.” Notes: The Bears had a lengthy injury report on Wednesday. WRs Keenan Allen (ankle) and DJ Moore (quad), RBs D'Andre Swift (quad) and Roschon Johnson (concussion), DB Elijah Hicks (ankle) and OL Ryan Bates (concussion) all missed practice. S Kevin Byard (shoulder) and OLs Darnnell Wright (knee) and Coleman Shelton (knee) were limited. AP NFL coverage:

Injured cornerback Riley Moss could return to Denver's lineup at CincinnatiHeat say Jimmy Butler will miss 2 more games before rejoining team next weekBy ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Related Articles National Politics | Elon Musk’s preschool is the next step in his anti-woke education dreams National Politics | Trump’s picks for top health jobs not just team of rivals but ‘team of opponents’ National Politics | Bill Clinton is out of the hospital after being treated for the flu National Politics | Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus National Politics | Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing ‘hurried’ House action Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” he wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!” Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department’s operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.” He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden. On the campaign trail, Trump often called for expanding the federal death penalty — including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and migrants who kill U.S. citizens. “Trump has been fairly consistent in wanting to sort of say that he thinks the death penalty is an important tool and he wants to use it,” said Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State University’s law school. “But whether practically any of that can happen, either under existing law or other laws, is a heavy lift.” Berman said Trump’s statement at this point seems to be just a response to Biden’s commutation. “I’m inclined to think it’s still in sort of more the rhetoric phase. Just, ‘don’t worry. The new sheriff is coming. I like the death penalty,’” he said. Most Americans have historically supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to decades of annual polling by Gallup, but support has declined over the past few decades. About half of Americans were in favor in an October poll, while roughly 7 in 10 Americans backed capital punishment for murderers in 2007. Before Biden’s commutation, there were 40 federal death row inmates compared with more than 2,000 who have been sentenced to death by states. “The reality is all of these crimes are typically handled by the states,” Berman said. A question is whether the Trump administration would try to take over some state murder cases, such as those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. He could also attempt to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty. Berman said Trump’s statement, along with some recent actions by states, may present an effort to get the Supreme Court to reconsider a precedent that considers the death penalty disproportionate punishment for rape. “That would literally take decades to unfold. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” Berman said. Before one of Trump’s rallies on Aug. 20, his prepared remarks released to the media said he would announce he would ask for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers. But Trump never delivered the line. One of the men Trump highlighted on Tuesday was ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old girl in a suburban Chicago park several years before. The other man, Thomas Steven Sanders, was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, days after shooting the girl’s mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Court records show he admitted to both killings. Some families of victims expressed anger with Biden’s decision, but the president had faced pressure from advocacy groups urging him to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The ACLU and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were some of the groups that applauded the decision. Biden left three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

No. 5 UCLA snaps No. 1 South Carolina's 43-game win streakFederal prosecutors managed to win a conviction against former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) on one of the most dramatic and blatant corruption cases in recent U.S. history. But they may have violated the Constitution when they showed evidence to the jury, reported Politico — and it could give Menendez an opening to get a new trial, and possibly beat the charges. Menendez, a longtime staple of New Jersey politics who already beat a completely different set of corruption charges a decade ago, was convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery, actions to benefit Egypt , and conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent. Prosecutors detailed how he and his wife accepted bribes to take official actions on behalf of Egypt and Qatar, accepting hundreds of thousands from foreign officials in cash, mortgage payments, and even gold bars which he went on to hide in his house. The problem is that, according to Politico, the jury may have had the opportunity to see material that they should not have been allowed to see. ALSO READ: Presidential run eyed for 'relentless' Dem gov who beat brutal GOP opposition in key state "In several surprise legal filings since mid-November, prosecutors from the Southern District of New York revealed they had inadvertently given the jury access to evidence a judge ruled jurors should not see," said the report. "The evidence at issue was loaded onto a laptop the jury was given during its deliberations. Prosecutors have said it’s 'vanishingly unlikely' and unreasonable to think any juror actually poured through all the documents on the laptop and came across the tainted material, which amounts to scraps of unredacted text messages amid 3,000 often lengthy documents." However, if any of them did see these text messages, it would run afoul of the Constitution's Speech and Debate Clause, which grants members of Congress immunity for what they say during official proceedings. This same provision was wielded by Trump's legal team to try to stop former Vice President Mike Pence from testifying to special counsel Jack Smith's team, and it is why the House GOP's desire for former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) to be criminally prosecuted for her work on the House January 6 Committee will likely be impossible . If, as Menendez's legal team is now trying to argue, the jury was tainted by seeing these materials, the judge could ultimately order a new trial for the former senator — and there's no guarantee such a trial would end with another conviction. Former federal prosecutor Jonathan Kravis told Politico, “the prosecution gift-wrapped them one here.” However, if prosecutors manage to convince the court that this did not amount to a violation of Menendez's constitutional rights, he will be sentenced next month.Did Elon Musk's Political Gambit Costs Tesla? 40% Sales Drop in Europe Raises Alarm