## Georgia judge is found dead in courtroom on his final day on the bench

Authored by nbcnews.com

A judge was found dead in a Georgia courtroom on what was to have been his last day on the job, authorities said Tuesday.

Effingham County Sheriff’s deputies found State Court Judge Stephen Yekel, 74, on Tuesday morning.

He appears to have died by suicide, the sheriff's office said.

Yekel, who was appointed to the bench two years ago by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, lost his election bid earlier this year.

Court was not in session Tuesday, the sheriff said, adding that Yekel’s autopsy will be conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Yekel asked for the effective date of his resignation to be Dec. 30, one day before the end of his term, a copy of the note shows.

Kemp rejected his request, saying the results of a fair election "should not be nullified on the basis of manufactured legal technicality.". »

### Exclusive: PlayStation Portal usage peaks at night, an hour after the PS5's does

Authored by gamefile.news

That’s an hour later than the peak playing time for PlayStation 5 users.

While Sony doesn’t release unit sales figures for the Portal, the unit has shown market strength in the U.S., for starters.

In its report for September 2024, Circana noted that “3% of PlayStation 5 owners have purchased a PlayStation Portal to date," suggesting a healthy six-figure install base. »

### "You f**king deserve it": Lemon mocks "dumb" MAGA fans blindsided by Trump backing Musk visa push

Authored by salon.com

Even former Trump U.N. ambassador and onetime rival Nikki Haley chimed in to defend American workers.

Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, had no sympathy for MAGA’s tech bro-nationalist infighting.

"Oh my gosh, I love this," Lemon said in a 40-minute video posted to his YouTube channel. »

### Hamas refusing to release some hostages in Gaza deal negotiations - report

Authored by jpost.com

The source claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused the release of bodies in the first stage of the deal.

While Hamas has refused to release all the requested 34 living hostages, the terror group has reportedly upped the number of security prisoners it demands released.

Hamas reportedly only agreed to release the sick, children and the elderly in exchange for 250 security prisoners. »

### ‘No one can stop China’s “reunification” with Taiwan’ Xi says

Authored by sarajevotimes.com

No one can stop China’s “reunification” with Taiwan, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s address on Tuesday.

No one can threaten our family ties and no one can stop the historical trend of our national reunification,” Xi said in an address on state television.

In last year’s New Year’s Day speech, Xi said unification with Taiwan was inevitable. »

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