North Korea deploys mystery balloon-like objects to stricken warship, satellite photos showNew Foto - North Korea deploys mystery balloon-like objects to stricken warship, satellite photos show

New satellite images show North Korea has deployed what appear to be balloons alongside its damaged 5,000-ton warship that has been laying on its side and partially submerged since a botched launch last week. While the purpose of the objects is unclear, experts told CNN they could be used to help get the ship back upright, or protect it from the prying eyes of drones. The stricken destroyer was the country's newest warship and was meant to be a triumph of North Korea's ambitiousnaval modernization effort. Instead, a malfunction in the launch mechanism on May 21 caused the stern to slide prematurely into the water, crushing parts of the hull and leaving the bow stranded on the shipway, state media KCNA reported, in a rare admission of bad news. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who witnessed the failed launch in the northeastern city of Chongjin, called it a "criminal act" and ordered the country to swiftly repair the as-yet-unnamed ship before the late-June plenary session of the ruling Workers' Party, calling it a matter of national honor. Officials have since scrambled to undo the damage and punish those they claim are responsible,detaining four peoplein recent days, including the shipyard's chief engineer. Analysts say it appears balloons are being used in North Korea's effort to swiftly repair the destroyer. "It looks like what appear to be balloons have been installed not to refloat the ship, but to prevent the ship from further flooding," said Rep. Yu Yong-weon, a South Korean National Assembly lawmaker and military analyst. Retired United States Navy Cpt. Carl Schuster said if the objects are indeed balloons, they could have one of two purposes – either to prevent "low- to mid-level drone reconnaissance," or to reduce the stress on the part of the ship still stranded on the pier. "That is the area that is most likely to have been damaged, suffered the most severe damage and remains under intense stress while the forward area remains out of the water," he said. Nick Childs, senior fellow for naval forces and maritime security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said North Korea could be in danger of further damaging the ship if it's using balloons to keep it afloat or raise it. "It is highly likely that the ship is under quite a lot of stress anyway," and lifting from above could compound those stresses, he said. Normal procedure would be to get as much buoyancy as possible in the ship and then raise it from below, Childs said. According to satellite images shared by Maxar Technologies, more than a dozen white, balloon-like objects have been deployed around the destroyer since May 23. Based on the objects' shape and what appear to be tail fins, they could be smaller versions of what are known as aerostat aircraft, balloons with a slight resemblance to dirigibles, defense experts told CNN. Like blimps, dirigibles get buoyancy from a lifting gas that allows them to float in air or in water. The images don't appear to show any flotation bladders supporting the hull or the body of the ship, Schuster said – something the US might use in such a situation. He added that North Korea's maritime industry might not be advanced enough for such techniques. North Korean state media had previously reported that the damage was less severe than initially feared, and that there were no holes in the hull, though it was scratched along the side and some seawater had entered the stern. It estimated repairs could take about 10 days – though analysts are skeptical. Schuster had previously told CNN that repair work could take up to six months, depending on how far the hull damage extends, how much water entered the warship, and how much "salt crust" might have formed on metal surfaces such as joints. The ship's precarious position also makes the salvage operation unusually complex. "Having it half in and half out of the water is basically the worst possible situation," said Decker Eveleth, an associate research analyst at CNA, a nonprofit specializing in defense research. He added that the operation would be simpler if the ship had fully capsized into the water, or if it had fallen over entirely on land. "But as it's half on land and half on water – if you try to pull the sunken half out, you're risking twisting and breaking the keel," Eveleth said, referring to the structural spine running along the ship's bottom. "And if you do that, the whole ship is junk." Childs said North Korea may have to cut the ship into pieces and then try to salvage what it can because righting it from its current position is an extremely complex task. "Very often the only way you clear the dock … is to dismantle at least part of the ship to make the operation easier, right what you have left and tow it away and make a decision on whether you rebuild it or scrap it," he said. CNN's Jessie Yeung contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

North Korea deploys mystery balloon-like objects to stricken warship, satellite photos show

North Korea deploys mystery balloon-like objects to stricken warship, satellite photos show New satellite images show North Korea has deploy...
Joni Ernst posts sarcastic apology video following comments that 'we all are going to die'New Foto - Joni Ernst posts sarcastic apology video following comments that 'we all are going to die'

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst posted a sarcastic apology video following a viral moment when she told a town hall audience member that"we all are going to die"in response to concerns over Medicaid cuts. The Iowa Republican's original comments came at a town hall in Parkersburg on May 30, while she was answering a question about cuts to Medicaid inPresident Donald Trump's tax packagethat the Senate is poised to consider. During Ernst's answer, someone in the audience interrupted her to shout, "people will die!" Ernst replied by saying, "People are not — well, we all are going to die. For heaven's sakes, folks." The comment instantly drew national attention and received widespread condemnation from Democrats who have criticized the impact of the potential Medicaid cuts. Ernst posted a video to her Instagram story May 31 where she spoke directly to camera, apparently from a cemetery. "Hello everyone. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize for a statement that I made yesterday at my town hall," she began, before describing the incident. More:What's in Trump's big tax bill? Here's what you need to know. "I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that yes, we are all going to perish from this Earth," she said. "So I apologize. And I'm really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well. "But for those that would like to see eternal and everlasting life, I encourage you to embrace my lord and savior, Jesus Christ," she added. More:'Don't know how we will survive': Medicaid cuts could put this group of mothers in peril The Congressional Budget Officeestimates that Trump's tax bill will reduce federal Medicaid spendingby $723 billion over a decade and could increase the number of uninsured people by 7.6 million. At the Parkersburg town hall, Ernst said the goal of the bill is to make sure that people who are not eligible for Medicaid benefits don't receive them. "What you don't want to do is listen to me when I say that we are going to focus on those that are most vulnerable," Ernst said. "Those that meet the eligibility requirements for Medicaid, we will protect. We will protect them. Medicaid is extremely important here in the state of Iowa. If you don't want to listen, that's fine." Later that day she blamed "hysteria that's out there coming from the left" for the response to her initial comments. Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for The Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached by email atsgrubermil@registermedia.comor on X at@sgrubermiller. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register:Joni Ernst posts sarcastic apology following viral Medicaid comments

Joni Ernst posts sarcastic apology video following comments that 'we all are going to die'

Joni Ernst posts sarcastic apology video following comments that 'we all are going to die' U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst posted a sarcastic a...
Germany's new chancellor, Merz, to meet Trump in Washington on ThursdayNew Foto - Germany's new chancellor, Merz, to meet Trump in Washington on Thursday

BERLIN/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, will travel to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, German and U.S. officials said on Saturday. This will be Merz's first visit to the United States since taking office on May 6, and comes amid high tensions between the trans-Atlantic partners over trade and the Russian war in Ukraine. The visit was confirmed by a German government spokesman and a White House official. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Trevor Hunnicutt; Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Toby Chopra)

Germany's new chancellor, Merz, to meet Trump in Washington on Thursday

Germany's new chancellor, Merz, to meet Trump in Washington on Thursday BERLIN/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Germany's new chancellor, Frie...
Valerie Mahaffey, Emmy-winning 'Northern Exposure' and 'Young Sheldon' actress, dies at 71New Foto - Valerie Mahaffey, Emmy-winning 'Northern Exposure' and 'Young Sheldon' actress, dies at 71

Emmy-winningactress Valerie Mahaffey, best known for her role on the TV series "Northern Exposure," has died. She was 71. Mahaffey's publicist Jillian Roscoe confirmed to USA TODAY the actress died Friday, May 30, after a battle withcancer. Her five-decade career included performances on the Broadway stage, countless television appearances and roles in films such as "Seabiscuit," "Sully," "Jungle 2 Jungle" and "No Pay, Nudity." Mahaffey earned a supporting actressDaytime Emmy nominationin 1980 for her role in the NBC soap opera "The Doctors." In 1992, she would win aPrimetime Emmyfor best supporting actress in a drama series for her role as Eve in "Northern Exposure." Most recently, Mahaffey appeared in the Apple TV+ thriller "Echo 3," "The 8th Day" and the film"French Exit,"for which she earned anIndependent Spirit Awardsupporting actress nomination. 'As close as family':Loretta Swit honored by 'M*A*S*H' co-stars Alan Alda, Jamie Farr Born and raised in Indonesia until the age of 11, Mahaffey also lived in Nigeria, Texas and England. She is survived by her husband Joseph Kell and her daughter Alice. "I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses," her husband said in a statement. "She will be missed." Her daughter, who starred in the 2010 film "Summer Eleven," which Mahaffey produced and appeared in (Kell directed), said in a post on Instagram: "don't really have the words to say right now. cancer sucks. i'll look for you in all the fun moments of life. i know that's where you'll be💕🪽 i know we'll see each other again someday. i love you infinity much." View this post on Instagram A post shared by alice richards (@aliceziolkoski) After her regular role as Ashley Bennett on "The Doctors," Mahaffey began a steady stream of TV appearances including recurring roles as Alma Hodge, the devious ex-wife of Orson Hodge (Kyle MacLachlan) over nine episodes (2006-2007) on "Desperate Housewives," the teacher Victoria MacElroy (2017-2020) on "Young Sheldon," and on theNetflix comedy "Dead to Me," as Christina Applegate's mother-in law, Lorna Harding, for nine episodes (2019-2022). Mahaffey also had guest appearances on comedies such as "Cheers," "Seinfeld" and "Newhart." George Wendt:'Cheers' stars Ted Danson, John Ratzenberger and Rhea Perlman pay tribute Mahaffey's early career included Broadway plays such as "Dracula," in which she performed with Raul Julia. She also won two Obie Awards for off-Broadway plays "Top Girls" at the Public Theatre and for Alan Bennett's "Talking Heads" at the Minetta Lane. Her other theater credits include playing Desdemona in "Othello" opposite Morgan Freeman, and Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" with Tom Hulce. What's everyone talking about?Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him atmikegsnider&@mikegsnider.bsky.social&@mikesnider& msnider@usatoday.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Valerie Mahaffey dead: 'Young Sheldon,' 'Northern Exposure' star dies

Valerie Mahaffey, Emmy-winning 'Northern Exposure' and 'Young Sheldon' actress, dies at 71

Valerie Mahaffey, Emmy-winning 'Northern Exposure' and 'Young Sheldon' actress, dies at 71 Emmy-winningactress Valerie Mahaf...
Taylor Swift buys back masters, shares new info about "Reputation"

Taylor Swift announced Friday she has bought back her first six studio albums, themasters of which were soldto celebrity manager Scooter Braun in 2019 and later to Shamrock Capital. "I've been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening," Swift wrote ina lettershared on her website. "I really get to say these words: All of the music I've ever made… now belongs… to me." After the masters were sold in 2019, Swift said she would rerecord the albums, so she would own the updated versions. She has released four: "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" and "Red (Taylor's Version)" in 2021, and "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" and "1989 (Taylor's Version)" in 2023. Fans have been eagerly awaiting the rerecording of "Reputation," originally released in 2017, for years, but Swift said in her letter that she hasn't even rerecorded a quarter of that album. "The Reputation album was so specific to that time in my life and I kept hitting a stopping point when I tried to remake it," she wrote. "To be perfectly honest, it's the one album in those first 6 that I thought couldn't be improved upon by redoing it." However, she added the unreleased vault tracks — songs she wrote at the time but were cut from the tracklist — may be released in the future. She has included songs "From the Vault" on each of her rerecorded albums. "There will be a time (if you're into the idea) for the unreleased Vault tracks from that album to hatch," she wrote. Swift teased in her2023 Person of the Year interview with Time magazinethat the "Reputation" vault tracks are "fire." The pop star also said she has finished rerecording her debut, self-titled album, which was originally released in 2006, and said she loves how it sounds now. "Those 2 albums can still have their moments to re-emerge when the time is right, if that would be something you guys would be excited about," she wrote. Swift thanked her fans in her letter, saying the support they showed her rerecorded albums and herrecord-breaking Eras Touris why she was able to buy back her music. Swift has been an advocate for artists owning their own music and noted she is "extremely heartened by the conversations this saga has reignited" in the industry. "Every time a new artist tells me they negotiated to own their master recordings in their record contract because of this fight, I'm reminded of how important it was for all of this to happen," she wrote. She also praised Shamrock Capital "for being the first people to ever offer" her the chance to buy the masters to her first six albums. "This was a business deal to them, but I really felt like they saw it for what it was to me: My memories and my sweat and my handwriting and my decades of dreams," she wrote. California track and field final begins with new rules for transgender athletes Reporter's Notebook: Words of wisdom from college graduation speeches How a toddler's brave walk into the darkness to get help inspired his family

Taylor Swift buys back masters, shares new info about "Reputation"

Taylor Swift buys back masters, shares new info about "Reputation" Taylor Swift announced Friday she has bought back her first six...

 

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