Whoa – Biden Commutes Nearly 1,500 Sentences, Pardons 39 in Largest Single-Day Act of Clemency

The Pokémon Company If you’ve been playing Pokémon TCG Pocket since launch, you’ve probably already collected most of the cards from the game’s first expansion. But a new set is about to debut in just a few days. Today, The Pokémon Company announced that Mythical Island, a new expansion set featuring the pokémon Mew, is coming to Pokémon TCG Pocket on December 17th. A trailer for the expansion reveals a handful of new Pokémon cards coming to the game for the first time like Purrloin, Serperior, and Marshadow. Previously, the only way to obtain a Mew card was by collecting cards featuring each of the 150 original pokémon from the Kantonian Pokédex, but it should be much easier to snag the new Mew EX card simply by ripping a few packs. The Pokémon Company also announced that TCG Pocket has exceeded 60 million iOS and Android downloads since the game launched at the end of October. The ability to actually trade cards with other people hasn’t come to the game just yet, but it’s going to be very useful given that there’s a bunch of fresh cards on the way.

Image: Archer Electric aviation startup Archer Aviation signed an exclusive deal with Palmer Luckey’s defense contractor, Anduril Industries, to jointly develop next-generation aircraft for the military. Archer also announced a new funding round of $450 million to help propel its defense ambitions. The first product will be a hybrid propulsion vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft that will serve as the basis for the companies’ bid for a contract with the US Department of Defense. Archer is also formalizing its efforts to be an aircraft supplier to the military through the creation of a new internal division called Archer Defense. While Archer has been racing to finalize the government certification process that it will need to get the necessary government approvals for its electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft, it’s also getting more deeply involved with the military-industrial complex. The San Jose, California-based company also recently delivered one of its Midnight eVTOL aircraft to the US Air Force as part of its evaluation program. Other advanced aviation companies have made similar moves. The first product will be a hybrid propulsion vertical takeoff and landing aircraft Archer also announced it will be the recipient of a fresh capital round, with $430 million coming from preexisting investors such as Stellantis and United Airlines as well as new funders like Wellington Management and Abu Dhabi investment holding company 2PointZero, a subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates’ largest listed entity, IHC. Archer says it has raised a total of $2 billion to date. Archer came out of stealth in spring 2020 after having poached key talent from Wisk (formerly Kitty Hawk) and Airbus’ Vahana project. (Wisk later sued for alleged trade secret theft, which was finally settled last year.) The company has a $1 billion order from United Airlines for its aircraft and a deal to mass-produce its eVTOL craft with global automaker Stellantis. Alongside Archer, other eVTOL companies hope to eventually win full Federal Aviation Administration approval. That got a boost recently when the agency published highly anticipated final regulations for eVTOL vehicles that it says will chart the path for the “air travel of the future.” Archer praised the FAA for “providing clear direction on what is required for the safe operation of eVTOL aircraft in the U.S.” Air taxis, sometimes misidentified by the mainstream media as “flying cars,” are essentially helicopters without the noisy, polluting gas motors (though they certainly have their own unique noise profile). In addition to Archer, companies like Joby Aviation, Volocopter, and Beta Technologies have claimed they are on the cusp of launching services that will eventually scale up nationwide. But others have floundered; German company Lilium recently said that two of its subsidiaries were insolvent and could cease operations. Meanwhile, Anduril is a military technology company, founded by Oculus creator Luckey, that makes surveillance and reconnaissance tech as well as military drones. The company recently teamed up with OpenAI to integrate the ChatGPT maker’s software into Anduril’s counterdrone systems.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is praising chamber members for passing the annual National Defense Authorization Act, saying that its provisions will "refocus the Pentagon on military lethality, not radical woke ideology."

Meta has donated $1 million to Donald Trump's inaugural fund in the latest sign CEO Mark Zuckerberg is trying to repair his relationship with the president-elect.

China is willing to strengthen its "strategic alignment" with Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping told a visiting Russian official Thursday, adding that Beijing and Moscow must maintain close cooperation in multilateral forums.

Wholesale costs in the United States picked up sharply last month, signaling that price pressures are still evident in the economy even though inflation has tumbled from the peak levels it hit more than two years ago.

The Amazing Kreskin’s social media profiles have been updated with the news of his passing at 89. He died at his New Jersey home on Tuesday, despite preparing for his beloved festive holiday by decorating the house with Christmas trees and ornaments like he did in previous years. The Amazing Kreskin’s manager, Ryan Galway, confirmed the news but did not reveal the cause of his death. His career as an entertaining mentalist spanned over six decades after he was inspired by Lee Falk’s Mandrake The Magician comic strip. The Amazing Kreskin got his name on Johnny Carson’s show             View this post on Instagram                         A post shared by The Amazing Kreskin (@theamazingkreskin)   The Amazing Kreskin, whose real name was George Kresge, forged a unique career path as a mentalist. However, he marketed himself as an entertainer rather than a supernaturally powerful psychic. He appeared on many TV shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, on which the host gave him his popular moniker. He appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson up to 88 times, even less than his frequency on shows like The Mike Douglas Show and The Merv Griffin Show. He was also a regular on Late Night with David Letterman, The Howard Stern Show, and Live with Kelly and Mark in the late 2000s. The Amazing Kreskin/Instagram What did The Amazing Kreskin do? The Amazing Kreskin was good at making predictions—not from special paranormal abilities—and would even ask the audience to hide his paycheck for ongoing performances so he would try to find it. If he failed to figure out the check, which happened up to ten times, he would forfeit his wages for the gig. The Amazing Kreskin/Instagram He claimed that Johnny Carson based his Carnac the Magnificent character on him due to their similarities, but many thought Carson simply got the idea from an old Steve Allen sketch. Kreskin performed actively throughout his adult years up until the spring season of this year. Next up: Daytime Soap Star Michael Cole Of ‘The Mod Quad’ Dies At 84 The post ‘Johnny Carson’ Regular The Amazing Kreskin Dies At 89 appeared first on DoYouRemember? - The Home of Nostalgia. Author, Peace A

Dick Van Dyke’s Malibu home was affected by the Malibu wildfires, though he and his wife, Arlene Silver, evacuated earlier this week. Sadly, one of his family members has yet to be seen since then, and the actor shared the sad update on his Facebook page. Van Dyke was able to move his pets out of the house except for one named Bobo, which he hopes is alive and safe. “We’re praying he’ll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires,” the aged actor wrote. One of Dick Van Dyke’s cats may be caught in the Malibu fires Dick Van Dyke’s missing cat/X Bobo is one of Van Dyke’s cats, whose photos he has shown off on his social media in the past. Bobo is blonde, with its fur similar to that of the others Mango, Se7en, and tabby cat Spider. The worried cat dad shared another post featuring a photo of Bobo in case anyone spotted him. The fires started on Monday, and other celebrities were affected, too. Cher reportedly left for a hotel with her pets, while Jonah Hill and Barbra Streisand’s whereabouts are still unknown. The wildfire severely ravaged nearly 4,000 acres of land, with the weather preventing firefighters from covering much ground. Dick Van Dyke/ImageCollect Fans comfort Dick Van Dyke amid Malibu fires Van Dyke’s fans comforted him in his comments section and assured him that Bobo would find his way home once the disaster was past. “Prayers to Bobo- cats are survivors in the outdoors, and I’m sure he’ll find his way home once things calm down. I have (3) of my own, I would be just as worried myself,” someone wrote. Dick Van Dyke and his cat/X Another advised the legendary actor to use one of the other cats to help Bobo trace the house, as cats use scent to find their way back home. “If you find him and he looks ok, take him to the vet anyways in case of smoke inhalation,” another added. Next up: Cher Recalls Wearing Loin Cloth To The Oscars After Getting Snubbed The post Dick Van Dyke ‘Praying’ After Beloved Pet Goes Missing During ‘Terrible’ Malibu Wildfires appeared first on DoYouRemember? - The Home of Nostalgia. Author, Peace A

Kathy Bates played the CEO of Sabre, Jo Bennett, for eight episodes of The Office across seasons six and seven. During a recent appearance on The Office Ladies podcast, she told hosts Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer that she struggled to play Jo. Angela and Jenna were shocked at Bates’ revelation as they considered her performance on The Office fantastic. Bates admitted that she felt intimidated by the show’s cast because they were so natural at the humor required for the sitcom, but she lacked the creativity for it. Kathy Bates did not audition for ‘The Office’ Kathy Bates, The Office/Everett Bates got the offer to play Jo without doing auditions, and because she was not so familiar with The Office, she spent time watching the show to prepare. Bates imagined she had a standard to meet as the actors were effortlessly funny in ways she could hardly conjure up. She also admitted to feeling overwhelmed by the unusual use of cameras on the set. Aside from feeling incompetent, Bates said she enjoyed her time on The Office and had fun on set. She did not mind staying for more seasons but had to leave for NBC’s Harry’s Law. Kathy Bates/ImageCollect Kathy Bates had trouble improvising in ‘The Office’ Bates did most of her scenes with Steve Carell, who she admired for his smooth way of improvising. She, on the other hand, had difficulty juggling her given lines with parts that required her to improvise. She tried to learn from Carell, who left in season 7, and John Krasinski. Kathy Bates, The Office/Everett More than a decade later, Bates is currently the star of CBS’ Matlock, which she initially claimed was her last dance, sparking retirement rumors. Lately, she claimed her statement was misunderstood as she meant to say she would love to continue her career because it has suddenly taken a fortunate turn. Next up: Gen X Gushes Over Viral Video Of Highschoolers From 1989 The post Kathy Bates Doesn’t Think She Improvised That Impressively On ‘The Office’ appeared first on DoYouRemember? - The Home of Nostalgia. Author, Peace A