FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—A coalition of conservative leaders, led by a think tank founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, is urging the Senate to maintain the integrity of the Supreme Court by passing a constitutional amendment. “With the recent election representing a resounding rejection of such proposals,” the letter to U.S. senators says, “it is time for Congress and the States to preserve the integrity and independence of the Supreme Court through a constitutional amendment limiting the number of justices on the court to nine.” The coalition, led by Advancing American Freedom, asks senators to cosponsor the Keep Nine Amendment to begin the process of adopting a constitutional amendment “to ensure the independence of the Court and the liberties of the people it was created to protect.” According to the letter, the legitimacy of the Supreme Court “as an impartial institution and nonpolitical branch under our Constitution” is under attack. “From leaking draft opinions to threatening Justices and their families outside their homes,” the letter says, “perhaps no attempt to influence judicial opinions would damage the Court’s integrity so much as the threat of court-packing.” When Vice President Kamala Harris was asked on the campaign trail whether she supported packing the Supreme Court with additional justices, she said, “I do believe there should be some kind of reform of the court, and we can study what that actually looks like.”  In September, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced the Judicial Modernization and Transparency Act, which would expand the number of Supreme Court justices from nine to 15 over the next 12 years. “Attempts to increase the number of Justices on the Court to achieve political ends used to be widely recognized as destructive of the institution,” the coalition says. The conservative leaders who signed the letter include the general counsel for Advancing American Freedom, J. Marc Wheat; the director of the Keep Nine Coalition, Roman Buhler; Students for Life Action President Kristan Hawkins; the CEO of Concerned Women for America, Penny Nance; the chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Ralph Reed; the director of the Center for Judicial Renewal, Phillip Jauregui; and many others. The letter lays out past attempts to pack the Supreme Court. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 proposed expanding the highest court in the land. The effort faced fierce opposition from Republicans and Democrats alike. Henry F. Ashurst, a Democratic senator from Arizona at the time, is often credited with delaying the bill and ensuring it died in the Senate. “Only in the last few years has the bipartisan consensus against the threat of court-packing broken down,” the letter says. “Now is the time to lower the temperature. Proponents of such proposals claim it will restore the Court’s integrity, but nothing could be further from the truth.” The now-deceased Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s court-packing scheme made the South American nation’s highest court into a “political arm that today supports the dictatorial excesses of [his successor] Nicolás Maduro.” Venezuela demonstrates how court packing can “destroy judicial independence and transform the judiciary into a political pawn,” the letter says. The post EXCLUSIVE: Conservative Leaders Urge Constitutional Amendment to Block Efforts to Pack Supreme Court appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Rosie O'Donnell's Herpes and Other Democratic Chronic Conditions

Archaeologists believe they may have uncovered the original resting place of Saint Nicholas—the real-life inspiration behind Santa Claus—at the Church of St. Nicholas in Demre, Turkey. While Santa Claus is a beloved figure known for delivering presents to children worldwide at Christmas, he is based on a historical person: Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop from Myra, an ancient city in present-day Turkey. Approximately 200 years after his death, the Church of St. Nicholas was built in Demre, Antalya, and his remains were placed in a limestone sarcophagus there. Historical records indicate that in the 11th century, Saint Nicholas’ bones were moved again to the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, Italy. Now, archaeologists excavating the original Church of St. Nicholas believe they may have discovered the actual sarcophagus where Nicholas was first buried. The sarcophagus is buried about 1.5 to 2 meters underground and measures 2 meters in length. It features a raised lid and a pitched roof, consistent with other burial styles in the region. “Our biggest hope is to find an inscription on the sarcophagus,” said Associate Professor Ebru Fatma Findik to Turkiye Today. “This would help clarify the burial contents and allow us to determine the exact period it dates from.” Finding an inscription would provide crucial evidence to confirm whether the sarcophagus indeed holds Saint Nicholas’ remains. This discovery is significant as it directly links the historical Saint Nicholas to the modern-day legend of Santa Claus, bridging the gap between history and popular culture. Further excavations are planned, and researchers hope to uncover more evidence in the coming months to validate their findings. If confirmed, this discovery would not only authenticate the origins of Santa Claus but also enhance our understanding of early Christian burial practices and the veneration of saints. The potential identification of Saint Nicholas’ original sarcophagus offers a fascinating glimpse into the life and legacy of the man behind one of the world’s most cherished holiday traditions. Archaeologists in Türkiye believe they might have discovered the tomb of Saint Nicholas, famously known as Santa Claus Archaeologists have announced the discovery of a sarcophagus near the original burial place of Saint Nicholas at the Church of St. Nicholas, located in… pic.twitter.com/0QpzjuQi8K — Sandeep Neel (@SanUvacha) December 7, 2024 The post ‘Real-Life Santa Claus’ Sarcophagus Discovered in Ancient Turkish Church appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Rayman creator and Beyond Good and Evil director Michel Ancel says the sequel, Beyond Good and Evil 2, has struggled throughout development due to “problems between managers.” Ancel's comments come after he left Ubisoft amid allegations of toxic management in 2020 while working on the highly anticipated sequel. BGE 2 has been in development at Ubisoft for over a decade, yet it still doesn't have a firm release date. Continue reading Beyond Good and Evil 2 is a victim of “problems between managers,” ex dev says MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Review, Beyond Good & Evil 2 announcement, Beyond Good & Evil 2 release date

Vampire Survivors is so beloved and addictive that it kicked the Bullet Heaven genre onto the main stage. The part that makes the game so replayable is the weapon evolutions, combinations, and unions.

The mystical aura of Eurojank games sets them apart from your average American hit.

Monday Morning Minute

Almost seven years after the first HomePod was introduced, Apple's smart speaker strategy never really took off. The price was too high, and the HomePod mini could not compete against more affordable speakers from Google and Amazon. Still, Apple continues to offer smart speakers with the 2022 HomePod 2 and the 2020 HomePod mini. Hard-core Apple fans definitely have a few at home, and some might agree with me that the Apple TV 4K combo with a pair of HomePod 2 is one of the best ways to experience a full, immersive experience right now. In the search to expand its market, it seems Apple is finally ready to revamp its smart speaker strategy with HomePod 3. According to Korean outlet SE Daily (via MacRumors), Cupertino is one step closer to releasing the long-awaited HomePod with a display. The publication reveals Apple will use Tianma to supply the OLED panels for the upcoming HomePod 3, which will be released in 2025. So far, it's unclear if this product will be only a new generation of the HomePod brand or if it could be the long-rumored smart displays Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported over the past few months. Rumors say Apple has been working on several HomePod variants with screens. Two of them are a tabletop device with a robotic arm, and the other is an iPad-like product with a speaker combo and a built-in camera, something like an Amazon Echo Show. While at least one of these products is expected to be released next year, this HomePod 3 product could be another option. This device is expected to feature a 6-7 inch OLED display, and Apple would likely focus on smart home functionality. The HomePod 3 would feature a high-quality OLED screen and could finally be used as Apple's smart home hub. Although reports suggest Apple Intelligence could play a big role in a smart speaker/display device, adding a better A17 Pro or M chip could greatly increase the price of a device most people aren't willing to buy. It seems this product could be revealed in the third quarter of 2025, after the WWDC 2025 keynote. As always, BGR will keep an eye on rumors and reports about this smart speaker, and we'll let you know if we learn more about it. Don't Miss: Hands-on: HomePod 2 exceeds expectations, but there’s one thing you should know The post HomePod 3 to reportedly feature a massive redesign with a 6-7-inch OLED screen appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Best Apple Watch deals for December 2024 Black Friday blowout: 15% off PS5, $154 AirPods Pro, doorbuster deals, Beats headphones, Narwal Freo Z Ultra, more Best Cyber Monday deals 2024: All the top sales Cyber Week deals: $329 Apple Watch S10, $50 off Microsoft Office 2024, $374 PS5 Slim, Vitamix blenders, more

Rapper Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was accused in a lawsuit on Sunday of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 allegedly along with Sean "Diddy" Combs, NBC News reported.

A look at Russia's Vladimir Putin's hypersonic "Oreshnik," Russian for "hazelnut tree," and how it fits into Moscow's battle plan and what political message Russia wants to send by using it.